Remember That One Time? - Paperback

by Larry Joe Campbell (Author)

Remember That One Time, a first-person narrative, takes place over Christmas. Max Sheffield, an aging out-of-work actor, loves Christmas. But this Christmas will be very different. His wife, Sophie, has left him to be with her parents on a trial separation. His adult, collegiate children, Graeme and Briana would rather be anywhere else but at home in Los Angeles. And so, Max Sheffield heads to his older brother's home back in Greenville, Michigan for the winter holidays...not far from where he grew up. To make matters worse, Max immediately suffers a freak accident in which he cannot speak, and resting his voice is the only remedy.

Max's brother and his family soon leave as well, leaving Max alone, housesitting. Over the next ten days, Max observes an ensemble of characters-of townsfolk-whose story arcs vary from hilarious to heartbreaking: There are old classmates like Andy Nelson, now a police officer, and Mitch McCoy, the old damaged, high school, heroic quarterback. There's singing legend Mickey Shea, and then there are run ins with some folks that recognize Max from his work as an actor. Max finds himself occasionally listening in on Pat and Sue, best friends who meet up and share the town's gossip. Intertwined in Max's journey is an entangled web of lies, mystery, and soon to be violent storylines of two couples: Gary and Michelle and Kirk and Janice. There are also brief encounters with eccentric shop owners, an entertaining out-of-town hitchhiker, and bickering old couples. He even runs into his old college girlfriend. It's through these observations that Max begins to look at his own past and the decisions he has made that have led him to being alone over the holidays, reflecting and wondering if his marriage can be saved.Max is thrust not only back to a geographical past in which he runs into old classmates, familiar Midwest faces, set in stone ways and behaviors, but also old "tapes"-memories from growing up that confront Max and force him to deal with his culpability in what seems to be the likely demise of his marriage.Can he find himself? Can he save his marriage? Can he do both?