One wish could change everything. At least it did for Madeline Drake.
When a snowy accident topples her through a slip in time, she wakes to find herself in tiny, turn of the century, Bethlehem, Wyoming, far from her hectic modern existence. And as much as it is a shock to her, her arrival upends the tenaciously rooted lives of the town’s odd collection of lost souls.
But the rules are clear—she has to stay until Christmas before the door home will open. Having never been much for rules, Madeline begins an out-of-control campaign to return sooner rather than later, but finds her arrivals as unwittingly upended the lives of the town's proper postmistress, Ninny Minch, and that of a grieving widow, Savannah Clarke, who has been hiding behind a wall of grief and guilt for decades.
Now Madeline’s got to fix those broken threads. While helping anyone other than herself doesn't come easily to her—and despite her best efforts to avoid entanglements—fragile bonds of friendship form with Ninny and Savannah. Madeline discovers—much to her surprise—that trust and acceptance once given, may be strong enough to untangle even the most closely woven secrets.
Including a few of her own.
As Christmas draws near and time runs out, Madeline finds herself even more entwined in Bethlehem’s currency of wishes and hope, until she starts to question if this small town might actually hold the keys to a life of purpose and empowerment she’d never imagined.
If you are looking for that warm and cozy holiday read, a book to share with your dearest friends , your book club, and your family, O Little Town of Bethlehem is sure to delight and have you reaching for a cup of tea and, perhaps, another slice of Ninny’s Christmas cake.
Elizabeth Boyle is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 25 novels. When she isn’t writing, she’s baking, knitting, or gardening in her beloved rainy corner of the Pacific Northwest. Though she’s a homebody at heart, she never stops scouring maps looking for her next adventure.