Description
Leona Haley and Mark Twain—her favorite writer—have something in common. They were born under Halley's Comet, and amazingly Twain died under it too, just 5 days before Leona was born. Upon learning this, the young girl's dreams of performing on Broadway are now replaced by dreams of becoming a famous astronomer like Edmund Halley; hoping someday to discover a comet of her own and to live long enough to see Halley's Comet return from its 76 year journey. But that's not all, Leona's newfound knowledge triggers 'fantastic dreams' in which she rides through the heavens on a 'magical comet', allowing her to see places and things she has only read about; and helping her overcome obstacles in her life's journey—as does surreal earth-bound encounters with a giant American Bald Eagle.
Join Leona on Haley's Comet and experience the ups and downs of her fascinating life. Beginning in the bustling town of Bangor, Maine—known then as the Lumber Capital of the World and the birthplace of Paul Bunyan—Leona's journey takes her through childhood and into adulthood in the scenic rural town of Glenburn, where she interacts with a motley group of family and friends (and a few obnoxious adversaries) on Earth; including:
Her father Murdock, a skilled carpenter from Canada who is anything but humble, with a penchant for whistling Beautiful Dreamer and playing cribbage; her loving mother Margaret of Glenburn, Maine—"the best cook in the world" according to her daughter—who is related to the Plymouth Colony's first governor, John Carver, and to a beautiful Indian: Princess Falling Star; eldest sister Lillian, a procrastinator with a hysterical hyena-like laugh; older sister Arlene, a stubborn girl with a knack for writing humorous poems mocking her siblings; Wally, the annoying little brother who enjoys playing pranks on his siblings; Grandma Eunice, who often visits the Haleys for humorous storytelling sessions via what Leona refers to as 'Grandma's Path'; Crazy Charlie, an old hermit living in the woods who prefers his "animal friends" to humans; and Jill, Leona's best friend and the only one who believes her dreams are real and not some figment of her imagination.