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I lost my mother on Valentine's Day of 2006. After weeks of struggling with my grief, I decided I would write a story for her. As she loved Christmas, I chose to write a Christmas novel, my first since The Christmas Box.
Finding Noel is about how people come into our lives for a reason. It is a love story about Macy and Mark, two young people from different worlds.
I'm sorry that this Christmas, for the first time since I became a writer, I won't be able to present my mother with a copy of my book. I think she would have enjoyed reading it. But, then again, I'm not certain that she hasn't.
As you read Finding Noel, I hope that you enjoy the journey and feel the same powerful emotions I felt as the story came to me.
Fondly,
Richard Evans
The incredible story of The Christmas Box does not end there. This moving tale about the meaning of Christmas was soon picked up by Simon & Schuster and went on to make publishing history when it simultaneously became both the bestselling hardcover and the bestselling paperback book in America. Suddenly, former advertising executive and clay animator Evans was a bestselling writer with a whole new career ahead of him.
Evans followed up The Christmas Box with a prequel titled Timepiece in 1996. Timepiece was another major hit with readers, as was The Letter, the final installment in the Christmas Box trilogy. From there, Evans expanded his repertoire while continuing to focus on the themes dearest to him: faith, family, forgiveness, love, and loyalty. He published The Christmas Candle, his first book for kids. His work also often became subject to small-screen adaptations. In fact, a 1995 production of The Christmas Box starring Maureen O'Hara and Richard Thomas snared an Emmy for best costuming in a miniseries or special. The following year, a version of Timepiece featured an early appearance by future superstar Naomi Watts, not to mention choice performances by James Earl Jones and Ellen Burstyn, as well as an associate producer credit for the author, himself.
Meanwhile, Evans continued penning and publishing heart-warming mega-sellers like The Locket, The Looking Glass, and The Carousel. In 2001, he took some time to reflect on his stunning success in The Christmas Box Miracle, which recounted his most unusual journey to the top of the bestseller list.
Another string of crowd pleasers followed, including the romantic The Last Promise, A Perfect Day, and The Sunflower, a critically acclaimed account of blossoming love at a humanitarian mission in Peru. Now, Evans is back with Finding Noel, the story of Mark Smart, whose pained life is completely turned around after a chance encounter in a coffee shop. Fans of Evans -- and there are legions of them -- will no doubt be delighted and deeply touched by his latest work.
When Evans is not writing bestsellers, he often makes public appearances as a motivational speaker. He has shared the stage with such notable people as director Ron Howard, writer Deepak Chopra, humorist Steven Allen, and both George Bush senior and George W. Bush.
In 1997, Evans founded The Christmas Box House International, a foundation responsible for building shelters for abused, neglected, and homeless children throughout the world. More than 16,000 kids have found homes in one of Evans's shelters.
In our interview, Evans shared some fascinating facts about himself:
"I am the father of five children, who take up most of my time."
"I am the founder of The Christmas Box House International, which builds shelter assessment facilities for abused children. The most interesting trip I have been on lately was in the jungles of Peru, where we hunted crocodiles in leaky canoes at midnight. I have lived in both China and Italy, which is why I often have characters from those lands."
"I absolutely love playing the game Risk. Also Paintball. When possible, I round up my friends and go down to our ranch in southern Utah, where we play weekend soldiers."
Chapter One
Begin at the start, end at the end.
It's the best advice I could give a friend.
* SONG LYRICS FROM MARK SMART'S DIARY *
When I was a boy, my mother told me that everyone comes into our lives for a reason. I'm not sure if I believe that's true. The thought of God weaving millions of lives together into a grand human tapestry seems a bit fatalistic to me. Still, as I look back at my life, there seem to be times when such divinity is apparent. None is more obvious to me than that winter evening when I met a beautiful young woman named Macy and there ensued the extraordinary chain of events that encounter set in place.
Of course such a theory carried to the extreme would mean that God sabotaged my car that night because, had my car's timing belt not broken at that precise moment, this story never would have happened. But it did, and my life was forever changed. Perhaps my mother was right. If God can align the planets, maybe He can do the same to our lives.
