Reviews for Christmas in my heart : a treasury of holiday classics
Publishers Weekly
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Joe Wheeler returns with Christmas in My Heart: A Treasury of Timeless Christmas Stories, the 12th installment of his annual collection. Kathleen Norris (no, not that Kathleen Norris-the one writing a century ago) contributes a sentimental yarn about a family rift that is healed on Christmas Eve, and Wheeler offers two of his own sketches. In all, there are 16 stories-some historical, some contemporary, and all guaranteed to require a handkerchief. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Book list
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This is Wheeler's third collection of emotionally cathartic Christmas stories culled from thousands of potential "candidates." The anthology is an attempt to rediscover the family values inherent in this Christ-centered holy day. Preceded by saccharine and superfluous introductions, the 16 selections range from the ubiquitous "Gift of the Magi" through works by respected writers such as Pearl Buck, Taylor Caldwell, and Madeleine L'Engle to lesser-known and anonymous authors. The stories range from the poignancy of a mother's periodic "Jubilee" vacation away from her family through a teary-eyed twist on a Christmas pageant to the trauma of a homeless, pregnant teenager seeking refuge at holiday time. In its own way, each portrays God's intervention during the dark times. Author David Grayson intimates that the kindness of Christmas is too grand to take in all at once; he prefers his Christmas kindness spread throughout the year. That's also a great prescription for consuming these sensitive holiday morsels. --Patricia Hassler
Publishers Weekly
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The Christmas in My Heart franchise has been going strong for a full decade now; this tenth-anniversary edition follows the usual formula of fostering Christmas spirit through old-time stories and woodcut illustrations. Some of the better tales in this collection adhere to an anniversary-appropriate theme of remembrance Pearl S. Buck undoubtedly takes top honors here, offering a mature and reflective story about a widow who uses her Christmas alone to remember the joys and sorrows of her marriage. Fans of less subtle, more tear-inducing Christmas yarns will dig out the Kleenex for Frank McMillan's "Terry" and Seth Parker's "No Man Need Walk Alone," while romantics will enjoy boy-meets-girl-on-Christmas-Eve stories from Margaret Sangster and Grace Livingston Hill. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
