NOEL

by Jerry Hampton

Jillian and her son, Noel, check into Abbott Bed & Breakfast to enjoy the festivities before Christmas. When she asks if Teresa will keep an eye on him so she can run out to get some last minutes gifts, Teresa readily agrees, enchanted by the quiet little boy who is mesmerized by the giant Christmas tree in the lobby and the Dodge Viper Hot Wheels car John gave him to play with.

When his mother fails to return, Teresa turns to the descendants, learning that things, once more, are not what they appear.

Noel has no memories and is not only extremely shy but non-verbal. And, no matter how massive their resources, there appears to be no record of him or the woman who abandoned him.

Ruthorford, as they say, is a village, and it may just take this unique and talented village to help Noel and keep him safe.

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 23, 2024

Reviews

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love visiting Rutherford. These stories are always interesting and have highs and lows and all the feels. Love revisiting the Descendants and their circle. You are left feeling the warmth and the love.

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jerry Hampton has the ability to weave realistic dialogue with descriptive prose that makes the reader believe that they are in the rooms as the story is being told. As much as I love her storytelling, I do not envy her the research she must do in order to produce the conflicts that are necessary to each of her novels. She shied away from graphic descriptions in this book about a child who was left at Ruthorford by his guardian, but reading to what is merely alluded to lets the reader know that the author did a lot of research in order to bring this story to life.
The cover lets the reader know that the action takes place in December, but this is more than a Christmas story. This is a novel that helps the reader to realize that good people exist and still try to do the right thing to keep children safe.