My story began at a time when it was dangerously close to ending -- a wintry November evening, eleven days after my mother died. My mother was killed in a car accident. There were three other people with her in the car, and everyone but my mother walked away unharmed. I was close to my mother, and the day I learned she died was the worst day of my life.
Even before her death my life was in shambles. I had left my home in Huntsville, Alabama, nine months earlier and come to Salt Lake City to attend the University of Utah on an engineering scholarship. I had never been out West, and all I knew of Utah (other than that it had the only out-of-state school willing to give me a scholarship) was that it was a long way from Huntsville, with a few mountain ranges in between. This suited me because I wanted to put as many miles between my father and me as I could.
Actually, I never really called Stuart Smart "Father." He had always been "Stu" to me, and I considered his full name an oxymoron. He was an auto mechanic with an eighth-grade education, grease under his fingernails, and a disdain for all things he didn't understand -- which included English grammar and me.
His dream was for me to one day take over the family business -- Smart Auto Repair -- and every Saturday after I turned ten, he'd drag me down to the garage and put me to work. While my friends were hanging around the Tastee-Freez or hunting grasshoppers with BB guns, I spent my childhood changing tires and air filters.
I hated everything about the garage; from the boredom of watching Stu dissect a transmission to eating bologna and mustard sandwiches on bread smudged with motor oil. But most of all I didn't like being with Stu. He wasn't one for idle conversation, so the long days were mostly silent except for the occasional whine of a pneumatic wrench and the constant twang of a country radio station. I wasn't much good as a mechanic and Stu always seemed annoyed with my ineptness. Every week I begged my mother to not make me go, and one Saturday, around the time I turned fourteen, Stu finally gave up on me and left me home.
If love isn't blind it's at least horribly nearsighted.
-- Mark Smart's Diary
My mother, Alice Geniel Phelps, was nothing like Stu. She was soft, well spoken and thoughtful. She liked to read and talk about philosophy, music and literature, things my father generally considered a waste of time. I could never figure out why someone like my mother married a guy like Stu until I came across a copy of my parents' wedding announcement. To my surprise I learned that they'd been married just eight weeks before I was born. I figured that with the way things were back then, she had to.
As I got older, Stu and I argued a lot. I couldn't tell you how many times my mother interceded on my behalf, sometimes standing between the two of us. My mother was the skin that held our home together. Now she was gone. And so was my home.
As I said, things were already going badly. Though I worked hard and earned straight A's, after my first year in school, the university announced a budgetary cutback and dropped hundreds of scholarships. Mine included. Since I was no longer in school, I lost my job at the university registrar's office and my room in the dorm.
In truth, I didn't care that much about engineering -- I had no real love for it -- but my parents couldn't afford tuition and the scholarship was my only way into college. My real dream was to be a songwriter. But music scholarships are hard to come by unless you're a classical virtuoso, which I'm not. I play the twelve-string guitar alright. I guess I'm more of a folksinger, not exactly Juilliard material.
Stu had predicted my failure and I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of making him right, so I stayed in Utah and wrote cheerful, fraudulent letters home, telling everyone that school was going well. The truth was I was lonely, poor and depressed, living in a rundown basement apartment and employed at the only job I could find -- on the janitorial crew at a nearby high school.
My plan was to save up enough money to get back into school, but I was barely making enough to get by. The day my mother died, my aunt called the dorm to tell me. That's when my family learned I was no longer in school. Since I had left no forwarding address or phone number, I didn't find out about my mother's death until two days after her funeral when I called home to talk to her. Stu answered the phone. He called me a liar and told me not to bother to come home.
I thought I'd hit bottom, but apparently there was still more room to fall. Later that same week Tennys, my girlfriend back in Alabama, whom I had dated for nearly four years, sent me a letter informing me of her recent engagement to a promising young chiropractor.
I'm ashamed of what happened next. I now believe that under the right circumstances we are all capable of things we'd never think possible.
In the last year I had struggled with depression. But now, with the added grief, loneliness and rejection, I began having thoughts of ending my life. At first it was no more than an errant spark, quickly extinguished. But as my depression deepened, the idea began to take root.
