Summary
Eric Braden isn't looking for hope—he gave that up years ago. Divorced, depressed, and barely scraping by, he spends most nights lost in old memories and borrowed bottles. But one evening, a chance encounter with a grateful elderly couple leads him down a lonely country road, where he stumbles upon the overgrown foundation of an old house. Exhausted and numb, he lies back on the stone and falls asleep beneath the stars.
That night, he dreams of fire—and of a girl trapped inside a house that should no longer exist. A girl who feels strangely familiar. A girl he cannot forget.
When Eric wakes, something is different. The stars are gone. The ruins have changed. And his grip on what is real begins to slip.
As the line between dream and reality blurs, Eric is drawn into a quiet mystery that stretches across time. Each night he returns to the dream, rebuilding what was lost. And each morning, the world around him shifts—subtly, undeniably—until the past and present are no longer separate.
Presents from the Past is a genre-blending novel that weaves together elements of supernatural mystery, time-bending possibility, and emotional redemption. With echoes of The Time Traveler's Wife and Field of Dreams, it explores what it means to find something you didn’t know you lost—and whether the past is truly ever gone.
People
Eric Braden
Once a promising journalist, Eric’s life has unraveled in the wake of divorce, depression, and lost purpose. But a mysterious gift and a dreamlike encounter with a girl from another time begin to rewrite the trajectory of his existence.
Mary Hansford
Curious, kind, and wise beyond her years, Mary dreamed of being a writer. Her diary—left behind in a country home long faded from memory—carries secrets the present is not yet ready to forget. She is more than a memory—she’s a possibility.