The collection of poetry, While Bethlehem Sleeps, awakens readers to reflect on the Christmas story through character sketches, Advent themes, and seasonal musings.

Katrina Wade thinks her solitary life will continue when her great-aunt Minnie moves into a nursing home after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. But, then she meets Aric Hammond, the nursing home director, and his son Gunnar, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder. Through her relationships with Aunt Minnie, Aric, and Gunnar, will Katrina overcome the amnesia brought on by a long-ago accident, and will Aric forget the past in order to remember the deeper meaning of caring for those he loves?

A memory of a chicken mixture over toast? I don't even like chicken. What are pimientos anyway? Through poetry, Penny J. Johnson explores memories from childhood like this one in "Chicken a la King." But, The Last Time We Were Children is more than remembering. Her poems describe descending sledding hills, climbing mountains, and playing in fields and fairgrounds. They also profoundly cast light-both with humor and serious faith-on the dark hours of staying up with a sick child and sitting in the ER with an aging loved one. The pages speak of joy in first kisses, last words, and hearing the...