“THE JAMES MIRACLE,” by Jason F. Wright, Shadow Mountain, $15.99, 104 pages (f)
Things are going smoothly for Sam and Holly Foster in author Jason F. Wright’s novel “The James Miracle.”
They both have careers that they love and that challenge them. Their son, James, is a joy to them, and with the help of loving caretakers, he is a growing, happy boy.
Time with his busy parents is a precious commodity for James, and some of the best times with his dad are spent testing out a handmade boat called James’ Miracle.
Sam, a salesman, is laid off in an economic downturn, and a few weeks later, a car accident puts 10-year-old James in the hospital.
Sam and Holly's static relationship is tested as they hope for James to heal and as they face the financial strains of hospital expenses. As Sam continues his job hunt, he reflects on how to help his family and finds it daunting until little moments help them start to heal.
It’s a short book that packs a poignant lesson about relationships in a meaningful way. With flashbacks and a mysterious job opportunity, it echoes the lessons of a modern “A Christmas Carol” — without the glimpse of the future.
It’s been 10 years since the initial publication of “The James Miracle,” which was Wright’s first novel. He says in the introduction that the manuscript was a gift to his wife.
“The book wasn’t really the gift — it was the message," he wrote. "There were things I needed to say, and this novella became my outlet for saying them.”
The novella has clean language, no sexual content and no described violence.
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