"Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus"
Virginia grew up. Yes, THAT Virginiaâ??who became a teacherâ??encouraging students through the Great Depression, World War II, and the Polio epidemic. "The Santa Claus Girl," a novel drawn from true events, imagines Virginia's far-reaching influence and her exceptional gift of inspiration. Set in New York City, December 1952, the story uncovers how a remarkable woman sparks a band of humble do-gooders to overcome the odds stacked against themâ??and reach for an extraordinary goal.

New York City cab driver Ben Wilson was enjoying his drive to the airport that February morning in 1952. His passenger was his WWII army buddy, pilot Joe Martinez, who'd just formed a small air cargo company with two weathered C-47s, luck, and a prayer. With the best of intentions the men promise to stay in touch.

The year passes quickly, filled with extraordinary news events. The height of the polio epidemic spreads across Americaâ??with no vaccine available. Candidates spar in a Presidential election year. The Senate votes for sweeping immigration reform. Two US citizens remain jailed for conspiring with the Russian government. And July becomes the hottest month ever recorded for New York. A great year for news stories and a banner year for newspapers.

In December, a cocky young reporter named David Lindsey is assigned to interview "the Santa Claus Girl," now a principal at P.S. 401 at New York General Hospital, where classes are held for children unable to attend traditional schools. After an eye-opening interview, David learns that a little girl was recently hospitalized with the onset of polio. The girl's life depends on treatment in an iron lung, but because of the scale of the epidemic none are available. The reporter stumbles upon the story of Ben and Joe who've devised a daring plan to raise money to purchase the respirator for the young patient. Ben reveals they were inspired by their former teacher Virginia O'Hanlon, known as "the Santa Claus Girl." Unaware of the story's front-page potential, the rookie reporter unwittingly amplifies the plans of the humble do-gooders. David soon realizes that even if the money could somehow be raised, Ben must overcome a race against time, public fear of the disease, and demons from his past, to transport the life-saving machine to New York City. When a snowstorm threatens to close the airports, the cabbie's colleagues mobilize to rescue the mission before it's too late.

Armed with a new angle on his holiday story, the once cynical reporter discovers the power of the press is matched by the larger power of the people who unite for the greate