The Christmas Letters, by Lee Smith

Review by Brenda Seward

I will apologize in advance since once again, I am giving into my holiday sappiness. For those who have reached, or perhaps exceeded their limit for this sort of thing and were hoping for non-holiday related fare, I promise to offer up something completely unsentimental next week.

This week, I found an older book you may have missed, originally released in 1996. It is a sweet, holiday themed novella titled The Christmas Letters, by Virginia native Lee Smith.

The book chronicles the life of a family through the annual Christmas letters of a mother and her daughter.  We glimpse events large and small through the eyes of these two women, the letters spanning the course of 52 years.  Along with each letter, in which the events of that particular year are related, Birdie and her daughter, Mary, include a recipe.

The manner in which the evolving story of the generations of this family is related gives it a very personal feel. As the reader, you feel as if you are a part of this family, brought into the fold by the sharing of everything great and small, joyous and tragic that happens to them over the years. You will also probably feel the gentle but sweet pull of nostalgia for the past and somewhat simpler times. You will feel this not only in the stories told, but also in the recipes shared. For those of us old enough to remember when our Party Mix was made (rather than bought), you will get a kick out of Mary sharing her recipe and telling everyone what a “hit” it was with the crowd. The little things like that are what becomes part of the continuity and tradition of family and the holidays. For good or bad, we remember the little things as time goes by.

Reading The Christmas Letters was a fond look back. It did not matter that it was not the events of my own family. In places, the events were so very similar that it very well could have been. For those without their own family holiday letters to look back on this novella will be a heartwarming substitute. And who knows - it may inspire you to start your own tradition!

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Review by Brenda Seward, Owner, Simple Pleasures Books & Gifts, Ashland, Va.

The Christmas Letters, by Lee Smith and released by Algonquin Books, is available at Simple Pleasures Books & Gifts.

Simple Pleasures Books & Gifts is a family owned independent bookstore. Owned and managed by my three daughters, and myself. Our focus is toward women, while seeking to offer a little bit of something for everyone. From books, chocolate, unique custom gift bags and note cards to tea towels and bath products, Simple Pleasures offers just that- the simple pleasures of life. All titles reviewed here are available at Simple Pleasures Books & Gifts in Ashland, VA (804-378-7736) or online at: http://www.alibris.com/stores/spbooks1