Solstice: A Mystery of the Season

by Jan Adkins

Divided from the rest of their family by misunderstandings, a father and son set out to spend Christmas on a remote Maine island and are drawn into the company of a warm, loving family who gives them understanding and insight

Genres: Mystery

85 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1990

About the author

Jan Adkins is an author, illustrator, designer, storyteller, and explainer. Most of his life he has unraveled snarls, straightened paths, and made a clearer understanding of complex and subtle matters. He has published more than 45 books, many of them non-fiction for young people. He was associate art director for National Geographic Magazine, 1980-88, researching and explaining science, medicine, technology and archaeology to its millions of readers. It was a job described by his editor-in-chief as “getting a doctorate every third month.” He taught editorial illustration at Rhode Island School of Design and at Maryland Institute College of Art. He has a regular 8 pp feature, “Getting Started In Boats,” in WoodenBoat Magazine and contributes often to several sailing magazines. He’s delighted to be a member of the iNKthink team that produces nonfictionminute.com (quick, check it out!). He’s one of the Eisterhold Associates (Kansas City, MO) designing and producing museum exhibits. A great deal of his satisfaction lies in nurturing and herding his 3 grandchildren in Gainesville, Florida, where he lives, and his 2 grandsons in Washington, DC. He walks, canoes, cycles, sails, and cooks, but his neighbors don’t know exactly what business he’s in. On Friday evenings you will often find him holding forth at an outdoor table with friends at his son-in-law’s Cypress & Grove Brewing Company, his version of Rick’s American Cafe.

Reviews

[Donna Cutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming, sweet, and easy to read with a beautiful story and an unexpected ending. Great read for the winter season.

[Gail Kennon · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyable and touching.

[Terry]

Teen Reader: I liked Solstice because the delightful characters brought to life the morals of the story. Initially, the story appears to appeal a younger age group, but with the high vocabulary and intricate dialogue it should be targeted toward the pre-teen age group. This would be a great holiday gift because it is about Christmas and bringing together the family, no matter how small, at the holiday time of year. Nevertheless, this story is an easy read for one who desires a classic tale of friendship and tranquility. Overall, I thought this was a new, fresh, and enjoyable story.

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[Marna Bynum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love me a good Christmas story, so I love me this book. Solstice is a story about family relationships, easy ones and hard ones. It's about valuing the simple things in life.

Charlie and his father are stranded on a Maine island when their boat engine fails. They are rescued by an older man and invited to spend the evening with him and his grown children. Charlie's family is fractured, and the evening allows him to observe a close-knit, happy family and discover the joys of working with his hands to create a special gift.

There is more to this novel that makes it fun to read, but I don't want to spoil the reading experience for anyone else. But if you want a good holiday read in a quaint setting, this is your book.