To call Holly Chamberlin's novel, ONE WEEK IN DECEMBER, a holiday tale would be correct, as it is set during the week of Christmas. But it is also a family drama, a romance, and a mystery of a sort -- all in one!

Becca Rowan has traveled to Maine to spend Christmas with her family, but celebrating the holiday is not what Becca has in mind. Her foremost singular thought, the thought that had been her obsession for over a year, is that this will be the year that she claims her daughter as her own, and nothing will stop her.

Not even if the news will tear her family apart. A 16 year old when her daughter was born, Becca had been encouraged by her family to give her baby to her older brother and his wife to raise as their own. She agreed not to tell Rain that she was her mother until she turned 21, but now older, and she thinks wiser, Becca longs to break that promise and raise Rain as her own. She know that her announcement to the family would be shocking, but the absolute outrage and disbelief Becca encounters is shocking to her. Her brother is livid, his wife is heartbroken, her parents are confused and her other siblings are disappointed that Becca would even consider doing this. As Becca reflects on her decision and how it would affect everyone she loves, she meets Alex, her father's friend and next-door neighbor. She feels a sudden connection with the gentle sculptor, and finds as she gets to know him, that she feels comfortable revealing her deepest feelings and secrets. And slowly but surely, Becca begins to learn the true power of love and that sometimes sacrifice is the greatest showing of that emotion.

ONE WEEK IN DECEMBER is one of those novels that will remain in your heart long after you read it. Holly Chamberlin has done a masterful job of crafting a tale that touches the heart and soul of her readers.