This
is the time of the year I like to read Christmas stories. A short
story a day helps me get in the spirit of the season. I was happy to
say yes when I was asked to review Home for Christmas, a
collection of twenty Christmas short stories.
Some
of the stories were familiar ones, like Henry van Dyke's “The Other
Wise Man,” Pearl Buck's “Christmas Day in the Morning,” and
Madeleine L'Engle's “Transfiguration.” Many of the stories and
authors were new to me. Some are little-known European tales not
available in English anywhere else. They were selected for their
literary quality and their spiritual integrity. They are illustrated
with original woodcuts by David G. Klein.
I
found each story to be a treasure. It was fun to read again the ones
I remembered from childhood. It was enlightening to read those coming
from Europe and places like Siberia and Cuba. Some of the stories are
much more serious in nature than we may be used to in America. Yet
each story emphasis an aspect of Christmas, such as sacrifice,
sharing or giving.
Some
of the stories are like fables and may be a little different than
what evangelical Christians are used to reading around Christmas
time. In a couple of stories, the Christ child appears. Some stories
are decidedly Roman Catholic in nature, with bleeding statues. These
stories are not ones that necessarily share the gospel. They are
literary stories about Christmas (or the Christmas spirit) from
around the world.
I
was disappointed that there was no information about the background
or author of each story. A little history would have helped me enjoy
them more.
This
is a good collection of stories that will give a broader appreciation
of the worldwide meaning of Christmas through short story.
Plough
Publishing House, 339 pages.
I
received a complimentary copy of this book through Handlebar for the
purpose of an independent and honest review.
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