Nora Bonesteel has what people in her area call the gift of Sight; she knows things before they happen. She also sees people who no one else sees and talks with them. New neighbor Shirley Haverty, who bought the old Honeycutt house, asks Nora for some gardening advice and starts up a relationship with her. When Shirley and her husband put up their silver artificial Christmas tree with tropical decorations, the trouble begins. Shirley finds the tree one morning knocked over with ornaments scattered. She and her husband set it back up and redecorate, only to find it knocked over again the next day. Learning that Nora has the gift of Sight, Shirley enlists her help to figure out who is doing this and how to stop it.

Sheriff Spencer Arrowood and his deputy, Joe LeDonne, are on their way to deliver a warrant for the arrest of J. D. Shull. He allegedly is at fault in a hit-and-run accident in Knoxville that involved a senator's wife. The senator doesn't care that it's Christmas Eve. Upon arrival at the Shull's, J. D. agrees to go peacefully with the sheriff. However, he is concerned for his very elderly wife because there are several projects needing to be completed, so she won't freeze to death while he's in jail. Spencer and Joe get sucked into helping with these jobs. Can they finish before the big storm arrives?

Sharyn McCrumb's NORA BONESTEEL'S CHRISTMAS PAST is quite an unusual Christmas novella. The two stories, one about Nora and the other about Sheriff Arrowood, alternate back and forth throughout the novel. Neither story has anything to do with the other, but they are both set in the same mountain area in Tennessee. Nora ruminates about Christmases past when life was simpler and Christmas was mostly a religious celebration. Sheriff Arrowood points out that it doesn't hurt to spread a little Christmas cheer through charity projects. In NORA BONESTEEL'S CHRISTMAS PAST, Sharyn McCrumb gives us quite a bit to think about with these two stories regarding the true meaning of Christmas.