This is undoubtedly the most literary collection of Christmas stories to be published this season. The editors at Plough have taken a conservative approach, eschewing sentimental claptrap in favor of classic, elegant writing. There are some standard-bearers here, including Henry van Dyke's enduring yarn "The Other Wise Man" and Pearl S. Buck's gentle and touching story "Christmas Day in the Morning." Some contributions are deeply theological (Madeleine L'Engle's "Transfiguration") while others offer the dark, discerning cadences of a timeless fable (Selma Lagerlof's "The Christmas Rose"). The collection has an international flavor, with stories set in Cuba, Germany, Siberia, Palestine, Denmark and Spain, as well as in Vermont and New York City. Readers who crave literary excellence as well as a heartwarming Christmas message will relish this carefully selected and intelligent anthology.

If you’re giving one book for Christmas, make it this one.

The tales collected in Easter Stories: Classic Tales for the Holy Season don’t always mention Jesus, nor even the usual tropes like sunlight and springtime. But each reveal a particular melody of the Easter story. The lovingly crafted volume, edited by Miriam LeBlanc and published by Plough, features original woodcuts by Lisa Toth for each tale…. Reading these Easter tales invites our own stories to be shaped, too, by the Story, for our own hearts to thaw and for our imaginations to be steeped in the waters of resurrection.

The heart of Easter can be found in the pages of this collection of read-aloud tales. Step inside the works of well-known authors such as C.S. Lewis, Leo Tolstoy, Oscar Wilde, and others, as they explore the true meaning of the Easter season. Short and spiritual, these stories are perfect to be read again and again.

This thoughtfully curated collection is remarkable for its range and breadth. The stories come from all over the world and represent many genres, such as parables, animal fables, historical fiction, fairy tales and Christian fantasy. Most of the stories are from the first half of the 20th century, but the earliest is from an 1857 edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and the most recent selections were written in 2015. Definitely read these stories at Easter, but keep the book close and pull it out whenever you and your family need a reminder of the great Easter themes of transformation, reconciliation and the triumph of life over death.

Each step of this journey is detailed with poetic attention: Francis’s sacrifice juxtaposed to the comfort of the wealthy, Francis’s devotion measured against reluctance of those comfortable with life as is. The ins and outs of his journey take on meditative turns: he is honored, he is rejected, he takes on acolytes, his demands lead to doubt. Goudge leads him on such journeys with respect, and the effects of her attentions are moving. Read more

Elizabeth Goudge’s novels, long or short, have always been distinguished by a quality of lyrical joyousness more usually associated with poetry than with prose and, perhaps, with music than with writing.

An absorbing story…Elizabeth Goudge makes skillful use of contemporary sources, St. Francis’s own writings and those of his followers, and the legends – employing them with the skill of a gifted storyteller. A superb recreation of a wonderful personality, who even today holds a unique place in people’s imagination and hearts.