Part of Irish Country, book 15.5
First published 2021
December 1965 settles over Ballybucklebo like a familiar blanket. Doctor Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly watches his neighbors prepare for Christmas while he tends to a chickenpox outbreak threatening the village children. His young colleague Barry Laverty joins him in treating patients who still need care despite the holiday season. A black sheep brother arrives hoping to mend broken family bonds before Christmas passes. Meanwhile, a sick little girl loses her Christmas spirit as illness keeps her from the celebrations she loves. Snow threatens to fall, promising the white Christmas everyone hopes for. O'Reilly must balance his medical duties with playing Santa Claus for the entire village. The townspeople trim trees, practice carols, and hunt for perfect gifts while roaring fires ward off December's bite. O'Reilly works to ensure that family reconciliation happens and that one child's faith in Christmas survives her illness. The village prepares its traditional feast of roast turkey and chestnut stuffing as the doctor tends to both bodies and hearts in need of healing.
Genres: fiction, christmas, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: cozy, emotional, intimate
Tropes: found-family, holiday
Setting: Ballybucklebo
Period: 1965
193 pages · Hardcover · Forge Books