The night this story begins I had arrived at work only to be yelled at by a crazy English teacher who accused me of stealing a classroom CD player. I knew nothing of the player, had never even noticed it, but she insisted that I was the only one with access to her room and she swore I'd be fired and reported to the police if I didn't return it by the next day. Later that evening, as I cleaned toilets, I decided this would be my last night of pain. That was where my mind was when my car broke down on the way home from work. God kicking me one last time, I thought. The truth was He had other plans.
My mother used to say, "Man's extremities are God's opportunities." She also used to say, "Be kind to everyone -- you don't know what cross they're bearing and how sweet that kind word might ring." That night proved both pieces of wisdom true.
That night was the start of a journey that taught me that one truth can change everything. It was the night I found Macy. And it was the Christmas season that Macy found Noel.
Copyright © 2006 by Richard Paul Evans
Finding Noel
Richard Paul Evans
Synopsis
"When I was young, my mother told me that everyone comes into our lives for a reason."
On a snowy November evening in Salt Lake City, Mark Smart, sitting in a broken down car, has hit rock bottom. He's lost his college scholarship, been dumped by his girlfriend back home, and most shattering of all, just learned of his mother's sudden death. But at the moment that he feels most hopeless, he meets Macy Wood, a kind and lovely stranger who is haunted by tragedies of her own.
Mark grows closer to Macy, learning the sad details of her past — a neglectful father, an abusive adoptive family, and a lost sister, Noel. Guided by the message on an old glass ornament, Macy begins a journey to reconnect with her sister. As Mark helps Macy's search, he examines his own life, finding love, forgiveness, and the true meanings of family and Christmas.
Reading Guide
1. Finding Noel opens with an opinion, the narrator questioning an inspirational thought. Does this immediately create an impression of the narrator? Does Mark's skepticism make him more human and accessible? How does his questioning help draw you into his story?
2. In Mark's first encounter with Macy, she says, "We always tell our deepest secrets to strangers." (Pg. 12) Do you agree with her reasoning for this? How does Mark's initial honesty create a foundation for his relationship with Macy? In what ways does this contrast with the other relationships in his life? Why do you think Mark believes people will use his secrets against him?
3. In Finding Noel, many first encounters are described using specific physicaldescriptions of people or places. How do these details inform your first impressions of characters? Compare some of the setting descriptions, such as the Hummel household (pg. 28), Jolene's apartment (pg. 51), and the Thorup home (pg. 97). How do the settings reflect their inhabitants? In what ways are they deceptive?
4. Mark's past is summarized quickly in the first few pages of Finding Noel, whereas Macy's unfolds in pieces as the story progresses. Does your sympathy for Mark evolve as you learn about Macy? Does the difference in narrative pace indicate differences in the two characters' perspectives? How does Macy's reaction to her father contrast with Mark's resentment?
5. Does the revelation of his childhood battle with polio alter your opinion of Macy's father? Does this excuse his abandonment of his daughters to any degree? He says that "the greatest hurts of our lives come from running from the smaller hurts." In what way does this statement pertain to Mark's situation at the beginning of the book? How does his revelation help to set up Mark's father's later revelation?
6. When Mark and Joette spend time together on Thanksgiving, she compares parenting to The Wizard of Oz. How does this discussion affect Mark's outlook when he returns to Alabama?
7. Why did Macy react so negatively to Mark's proposal? Was it inappropriate for him to propose after so short a time? Was Macy's anger at Mark's running from his past justified, or was it an easy defense mechanism? How could Macy's past affect her present relationships?
8. How does Tennys's personality contrast with Macy's? What do you think Mark got out of his relationship with Tennys? Mark describes Tennys as a "sure thing." What makes her less of a challenge than Macy? How have Mark's strong emotions for Macy complicated his relationship with her, in addition to validating it? What sort of life do you imagine Mark would have with Tennys?
9. Finding Noel depicts very different examples of families and homes. What, ultimately, is the meaning of home? Was the Hummel household ever home to Macy? What makes Mark feel finally at home in Alabama? Do Macy and Mark need to find their own senses of family before they can form one together?
