A Gift Most Rare by Tom Leihbacher
It’s Christmastime in the handsome, pocket-sized village of Briarcliff Manor, New York. Multicolored lights cast a merry glow, the scent of fresh evergreens infuse the air, Christmas carols are heard on each street corner and stores are bursting with jolly, gift-buying shoppers.
With the yuletide spirit in full swing, life in this Rockwellian setting seems picture-perfect. But not everyone feels the holiday cheer. Nor do the seasonal sights, sounds and pastimes make much of a difference for them.
While most go about their joyful holiday pursuits, young Charlie Riverton is restless. His good-natured, twelve-year-old heart is especially concerned for the lonely and forlorn.
At the same time, he’s a red-blooded American boy and unofficial leader of a particularly close-knit group of sixth-grade buddies. Each day, they ramble through the full range of pre-teen hijinks, including how to navigate their new and nerve-wracking interest in girls.
Meanwhile, there’s an unusual and curiously gifted newcomer in town, recently arrived on the tailwinds of a surprise Thanksgiving Eve snowstorm. Charlie felt a special affinity with the handsome stranger from the moment they met.
Together, they set out to craft a God-honoring Christmas gift for the whole community. Along the way, lives are changed and people begin to look at Christmas a little differently.