Broken Ornaments Healing Holidays: A Short Story in the Family History Mystery Series

This year's Christmas season is tinged with sadness. Digger Browning had had a falling-out with her reporter friend Marty and she isn't sure they can fix it. He may want to leave Maple Grove and she is conflicted about whether family commitments will hold her back from joining him. To distract herself, Digger and her very pale Uncle Benjamin are sorting through boxes in the cellar of the Ancestral Sanctuary. They come across a carefully wrapped (but broken) ornament Uncle Benjamin's late wife, Clara, found and cherished many years ago. It had been made by the Meadow Mountain Ornament Factory, which burned in 1948. As a local family historian, Digger is surprised she never heard of the firm, especially because of its sad ending. She soon meets Hank, a man whose family owned the firm. He's puzzled about why his great grandmother never talked about the company or its demise. He and Digger learn a young man died in the fire, though his body wasn't immediately discovered and could not be identified. With the help of her friend Holly and Holly's grandmother Audrey (Uncle Benjamin's least favorite person when he was alive) they do some digging at the Historical Society. Audrey, the great granddaughter of Garrett County slaves, briefly met the young man, who had been passing through town. He told her his first name was Abraham, and she believes people didn't try hard to identify him because he was a stranger and because he was African American. People cared less than they would today. Hank commits to trying to learn who he was and erecting a meaningful stone marker in the local A.M.E. Cemetery. The search is a chance for to do some research with Marty -- even if they are barely talking to each other. Is the name Abraham enough to use modern indexes of old material to prompt a successful search? A snowstorm complicates things, but gives Digger a chance to get wise counsel -- and occasional teasing -- from her cousin Franklin. It also gives Marty a new appreciation for Maple Grove as he helps dig out the town. The snowed-in silence of Christmas Eve brings reflection and maybe a chance to make things right again. Digger and Franklin also realize that Aunt Clara kept that ornament in memory of young Abraham. Maybe the damage can heal. * * * * * * * "Broken Ornaments Healing Holidays" brings the warmth of the Family History Mystery Series to the Christmas season. "I love how Elaine Orr brings the town and all the characters to life (even the ghost!). It's fun to learn about this corner of Maryland, fun to play genealogy detective, and fun to figure out "whodunit"!" "These are entertaining mysteries with plenty of complications and likable characters. The history and genealogy are nice additions. The paranormal element starts at the end of book 1 and gets stronger." View Less