10. In Macy's Christmas poem (pg. 73), she describes the responsibility of Christmas as being "called, to leave our troubled lives of care,/To set aside our burdened minds, with God and man our hearts to share." In what ways is the gift of Christmas also a responsibility? How does Mark step up to the challenge in this novel? In what ways is this a Christmas story?
Reading Group Tips
Is it near the holidays? Why not have a crafts day and make holiday ornaments together? For do-it-yourself ideas, visit this website: http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_occasions_december/0,1792,HGTV_3472,00.htmlTo make it more personal, you could include a message to someone special, just like in Finding Noel.
Visit www.richardpaulevans.com, where he discusses the inspiration for his books, and keeps us updated on upcoming novels.
Have a discussion about fate. Do you believe in it? Have fun sharing stories about times you feel that someone has come into your life for a reason.
RICHARD PAUL EVANS is the #1 best-selling author of The Christmas Box. His fourteen novels have each appeared on the New York Times bestseller list; there are more than thirteen million copies of his books in print. His books have been translated into more than 22 languages and several have been international best sellers. He is the winner of the 1998 American Mothers Book Award, two first place Storytelling World Awards for his children's books, and the 2005 Romantic Times Best Women Novel of the Year Award. Evans received the Washington Times Humanitarian of the Century Award and the Volunteers of America National Empathy Award for his work helping abused children. He is the founder and CEO of BookWise, an international direct sales business. Evans lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife, Keri, and their five children.
Richard Paul Evans
Synopsis
"When I was young, my mother told me that everyone comes into our lives for a reason."
On a snowy November evening in Salt Lake City, Mark Smart, sitting in a broken down car, has hit rock bottom. He's lost his college scholarship, been dumped by his girlfriend back home, and most shattering of all, just learned of his mother's sudden death. But at the moment that he feels most hopeless, he meets Macy Wood, a kind and lovely stranger who is haunted by tragedies of her own.
Mark grows closer to Macy, learning the sad details of her past -- a neglectful father, an abusive adoptive family, and a lost sister, Noel. Guided by the message on an old glass ornament, Macy begins a journey to reconnect with her sister. As Mark helps Macy's search, he examines his own life, finding love, forgiveness, and the true meanings of family and Christmas.
Reading Guide
1. Finding Noel opens with an opinion, the narrator questioning an inspirational thought. Does this immediately create an impression of the narrator? Does Mark's skepticism make him more human and accessible? How does his questioning help draw you into his story?
2. In Mark's first encounter with Macy, she says, "We always tell our deepest secrets to strangers." (Pg. 12) Do you agree with her reasoning for this? How does Mark's initial honesty create a foundation for his relationship with Macy? In what ways does this contrast with the other relationships in his life? Why do you think Mark believes people will use his secrets against him?
3. In Finding Noel, many first encounters are described using specific physical descriptions of people or places. How do these details inform your first impressions of characters? Compare some of the setting descriptions, such as the Hummel household (pg. 28), Jolene's apartment (pg. 51), and the Thorup home (pg. 97). How do the settings reflect their inhabitants? In what ways are they deceptive?
4. Mark's past is summarized quickly in the first few pages of Finding Noel, whereas Macy's unfolds in pieces as the story progresses. Does your sympathy for Mark evolve as you learn about Macy? Does the difference in narrative pace indicate differences in the two characters' perspectives? How does Macy's reaction to her father contrast with Mark's resentment?
5. Does the revelation of his childhood battle with polio alter your opinion of Macy's father? Does this excuse his abandonment of his daughters to any degree? He says that "the greatest hurts of our lives come from running from the smaller hurts." In what way does this statement pertain to Mark's situation at the beginning of the book? How does his revelation help to set up Mark's father's later revelation?
6. When Mark and Joette spend time together on Thanksgiving, she compares parenting to The Wizard of Oz. How does this discussion affect Mark's outlook when he returns to Alabama?
7. Why did Macy react so negatively to Mark's proposal? Was it inappropriate for him to propose after so short a time? Was Macy's anger at Mark's running from his past justified, or was it an easy defense mechanism? How could Macy's past affect her present relationships?
