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.
When someone buys the old Honeycutt house, Nora Bonesteel is glad to see some life brought back to the old mansion, even if it is by summer people. But when they decide to stay through Christmas, they find more than old memories in the walls. On Christmas Eve, Sheriff Spencer Arrowood and Deputy Joe LeDonne find themselves on an unwelcome call to arrest an elderly man for a minor offense. As they attempt to do their duty, while doing the right thing for a neighbor, it begins to look like they may all spend Christmas away from home. In a story of spirits, memories, and angels unaware, Sharyn McCrumb revisits her most loved characters who know there is more to this world than the eye can see, especially at Christmastime.