Philip F Harris

A Christmas Carol in Maine Philip F Harris

A Christmas Carol in Maine is a holiday message to help fight teen drug use. Set in contemporary Hallowell, Maine, this retelling of the Dickens classic focuses on the issues that affect today's teens including drug and alcohol abuse and teen suicide. In place of old Scrooge there is 16-year-old TJ. Having recently lost his father in Iraq, TJ turns to drugs in an effort to cope with the pressures of modern society. Returning from the dead like Jacob Marley in the original story, TJ's father informs his son of the pending visitations of three spirits. Not sure if his father's image is merely drug induced, TJ is about to have a Christmas Eve that may change his current journey down a path of self-destruction. The message is ideally suited for middle and high school aged teens and especially their families. "A Maine Christmas Carol is a moving replay of the Christmas classic. It comes to life in its portrayal of the character of TJ, a realistic portrait of a disenfranchised youth. He struggles to deal with the loss of his father and fears loving his family in case he loses them also. By becoming totally self-absorbed he only has to think about himself, by putting down others he maintains his wall of uncaring. The author, Philip Harris, has managed to create a sympathetic, understandable character even as TJ scares the elderly and young children alike." Barb Radmore, Editor, FRONT STREET REVIEWS