Nadine was once a vivacious, intelligent woman. Now confined in a rest home, her mind has deteriorated to the point that her children hardly know her, while she recognizes them not at all. Her behavior toward the staff is violent, her interaction with other residents menacing, the graciousness and intellect she once prized locked behind the barrier of Alzheimer's. Though Christmas is approaching, the season, to Nadine, brings with it no bright spirits, no promise of heightened awareness, no hint of magic. And yet, from somewhere in the cosmos, inexplicable events are about to be launched....

My best friend Beth has just inherited her Aunt Coral's home, built in the 1920s, and what makes me happiest of all, she will soon take possession. That means she will live only a few miles from me, instead of clear up in Idaho. (My name's Fry Mower, by the way, and I live in Southern California, so you can understand why I'm so excited about her move. I mean, don't we all want our best friends close by?) Her newly acquired house is right out of a fairytale, complete with turret. It also contains an old desk-built by Beth's grandfather (as was the dwelling)-which, along with a few other...