8. How does Tennys's personality contrast with Macy's? What do you think Mark got out of his relationship with Tennys? Mark describes Tennys as a "sure thing." What makes her less of a challenge than Macy? How have Mark's strong emotions for Macy complicated his relationship with her, in addition to validating it? What sort of life do you imagine Mark would have with Tennys?
9. Finding Noel depicts very different examples of families and homes. What, ultimately, is the meaning of home? Was the Hummel household ever home to Macy? What makes Mark feel finally at home in Alabama? Do Macy and Mark need to find their own senses of family before they can form one together?
10. In Macy's Christmas poem (pg. 73), she describes the responsibility of Christmas as being "called, to leave our troubled lives of care,/To set aside our burdened minds, with God and man our hearts to share." In what ways is the gift of Christmas also a responsibility? How does Mark step up to the challenge in this novel? In what ways is this a Christmas story?
Reading Group Tips
Is it near the holidays? Why not have a crafts day and make holiday ornaments together? For do-it-yourself ideas, visit this website: hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_occasions_december/0,1792,HGTV_3472,00.html To make it more personal, you could include a message to someone special, just like in Finding Noel.
Visit richardpaulevans.com, where he discusses the inspiration for his books, and keeps us updated on upcoming novels.
Have a discussion about fate. Do you believe in it? Have fun sharing stories about times you feel that someone has come into your life for a reason.
Anonymous
Posted January 25, 2012
This was a very good book but all his books are great. I have read all his books
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.SassyMorena
Posted August 27, 2011
I love all his little books!! I love that they make me smile and they make me cry and they make me fall in love all over again. Great book, you woun't be disappointed.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.It;s stories like this that bring us closer together during the holidays.
Stories like this are what give holidays their importance.
AmyfromCali
Posted January 9, 2010
Richard Paul Evans has done it again. He has a way of capturing your heart with his characters. His novels leave you waiting for his next piece of craftmenship. Well done.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 3, 2009
As with all of Richard Paul Evans' books, this one is a quick light but totally inspiring read. I would highly recommend this for anyone who wants to read a well written inspiring tale.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This is a touching hankie grabber, (again), from Mr. Evans. This is a story of a man and woman, both who grew up with sad childhoods, how they meet, and resolve those old issues, with a tearful but well-resolved conclusion. Typical Richard, so if you like a little romance, a book with morals and a little crying in there somewhere, this is a perfect little read. And I do mean little. Done in an hour or two, but oh, so worth it. Good, as well, for a little stocking stuffer at Christmas, and also good to read in front of the Christmas tree, on a rainy or snowy dusky afternoon with a hot cup of chocolate! And a tissue.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 4, 2008
I am a very slow reader, and I lose interest quickly if the book doesn't get my attention within the first few pages. Richard Paul Evans has had the ability, in all his works, to hold my interest with his beautiful stories, descriptions, and mix of sadness and humor. However, by far, this book is my favorite. I don't know when I've cried so hard one minute, and laughed so hard the next minute while reading ANY book. In my opinion, you have missed something very special if you do not read this story. Thank you, Mr. Evans for touching every part of my soul.
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Posted August 25, 2007
This is a story about what the adoption/foster care system can do and does to children. BUT it is also a story about the resilience of children and how they cope as they grow up. Mark Smart is at the lowest point in his life when car failure and a snowy night bring him into a diner and Macy Woods into his life. Macy changes Mark¿s depression into a willingness to go on and the two begin a relationship. Mark discovers that Macy is known as Mary at the diner where she works. He wonders why and discovers that her life was not all roses as a child. A Christmas ornament with Noel is all Macy has left of her birth family. She was adopted by parents that didn¿t really want her, she was separated from her sister who was sent to another set of adoptive parents and when she tries to find her now that she is an adult, discovers that the adoption is sealed. Macy is now living with a woman who is loving and kind but has a secret of her own. Mark¿s own life has had its own turmoil. He was in college in Utah but had to drop out for lack of money. He started to work to put money aside so he could return but during this time his mother died and his family in Alabama wasn¿t able to find him until 2 days after the funeral. Mark and his father didn¿t get along very well and he doesn¿t want to have any contact with him. Mark and Macy each help the other to come to terms with their pasts so they can move forward with the present. It is a story that you will want to read from beginning to end without stopping.
