Memories are the ultimate contradiction. They can warm us on our coldest
days – or they can freeze a loved one out of our lives forever. The McCarthy
family has a trove of warm memories. Of innocent first kisses. Of sumptuous
family meals. Of wondrous lessons learned at the foot of a rocking chair. But
they also have had their share of icy ones. Of words that can never be unsaid.
Of choices that can never be unmade. Of actions that can never be
undone.Following the death of his beloved wife, John McCarthy – Grandpa John – calls his family back home. It is time for them to face the memories they have made, both warm and cold. Only then can they move beyond them and into the future.
A rich portrait of a family at a crossroad, THE ROCKIN' CHAIR is Steven Manchester’s most heartfelt and emotionally engaging novel to date. If family matters to you, it is a story you must read.
Biography
Steven Manchester is the author of The Rockin' Chair (to be
released June 18th), as well as the #1 best seller, Twelve Months (2013 San
Francisco Book Festival award winner). He is also the author of A Christmas Wish
(Kindle exclusive) and Goodnight, Brian. His work has appeared on NBC's Today
Show, CBS's The Early Show, CNN's American Morning and BET's Nightly News.
Recently, three of Steven's short stories were selected "101 Best" for Chicken
Soup for the Soul series. When not spending time with his beautiful wife, Paula,
or his four children, this Massachusetts author is promoting his works or
writing. Visit: www.StevenManchester.com
Paperback&Kindle:http://www.amazon.com/Rockin-Chair-Steven-anchester/dp/161188067X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366203850&sr=1-1&keywords=the+rockin%27+chair+manchester
Nook:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rockin-chair-steven-manchester/1115092542?ean=9781611880670
Nook:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rockin-chair-steven-manchester/1115092542?ean=9781611880670
posted by Stacy
The Rockin’ Chair excerpt
Grabbing the
dented copper kettle off the stove, she turned to the sink and let the water
flow like one of the fresh mountain springs that ran out in the backyard. She
lit all four burners, placed the kettle back on the stove and began humming a
childish tune. The last embers in the wood stove made her nostrils flare at the
distinct scent of burnt oak. Smells like
the remnants of a late night’s chill, she thought, one of my chores to remove. But she couldn’t recall bringing in the
wood, or lighting a fire. Shrugging it off, she snugged down on the robe’s
cotton belt, folded her arms across her chest and continued to hum.
She wandered
toward the kitchen window and, though she could not have fought it off, nor
even detected it, her mind was suddenly exposed to a different reality. Like a
child discovering a new world through ancient eyes, she peered out the window
and her jaw went slack.
A stranger was
busy at work and the sight of him made Alice
He was a large
fellow, maybe six feet or better, with shoulders as broad as his smile. In his
fists, he held cracked corn, scattering it in a pattern so that every chicken
had its fair chance. He was an old-timer, his face wrinkled and weathered like
his callused hands. In the middle of that chiseled face sat the biggest nose.
Curiously—as if she’d thought it a million times before—she decided that it
showed great character. For a cruel second, he turned toward the window, making
her squirm with anxiety. She relaxed, though, when she was sure that his liquid
blue eyes had not found her. He returned to working slow, his every move filled
with purpose and kindness.
But that moment of
peace only lasted one single sigh of relief. As if caught in an inescapable
nightmare, she watched the man’s three-legged dog limp straight to the window,
glance up and tilt his head—cynically. Though she could not manage the words
from her constricted throat, her eyes begged for the animal’s silence. Please don’t, she pleaded in her mind. Please…please…please… But it was not to
be. The crippled mutt barked out his wailing alarm, calling his master’s
attention to her. In an instant, she felt her knees buckle, as the room spun
slowly—in a cruel sort of way. She tried desperately to hold on, but the last
thing she saw was a red cap and green overcoat rushing for the house.
“Oh God...no!” she
screamed, but the stranger kept coming. He’s
comin’ to get me, she feared, and though her mind pleaded for her legs to
flee, they would not budge. She collapsed to the cold linoleum floor and
awaited the worse.
With no more than a stern look,
Three Speed lay down on the porch, the storm door slamming in his silver-haired
face. John raced through the parlor and could hear the teakettle screaming for
help. Breaking the kitchen threshold, his worried eyes caught Alice
“It’s me,
darlin’,” John whispered. “It’s John…your husband.”
“You do look some familiar,”
she mumbled. But still, her eyes betrayed her lack of trust.
Again, he
whispered, “Come on, Alice
Like an abandoned
child who had lost all hope only to find that her parents had not meant to
leave her behind, Alice
In one easy
motion, John scooped his tiny wife into his arms and kissed her frightened
face. Turning off all four burners—the majority that did nothing but lick at
air—he carried Alice
On the way up the
stairs, Alice
“You shoosh now,”
John whispered. “That just ain’t true.”
He placed her back
into their four-poster bed and, conforming to their daily ritual, gave her the
two white pills and a small glass of water to wash them down. He talked slow
and gentle to her, trying to remove her fears and keep her mind in the present.
“Time to rest, Alice
For a moment, she
smiled—as if she believed him. But in the next moment, her eyes filled with
panic and she pushed herself toward the headboard, scrambling desperately to
create a safe distance between them. “Don’t you touch me, mister!” she
screamed. “Don’t you dare lay a finger on me!”
She’s getting’ worse, he thought, and
began humming a lullaby.
“Mama! Mama…help
me!” she screamed out, but as she called out in a panic for her mother the
pills began to take effect. He stroked her hair until her mind eventually
removed itself from the harsh reality of now and found a more pleasant place to
dwell. When John was sure that Alice
