AUTHOR: Lisa Wingate
DATE: 2014
PUBLISHER: Scribe Light Media
STARS: *****
A magical place, an island Christmas eve, a broken family in need of healing….
For young military widow, Tiff Riley, Christmas isn't just another day. It's the worst of all days. Hiding out on Hatteras Island with three-and-a-half-year-old Micah, she's desperate to once again ignore the anniversary of tragedy. The winter-season quiet of North Carolina's Outer Banks is the perfect place to escape. It never feels like Christmas at the beach.
But in tiny Hatteras Village, the crew at Sandy's Seashell Shop is determined to make sure no one is forgotten at Christmas. Is it possible for a magical Christmas Eve at the Seashell Shop to help mend one damaged life? On a night of miracles, in a place of miracles, can a young widow's heart be reopened to joy, hope… and even love?
How does Lisa Wingate pack so much story into just forty pages? I love this! The first time I read it, I was touched by its poignancy. The second time I read it (just now), I realized that this story could be a lesson in “Show, don’t tell.” The author’s prose seems to vibrate with life and emotion. It pulls me into the setting, the struggles of this young widow, and I, too, find myself searching for her lost love – and hoping for a better future.
If I could award more than five stars, I would. I absolutely love this e-short story.