A Christmas Journey
GENRE
ROMANCE
Core Theme
THE PATHS OF A JAKE AND CLAIRE CONNECT AS THEY TRY TO OVERCOME FEELINGS OF LOSS AND GRIEF.
TIME PERIOD
2000s
COMPARABLE TITLES
PS. I LOVE YOU
CHARACTER LIST
JAKE. 40'S. LEAD. ROMANTIC, EMPATHETIC, CHARMING.
CLAIRE. 40'S. JAKE'S LOVE INTEREST. ATTRACTIVE, MYSTERIOUS, DEPRESSED.
EMILY. 30'S, 40'S.JAKE'S DECEASED WIFE. BEAUTIFUL, HUMOROUS, SERENE.
JANELLE. CLAIRE'S DECEASED DAUGHTER. SMART, LOVING.
GREG. CLAIRE'S DECEASED HUSBAND. SELFISH, UNFAITHFUL.
Logline
A widowed man has a chance encounter with a woman on a train heading upstate a few days before Christmas during a snowstorm. This begins a love story that transpires over the next year.
Target Audiences
Age: 18-34,35-54,55+
Target Gender: Universal
Setting
New York City, New York's Hudson Valley, Boston
Based on a True Story
No
Publishing Details
Status: Yes: with a Publisher
Publisher: Infinity Publishing
Year Published: 2013
Starting Description
On a snowy evening, a few days before Christmas, a tired Ben Stone is returning to his upstate home. On the train he meets Claire and this begins a love story. The events of September 11, 2001 play a major role in the storyline. The story is a year-in-the-life of these two people.
Ending Description
The book ends where it began in NYC during Christmas of the following year. An event at the WTC Memorial ends the book with a incident that brings both closure and peace to a tortured Claire Driscoll who lost her daughter on September 11th.
Group Specific
Information not completed
Hard Copy Available
Yes
ISBN
978-0-7414-7818-4
Mature Audience Themes
Language/Profanity
Plot - Other Elements
Meaningful Message,Twist
Plot - Premise
Other
Main Character Details
Name: Claire
Age: 40's
Gender: Female
Role: Emotional
Key Traits: Empathetic,Romantic,Sexy,Gracious
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Genre
ROMANCE
Brief
Jake and Claire meet during a train ride during holidays, but it doesn't take long until they find out that their personal paths also have much in common. As the couple figures out both of them are overcoming the loss of loved ones, they manage to find their way through grief and slowly fall in love, managing to be together on Christmas of the next year.
Overall Rating
GOOD
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: GOOD
Characterization: FAIR
Commerciality: EXCELLENT
Franchise Potential: EXCELLENT
Pace: GOOD
Premise: GOOD
Structure: GOOD
Theme: EXCELLENT
Accuracy of Book Profile
Book profile requires editing. Fields missing. Name of protagonist is mistaken on Short Summary.
Draw of Story
What drew me into the story the most is the mysterious and charming character of Claire and the riddle behind what happened to her daughter.
Possible Drawbacks
Nothing made me want to put the book down as reading flows easily, however there could be more depth regarding personalities and lives of characters besides their personal tragedies, especially when it comes to Claire.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY RELIES A LITTLE BIT ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
I would watch the movie because it deals with stories of people who had their lives marked by the tragedy of 9/11 and the story manages to come out sensitive, realistic and also brings along a message of hope.
Fanbase Potential
It could have a large fanbase if adapted because if well done, heartwarming holiday movies are captivating.
Awards Potential
It could have Awards potential if adapted because the story deals with a subject that is dear to American audience.
Envisioned Budget
MEDIUM BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
PS I LOVE YOU
What’s New About the Story
The most original thing about this story is that, even though it is a romance with a happy ending, it takes some time for the couple to overcome their own personal stories in order to be together.
Lead Characters
Jake is a sensitive and loyal man, and Claire is, at first, mysterious, but author also manages to bring vulnerability into her character arc.
Uniqueness of Story
This story is an interesting narrative which can be improved in terms of depth of characters. Their personalities and particularities may be overshadowed by the way each one is experiencing grief.
Possible Formats
Film: Studio, Indie, Streaming TV Series: Network, Cable, Limited Run / Mini-Series, Streaming
Analyst Recommendation
CONSIDER
Justification
Consider it because it would make for a great holiday movie if more layers are added to characters.
Brief
Jake and Claire meet up in a train, but little they know about how much they have in common. As they figure out both of them are overcoming the loss of loved ones, they slowly fall in love and help each other heal.
What We Liked
The most appealing thing about this story is that it brings along a positive but down to earth message about two people who worked their ways through grief, as they give themselves a second chance on love after their lives are torn apart by respective tragedies.
Film: It would definitely make a great holiday movie as settings are great - the story lasts one year long but begins and ends in the same magical time of the year. Also, there is a positive message about hope for the future and life after personal tragedies.
TV: This could be a good adaptation for TV because many stories about grief and how people deal with such dismantling personal tragedies may derive from a tragedy such as 9/11.
Key points: Great holiday settings; heartwarming love story; overcoming personal tragedies; grief after 9/11; strong message of hope.
Synopsis
It will probably be the first white Christmas in years, but Jake is still melancholic. On his way home upstate and lost in his thoughts and memories, he meets an attractive but sad woman named Claire and they exchange numbers.
As Claire dwells if she should call him and Jake entertains the idea of taking her on a date, the reader learns both of them are dealing with the deaths of their loved ones - and in the case of Claire, of her cheating husband who died on 9/11.
As a year passes and the couple slowly falls in love and tries to leave the past behind, Claire seems to struggle the most. She keeps a secret and it leads to her ghosting Jake - who doesn't understand the reason until Claire shows up and decides to reveal she also lost her daughter in the same terrorist attack. Both of them decide to give it another try and the couple is happy to let joy in and enjoy the holidays together the following year.