The gazebo was magic. Or so many Hazleton teenagers believed in 1987. Etching a wish into the post of the brilliant white structure guaranteed it would come true. What no one realized, however, was that every granted wish comes with a price.

If you liked, "The Notebook" you will love, "Finding Hazleton". The story of a friendship so powerful, its forgiveness reverberates through generations, and a love deep enough to heal the tragedies created in its own wake.

Other than his caretaker, Tee Tee, Shawn Lyons has no one. With no knowledge of his parents, he navigates life at Hazleton University as an outsider and believes that is all he will ever be. Until he meets Lea, a classmate who won’t give up on him, and a sick man, Paul Mazzi, whose childhood stories bring Shawn a glimpse of the life he longs for. Mr. Mazzi’s stories resonate so strongly, that Shawn begins to feel as if he were a part of them. Just as Shawn’s relationship with Lea and Mr. Mazzi begins to grow, all is jeopardized by a dark secret from the past. A secret that will lead to one person's demise and salvation for others.

Told through a series of nostalgic flashbacks, the novel’s setting remains a constant even as the time period changes. Hazleton Pennsylvania serves as the common hub with unseen threads connecting each character. With the help of a few prescient landmarks, the town itself comes to life as a character of its own.