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Posted December 14, 2006
Another heart-touching story from Evans. His characters are good but it's his story line that keeps you conneted to this new novel. The serendipty and struggles in Mark's life will resonate with readers and provide hope, not to mention a lot to dwell upon.
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Posted November 21, 2006
I read this book in no time at all. It is an absolute page-turner and is filled with memorable characters and inspiring words. I was wrapped up in the story immediately. I think just about anyone could relate to this novel on some level. Highly recommended.
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Posted November 15, 2006
Having read this book in one sitting, you can see that it just held me captive from the beginning to the very end. Richard Paul Evans has another winner -- don't pass up this book -- it's a definite 'must read.'
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Mark Smart is extremely depressed. First he made all ¿A¿s in his first year at the University of Utah, but due to cutbacks at the school his scholarship is dropped, his job at the Registrar terminated, and he cannot afford to remain there. His Alabama hometown girlfriend of four years sent him a Dear John letter informing him she is engaged to someone else. At work cleaning toilets at West High School, he is accused of stealing a CD player. These are minor nuisances that add to his anguish. Eleven days ago his beloved mom Alice died. Now driving at night in November, he plans to join her.-------------------- In Salt Lake City during an early snowstorm, Mark¿s sixteen years old car dies. He enters The Java Hut coffee shop as they are closing the place down for the night. There he meets kind hearted Macy Wood, who lets him cry on her shoulders. They quickly become friends, and soon afterward Mark knows his feelings are more than just gratitude he is in love. He proposes, but Macy says no. As he returns to Alabama to mend things with his estranged stepfather Stuart, another waitress Joette, who raised a teenage Macy, knows Macy loves Mark and plans to bring them back together even as his stepfather insists he go fight for what he loves.------------------ FINDING NOEL is a terrific allegorical tale that provides readers with encouragement to go after what you cherish and as a reminder that it is not the biological but the nurturing that makes love. Like Joseph raised someone else¿s child, Stuart and Joette were there to bring up a person not related to them by blood. Well written with a strong cast, Richard Paul Evans provides a wonderful life holiday tale.------------------ Harriet Klausner
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Posted October 4, 2006
Put a log on the fire, find a comfortable place on the sofa and just enjoy this book. How wonderful it was to savor the experience of Finding Noel. I love books that take me down memory lane and this one did that and more. I love the characters who seem to be even more rich and wonderful. When I finished reading it, I felt as though I knew Mark and Macy and I loved them! I ached for them. I cried with them. And I hoped for them. Richard, this one could be your best yet.
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Posted October 9, 2006
I have read many of Richard Paul Evans' books and have always loved the journey they take me on and the emotions I feel. After learning about Richard's mother passing away in February and knowing he wrote this book for her, it added to the beauty of this story. I really feel like the author wrote it with a lot of heart, emotion, pain, and love. Finding Noel is a beautiful story about how people come into our lives at the right time. As I read I could paint pictures in my mind of the characters, setting, and it made me appreciate the detail and cleverness that Richard uses in this story. It is a book that catches your interest from the start and keeps you hopeful and involved until the very last page. I have to admit the best part of the book to me is the Epilogue. I love the way the author ties in the true message of Christmas. As I closed the book I felt feelings of gratitude, love for my family, and inspiration to help others. This book is a wonderful gift for the holiday season!
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Posted October 7, 2006
Finding Noel is a sweet story which harkens back to the roots of the author's past Christmas themes of longing for loved ones and fighting for what's most important in this life... and then holding on tight! His fans are in for a wonderful holiday treat... something to savour and to share.
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Overview
When I wrote my first novel, The Christmas Box, I never imagined it would become an international bestseller. It was a story for my two (then) little girls. But as I wrote, I realized that it was also for my mother -- to ease her pain over losing a child. My mother was my staunchest supporter and my biggest fan. A receptionist at a doctor's office, she would sell my book (sometimes by the case!) to patients in the waiting room. When The Christmas Box hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, no one, including me, was more excited than my mother.
I lost my mother on Valentine's Day of 2006. After weeks of struggling with my grief, I decided I would ...