First published 2017
Miller McClellan stares at the docked shrimp boat that should be bringing in money for Christmas. The ten-year-old watches his mother rush between two jobs while his father struggles with their failing business. Miller wants a dog more than anything, but his parents shake their heads. The family cannot afford it this year. His parents promise him something better. His older brother Taylor is coming home from military service. Taylor's return should be the perfect Christmas gift. But when Taylor arrives, he brings invisible wounds from war. PTSD transforms Miller's brother into a stranger. The holiday season grows darker as the family confronts Taylor's struggles. Miller must navigate his disappointment about the dog, his parents' financial stress, and his brother's psychological battles. The McClellan family discovers that some Christmas gifts come wrapped in pain and healing takes time.
Genres: fiction, military-fiction, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Lowcountry
Period: Christmas
358 pages · Library Binding · Center Point Pub
Content warnings: mental-illness