In my family, there are many traditions and memories surrounding Christmas and the holidays. One of them has to do with books and reading. Just like we had a collection of loved ornaments for the tree, we had a collection of Christmas and holiday books. Every year they would be unpacked from their boxes and read what seemed like millions of times, and then every year packed away again until the next. I’m sure my mom still has these books, and perhaps still looks for a new book to add every year. Even though I’m not home to reread my old favorites, at this time of year my reading thoughts turn to holiday stories. Some are picture books, some poems, essays, and novels. All put me in the holiday spirit and who couldn’t use a little of that? Calorie free, no less. (Although if you enjoy one of these with the holiday treat of your choice, I won’t tell!)
I first discovered Connie Willis when I read a review of Miracle in one of the professional review journals. A copy was on order for the library system, so I placed a hold request and was soon reading away. I have since read the stories in this collection a couple of times, and each time I am charmed all over again. As much I as I enjoy the stories, I think I like Willis’ introduction about holiday reading and movies even more. Count me in as someone who prefers Miracle on 34th Street to It’s a Wonderful Life as a exemplar of holiday films. Because of this story collection I went on to read others by Willis, To Say Nothing of the Dog and Doomsday Book.
Bibliography: Willis, Connie. (1999). Miracle and Other Christmas Stories. New York: Bantam Books. ISBN: 0-553-11111-6
I would say that “Miracle” and “Inn” are my favorites, “Miracle” because of it’s humorous take on being careful what you wish for, and “Inn” because of my personal connection to churches, to visualizing Sharon frantically trying to hide the Holy couple while struggling to figure out how to get them back to the right time much less the right road. “Adaptation” imagines what would happen if the ghosts from Dickens’ Christmas Carol had to make their way in the real world, and “Epiphany” ponders following your gut, even if you may seem crazy or foolish to others.
I have added Willis’ recommended reading list to my list for this holiday season, and perhaps I’ll blog about some of those later on.
Readalikes: For once, I am going to fall into that trap that I accuse others of lazily doing, and say that if you like Connie Willis, you should read more Connie Willis. I especially think that the humor in most of these stories is very present in To Say Nothing of the Dog. If you like Christmas short stories with a somewhat spiritual bent, you might like the collections from Katherine Paterson: Angels and Other Strangers and A Midnight Clear.
Review Excerpts: “The witty, literate Willis offers a wonderfully enjoyable ode to Christmas with this collection of eight fantastic seasonal tales. …Throughout the book, Willis’s well-crafted stories fuse traditional holiday plots with SF and fantasy elements to good effect….This is a collection that will entertain readers both in and out of season; and as a stocking-stuffer for SF fans, it’s a merry delight. “–Publisher’s Weekly
Reviewed from public library copy. Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.