dan chabot

Three troubled strangers gather on Christmas Eve to say farewell to a doomed old house, the secure shelter and refuge where each of them grew up over the course of 90 years.  They all have warm, golden memories of youthful, magical Christmases here, and of the Rockwell-esque small town that nourished them as children.  These old walls were witness to the stories of…

*An elderly, feisty nun with life-searing experiences as a nurse in World War II, whose promiscuous youth still haunts her;

*A depressed former Major League baseball pitcher who is contemplating a horrific act;

*The hometown newspaper editor, still dealing with the tragic consequences of her long-ago teenage love affair.

They are joined by their gracious host, the last owner of the house, whose own deep attachment has led her to stage this last homecoming for people who know it is not just a house, but a shrine of memories and echoes.

But before it goes down to make way for a new bridge, this safe old sanctuary has surrendered some astonishing final secrets…

400 pp