Title: The Solemn Lantern Maker

Author: Merlinda Bobis

Description:

It's six days until Christmas, and on the bustling streets of Manila a mute ten-year-old-boy sells his version of the stars: exquisite lanterns handmade with colorful paper. But everything changes for young Noland when he witnesses an American tourist being injured and imagines he's seen an angel falling from the sky. When Noland whisks her to the safety of the hut he shares with his mother, the magical and the real collide: shimmering lanterns and poverty, Christmas carols and loss, dreams of friendship and the global war on terror. As the story of the missing tourist grips the media, Noland and his mother care for their wounded guest, and a dark memory returns. But light sneaks in - and their lives are transformed by the power of love.