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    Home For Christmas: Stories for Young and Old Look Inside

    Home for Christmas

    Stories for Young and Old


    George Sumner Albee, Madeleine L’Engle, Nikolai S. Lesskov, Pearl S. Buck, Henry van Dyke, B. J. Chute, and others
    Edited by Miriam LeBlanc; Illustrated by David Klein

    3.95 Stars on Goodreads Read Reviews

    Twenty tales for the holiday season selected for their spiritual value and literary quality.


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    About The Book

    “If you’re giving one book for Christmas, make it this one.” —Jim Trelease, author, The Read-Aloud Handbook

    They are some of the warmest childhood memories, those unhurried evenings around the fireplace, Christmas tree, or dinner table, when there was time for a story. Now, with this collection, you can keep the story-telling tradition alive in your family, and pass it on to your children or grandchildren.

    Home for Christmas includes twenty time-honored tales. Several are by world-famous authors; others are little-known treasures translated from other languages. Selected for their literary quality and spiritual integrity, they will resonate with readers of all ages, year after year.

    With original woodcuts by David Klein

    View Table of Contents

    About The Authors

    Elizabeth Goudge

    Elizabeth Goudge (1900–1984) was among the most popular British writers of the twentieth century. She wrote short stories, novels, biographies, and children’s books. Read More

    Ger Koopman

    Geert “Ger” Koopman (1912–1983) was born in the Netherlands but after World War II moved to England, where he joined the Bruderhof community. Read More

    Ernst Wiechert

    One of Germany’s literary giants (he wrote sixty books in his sixty-three years), Ernst Emil Wiechert was thrown into Buchenwald concentration camp for publicly backing anti-Nazi pastor Martin Niemöller. Read More

    Selma Lagerlöf

    Selma Lagerlöf, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, was a Swedish storyteller and novelist. Read More

    Ruth Sawyer

    Ruth Sawyer (August 5, 1880–June 3, 1970) wrote fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. Read More

    Acclaim

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

      Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook

    • 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.

      Publishers Weekly

    Reader Reviews Write a Review

    • Christmas is just around the corner and this is a wonderful collection of stories with Christmas as the theme. Some of the authors are familiar, some...
    • With biblical themes flowing through the veins of these stories, readers will enjoy the rich reminders about the spirituality of Christmas. We have... Read More

      Review of Home for Christmas

      With biblical themes flowing through the veins of these stories, readers will enjoy the rich reminders about the spirituality of Christmas. We have all been bombarded by messages that Christmas is a time of giving, of gifting, and of forgiving. This book does not only these but elevates the message through multiple cultures and creative literary lenses. Here's a hint: Don't rush through the stories. There is more than one message within each story. The longer and slower you dwell in them, the more you would discover.

    • These are stories that feature the heart of the Christmas spirit and are meant to be shared with those you love and care about. They embody the... Read More

      Review of Home for Christmas

      These are stories that feature the heart of the Christmas spirit and are meant to be shared with those you love and care about. They embody the feeling of the holiday, family, and memories shared with care and good will. You will find stories for every age and every generation. Read, enjoy, share.

    • A wonderful book of stories for the Christmas season by so many well-known authors. I'm looking forward to seeing it in print and gifting it to other...
    • There is something so cozy about a book of short stories, especially with themes of Christmas and the values that traditionally come with them... Read More

      Review of Home for Christmas

      There is something so cozy about a book of short stories, especially with themes of Christmas and the values that traditionally come with them. This is a book for old souls or for those who hope to develop the old souls in your own children. Most of the stories aren't explicitly focused on Christ's birth, but they're stories with Truth as their guide. I can't wait to make some of these stories part of our tradition.

    • Home for Christmas is a thick book packed with lovely stories. Some of them are slightly comic, some of them have a clear moral lesson, some of them... Read More

      Review of Home for Christmas

      Home for Christmas is a thick book packed with lovely stories. Some of them are slightly comic, some of them have a clear moral lesson, some of them will make your heart swell with happiness, and all of them celebrate truth, goodness, and beauty… This is truly a fine collection, and if you read-aloud from this book you will touch hearts and make memories. Start with any story, snuggle in on the couch with some children, and prepare to have your heart readied for Christmas.

