"NOVEMBER CHRISTMAS"--touching short story by Greg Coppa became the basis for the powerfully poignant Hallmark Hall of Fame movie starring SAM ELLIOTT

November Christmas and Other Short Stories

The 2010 Hallmark Hall of Fame Christmas presentation, November Christmas, starring Sam Elliott, John Corbett, Karen Allen, Sarah Paulson and Emily Alyn Lynd was based on this prize-winning work, the first of five short stories presented in this collection by Greg Coppa. 

The November Christmas is a heartwarming tale about a small-town Rhode Island family dealing with an illness that threatens to take the life of a young daughter. Fearing the worst of outcomes the parents decide to celebrate the holidays early. A perceptive and quirky old farmer suddenly realizes why the little girl’s dad is asking him about picking pumpkins in August and tagging a Christmas tree in July. Having experienced the loss of his own daughter, Jesse Sanford enlists the help of friends to make Christmas in November a reality.

Bursting with faith, love and hope, the story strongly resonates with us because deep down we know it can be played out at any time in any of our own lives or those of our friends. And we all hope that when such misfortune befalls an innocent child anywhere, there will always be people around like the Sanfords who will recognize profound suffering, crippling mental anguish, and deep hurt when they see it and who will then take it upon themselves to do whatever is necessary to give solace and aid to those in desperate need of both. That’s the hopeful message that is the gift of November Christmas.

A Partridge in a Persimmon Tree, the sequel to November Christmas, tells of the ageing Jess Sanford’s intense struggle to retain the land that his family has continuously lived on and farmed since 1702. Help comes from an unconventional proposal and an unlikely source.

Who Will Sing for Danny? takes place in Providence in the ‘60s but the scenes, dialog and characters are recognizable to anyone who has spent time in the city neighborhoods of the Northeast. Young Brian agonizes over how he can pay tribute to an uncle who was his influential mentor and beloved role model.

Hurricane Carol (1954) provided the inspiration for Hurricane, a story about bravery, love and loyalty set on a little spit of land jutting into Narragansett Bay where the author now lives. A daring rescue is remembered well into the future where it will always dictate one man's relationships.

And lastly, The Cure, a tale of loss and a recovery fostered by an unpleasant event with an unexpected silver lining.


Greg Coppa

 

Greg Coppa has lived most of his adult life in the picturesque colonial-era village of Wickford, Rhode Island, which is washed by the waters of beautiful Narragansett Bay. It is an ideal location for sailing, kayaking and swimming which are all activities Greg enjoys.

He received an undergraduate degree from Providence College ('70) and a master's degree from Rhode Island College ('76)

A teacher and Science Department Chair at both St. Raphael Academy (Pawtucket, RI) and East Greenwich High School, Greg always enjoyed writing, doing most of it late at night after his wife, Abby, and four children went to bed. He has published hundreds of eclectic essays and articles that have found their way into just about every section of the newspaper as well as a variety of local, regional and national magazines dealing with such topics as boating, gardening and parenting.

Greg's preference is to write short stories though he is now dabbling with a novel as time allows.

A Presidential Awardee in Science (1992) and an Albert Einstein Congressional Fellow (1996), Greg also participated in a Fulbright program in Hanamaki and Morioka, Japan (1997).

For the last eight years Greg has been employed as a media specialist at Cote & D'Ambrosio, a marketing and communications company based in Wickford. 

https://www.facebook.com/greg.coppa.3

November Christmas

 

November Christmas is the moving story of two families, a community, and the idea that Christmas doesn't have to come just once a year. This holiday story tells how neighbors come to help a family trying to cope with their young daughter s illness. The story is narrated by the healthy adult daughter who shares her story with a group of children through a children s book she has written and illustrated. The father s (John Corbett) unwavering love toward his sick little girl propels him to come up with a plan to move the clock: pushing up all the holidays. His unlikely ally is his neighbor, a quiet but perceptive farmer (Sam Elliott) who figures out the plan. The two co-conspirators find they have something in common and join forces to bring the little girl and her brother Halloween in August, and Christmas in November, with the farmer enlisting friends in town to join the cause, and by doing so, mending his own old bridges of friendship.