Jim Mayfield is a very reclusive man. In his family's cloistered inn in Bear Creek, Pennsylvania, he spends his retirement from NASA carving rocking chairs and hiding from the world. His isolated life, however, begins to drastically change when his sister Mallory, a social worker, brings over an orphaned girl to temporarily reside in the Bear Creek Inn. This girl, Abbey, slowly but surely wins Jim's affection. He becomes determined to do whatever it takes to protect her...eventually she might become his daughter, even if that means travelling back toward the stars. In addition to Jim and Abbey, another guest comes to stay in the Bear Creek Inn. Kelley is the focus of an equally enthralling subplot in which she must overcome the loss of her soldier-husband and his unborn child and start a new life. "The Astronaut from Bear Creek" is a wonderful second novel by Nick Allen Brown. The characters are dynamic and memorable. The story will tug at readers' heartstrings. Furthermore, the settings, from backwoods Pennsylvania to training facilities at NASA, all feel genuine and well researched, giving the book an added element of authenticity. "The Astronaut from Bear Creek" is close to interstellar!