The Astronaut from Bear Creek

A tale of a brilliant man who, after a stellar career as an astronaut in NASA, has locked himself away in the now-closed family inn in Bear Creek, Pennsylania. He is happy working as a recluse, editing scientific books and carving custom-made rocking chairs…a life of solitude and satisfaction…and minimal contact with the outside world…all on his terms.One day, his sister, a social worker brings a handicapped child to the Inn. The child has just been orphaned and "temporary shelter" is all that is needed. With great resolve, his sister wins his approval for an overnight stay…a few days later, a widowed young woman knocks on the door…she has just attended her husband’s military funeral (an Iraq-war casualty) and she has been rejected by her in-laws who blame her for their son’s leaving home and the path that led him to the army.The Astronaut must face the outside world and also deal with pressing demands from NASA who desperately need him for an urgent mission.Despite his almost pathological need for privacy, he must now, after 10 years of solitude, re-engage with the world and also learn to be a foster parent to a needy but very winning little girl. The father-child relationship is one that will grip the reader’s heart in many ways…the story is fast paced and beautifully crafted.