In the Land of Second Chances

By George Shaffner

Reminiscent of "It's a Wonderful Life," this captivating novel by Sammamish, Washington, is about the valuable lessons a small town learns from a mysterious traveling salesman.

List Price: $21.95

Product Details:

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Algonquin Books (October 15, 2004)
• ISBN: 1565124405

Product Description

"My name is Wilma Porter. I own the Come Again Bed and Breakfast, which is the only B & B in Ebb, Nebraska. You may think that I'm exaggerating, but this town is perched on a sad edge of a slippery slope. I went to church and wished to God I could help in some way, but He sent us a salesman. That's right, a salesman. At least that's my theory. You be the judge."

So begins this big-hearted novel about the importance of hope.

The folks of Ebb have seen their fair share of hardship, but no one more so than Calvin Millet. His wife has left him and his terminally ill young daughter. His department store, the last in the area, is close to bankruptcy. His house has been destroyed by a tornado. Everyone, including the plucky Wilma Porter, watches Calvin's fortunes wane with great interest for in Ebb everyone's fate is connected to his.

When Vernon L. Moore, a nattily dressed stranger, comes to town with the intention of selling games of chance to Millet's Department Store, more than a few eyebrows are raised. For one thing, no one's seen a traveling salesman in over thirty years. For another, he has a unique way of seeing things and an uncanny knack for asking life-altering questions. Although Mr. Moore leaves without making a sale, he leaves behind a town where second chances are not only possible, they can--and do--happen.