The Noel Diary - By Richard Paul Evans ( Hardcover )

About the Book

"In this new holiday-themed novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Mistletoe Promise and The Walk, a man receives the best Christmas present he could ask for: the chance to re-write the past. Jason Chercher is not doing well in love or life. Just two weeks after his wife leaves him he receives a phone call that his estranged mother has passed away, days before Christmas--leaving her home and all her belongings to him. Frankly, he would like to see everything just burned. But curiosity about his past and anxiety about his future fuels him to make the drive from Salt Lake City to her home in Medford, Oregon. Maybe cleaning out her house will be slightly less depressing than spending the holidays, alone, watching re-runs of Christmas classics. While going through her things he comes upon her diary and the record of his childhood. He learns that his mother suffered from severe depression and during that difficult time he was taken care of by a young, unwed mother who was living with his family. The only clue he has to the woman's identity is her name: Noel, which is an eerily fitting discovery on Christmas Eve. As Jason reads the diary he begins to uncover the source of his pain in relationships and understand that what he believed to be the truth of his past was actually a lie. That's when he begins a journey to find Noel, wondering if she might hold the truth he needs to bring him peace and love"--

Book Synopsis

New York Times Bestseller

In this holiday-themed novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Mistletoe Promise and The Walk, a man receives the best Christmas present he could ask for: the chance to rewrite the past.

Bestselling romance author Jacob Churcher hasn't been home for almost twenty years--not since his mentally ill mother kicked him out of the house when he was just sixteen. When a lawyer calls, days before Christmas, to inform him that his estranged mother has passed away and left her house to him, Jacob returns not just to settle the estate but to try and reconcile with the past and the pain and abuse he experienced as a child. Also, maybe cleaning out her house will be slightly less depressing than spending the holidays alone, watching re-runs of Christmas classics.

But as it turns out, the house holds more than just difficult memories, Jacob's mother had become a hoarder and he must excavate through two decades worth of clutter. As Jacob digs through the detritus, like an archaeologist, he uncovers many puzzling items including a diary left by someone named Noel, a young woman he has no recollection of, who stayed with Jacob's family during her pregnancy. That's not the only echo from the past. Jacob has an unexpected visitor, Rachel, a woman looking for the mother who put her up for adoption thirty years before. United by their quest to make sense of the past and rewrite their futures, Jacob and Rachel begin a search for Noel. Along the way they find more than they possibly imagined, including grace, forgiveness and a chance at love.

Review Quotes

Praise for THE MISTLETOE SECRET

***A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER***
***A WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER***
***A USA TODAY BESESTSELLER***
***A PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY BESTSELLER***

***1/2 stars out of four
--USA Today

"A sweet story of working through challenges to finding what seems like an elusive and impossible relationship. Evans also includes a cast of quirky and entertaining supporting characters."
--Deseret News

"Count me in."
--Charlotte Observer

"A great re-interpretation of a classic romance."
--Roswell Daily Record

"This novel fits beautifully with the holiday season as two people, both dealing with loneliness, find that love can be found in unexpected places, and it is worth the effort to find it."
--Dayton Daily News

"For a short and sweet seasonal read, pick up The Mistletoe Secret by Richard Paul Evans... Filled with holiday cheer, this story is marketed to audiences who enjoy Hallmark movies."
--St. Lawrence Plaindealer