Flowers in December

Written by Jane Suen

Narrated by Rich Miller

Readers' Favorite gave FLOWERS in DECEMBER five-stars. "Someone who knows what it's like to lose a parent will find a lot to relate to in this book." 

-- 2018 Indie Book Awards Finalist-Novella --

A MAN GOES HOME TO BURY HIS MOTHER BUT FINDS HIMSELF.

Connor Norton returns to his hometown, following the death of his mother, knowing that he will have to confront personal feelings of guilt and regret. It is a place he has barely set foot in for the past 20 years.

Caught in the period of his life where the vibrancy of youth has diminished and the prospect of becoming middle-aged is looming, Connor finds that he is suddenly alone in the world and must somehow reshape his future and face his own mortality.

With only Tom, the family's orange tabby cat, as his constant companion, he considers new possibilities and new directions. But will Connor be able to lay the ghosts of his past to rest? And will his return later, to the place he once called home, be enough to let him break free from the remorse which he has carried since he was 18?

In this tender, heartwarming portrait of a man who finds himself trapped between his past, his present and the future, where will this new journey lead Connor and what will the future hold when he gets there?

FLOWERS IN DECEMBER series:

FLOWERS IN DECEMBER

Connor returns home to bury his mother and begin a new life with Tom, the family’s orange tabby cat.

COMING HOME

Sometimes you have to leave home to find your way back. To one small town. One magical Christmas.

SECOND CHANCE

Connor thinks he’s lost Mary Ann. Now they meet again. Can he win her back?

Available formats:  eBook, Paperback, Audiobook 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jane Suen
• Release date: Nov 20, 2019
• ISBN: 9781951002022

Reviews for Flowers in December

[kayla.krantz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While Flowers in December is a simple and quick read, it’s also powerful and filled with some impacting moments. This novel encases what it’s like to lose a parent and all the emotional steps a person must go through in order to achieve acceptance. For 38-year-old Connor, facing the death of his mother is the hardest thing he’s had to do but in the aftermath of his grief he learns a lot about who he really is.

The writing style is very sweet and simple. While at first it seems as if there is no real conflict in the story, it becomes clear that Connor’s own decisions are what pushes the story forward. This is a touching example of literary fiction at its finest.

[juliecracchiolo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I felt a little rooked when I saw on Amazon that Jane Suen’s short work was listed as 140 pages. In actuality, the story itself is only 113 pages.This is the story of losing a parent and finding yourself. Thirty-eight-year-old Connor Norton lives in the “city,” which I took to be New York, but it could have been any city in the U.S. He isn’t married, has a demanding career that requires him to work a minimum of sixty hours a week. He likes it, but he’s no longer in love with it. He goes back home to Rocky Flats as little as he, mostly on the obligatory holidays.Now his mother has died. He is instant regretful that he didn’t spend more time with her. But upon his arrival back in his hometown, Connor begins to enjoy the slow pace of life. He becomes instant friends with his mother’s neighbor, the girl at the flower shop, and the mortician and his daughter. He even falls in love with Tom, his mom’s orange tabby.Flowers in December has great bones. Unfortunately, it has poor execution. I would say to the author, “Keep it up. You have talent. You just need to work at it more before you publish your next work.” Suen overuses everyone’s names in paragraphs and often the same sentence is repeated within a paragraph just worded differently or turned around It’s for these reasons that I give Flowers in December receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.