    • This book is a treasure. I am Chaplain at Portsmouth Abbey School and have distributed over 80 free copies of it to my high schools students of all... Read More

      Review of Home for Christmas

      This book is a treasure. I am Chaplain at Portsmouth Abbey School and have distributed over 80 free copies of it to my high schools students of all faiths, who have requested it. As they carry their copies home to family for Christmas vacation, this book will be a wonderful Christian support to their holidays.

    • A book full of stories about warm Christmas memories. A good sit by the fire and read to the family kind of book!
    • I enjoyed the book because there is depth to the stories and the stories come from all over. It not only felt like stepping back in time, but seemed... Read More

      Review of Home for Christmas

      I enjoyed the book because there is depth to the stories and the stories come from all over. It not only felt like stepping back in time, but seemed to transport me there. Each story is unique: some I learned a lot from, and with others, I felt like I was going through it while reading it. It is a different style of Christmas book and reminded me of the classic Christmas stories of long ago.

    • This book is sure to be a favorite of all those who love Christmas. A collection of 20 short stories that all honor the spirit of Christmas, this... Read More

      Review of Home for Christmas

      This book is sure to be a favorite of all those who love Christmas. A collection of 20 short stories that all honor the spirit of Christmas, this book would be a perfect read during the Advent season. The stories are appropriate for readers/listeners of all ages and offer a nice variety in tone and message. It would be a nice gift as well. I'll be re-reading this each Christmas season!

    • This book is a treasure trove of stories perfect for reading with your loved ones by the hearth on a cold December evening. When I saw that this... Read More

      Review of Home for Christmas

      This book is a treasure trove of stories perfect for reading with your loved ones by the hearth on a cold December evening. When I saw that this collection included a story by one of my all-time favorite authors (Madeline L’Engle), as well as other beloved authors (such as Pearl S. Buck, Henry van Dyke, and Katherine Paterson), I knew I needed to read it. But before you dive in you should know that these aren’t just sweet, little heartwarming stories about Santa and his reindeer. They are all moving, even intense, stories that point your heart back to Christ. What joy the book brought as each story reminded me of the true meaning of Christmas. Home for Christmas is a book that every family should have on their shelves to read and enjoy together through the Advent season. I’d recommend you pick up a copy of Home for Christmas for your loved ones.

    • So thankful for how this book has been expanding the Christmas imaginations of my kids. Finally, a collection of good literature that puts welcoming...
    • “Home for Christmas – Stories for Young and Old” is a classic collection of twenty time-honored tales, with exemplary spiritual integrity and... Read More

      Review of Home for Christmas

      “Home for Christmas – Stories for Young and Old” is a classic collection of twenty time-honored tales, with exemplary spiritual integrity and outstanding literary quality. Among the warmest childhood memories of Christmas, some are by world-famous authors; others are treasures from other languages. This timeless collection resonates with readers of all ages, down through the centuries. This classic anthology, full of elegant writing, has an international flavor, with stories set in various countries across the globe. Literary excellence and a heartwarming Christmas message blend together perfectly to create one of the finest Christmas collections ever. Home for Christmas is full of heartwarming stories, with clear moral lessons, to fill your heart with happiness. All the stories, filled with sweetness and light, celebrate truth, goodness, and beauty, to touch hearts and make memories. This book is a rare, priceless treasure to be enjoyed by one and all, as we prepare our hearts to celebrate Christmas.

    • Home for Christmas is a classic collection. A few of the authors were not as well known to me but wrote lovely, beautiful stories. Some of these... Read More

      Review of Home for Christmas

      Home for Christmas is a classic collection. A few of the authors were not as well known to me but wrote lovely, beautiful stories. Some of these stories reminded me of my childhood when I first experienced reading them. Wonderful stories with wonderful memories. Others that were new touched my heart too. Many of the stories are heartwarming and seemingly simple at first glance but all have a big idea and lesson to be pondered. All in all a rare collection.

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    Table of Contents

    • Dorothy Thomas The Christmas Lie
    • Jack Schaefer The Riders of St. Nicholas
    • Ernst Wiechert Grandfather’s Stories
    • B. J. Chute The Vexation of Barney Hatch
    • Opal Menius The Empty Cup
    • Elizabeth Goudge The Well of the Star
    • Rebecca Caudill A Certain Small Shepherd
    • Peter K. Rosegger The Carpenter’s Christmas
    • Ruth Sawyer What the Kings Brought
    • Selma Lagerlöf The Christmas Rose

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