Season's readings

New holiday tales from favorite writers

REVIEWS BY AMY SCRIBNER

You know all about Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, and probably have the stories of the Grinch, Scrooge and that miracle on 34th Street just about memorized. Classics, all of them, but for some fresh Christmas tales, try this crop of seasonal fiction offering twists on traditional holiday literature.

Retelling the old story

In Elizabeth Berg's lyrical recasting of the story of Mary and Joseph, The Handmaid and the Carpenter, we are reminded that the parents of Jesus were a startlingly young, humble couple. Deeply in love, they are struggling to understand the mystery of what visiting angels have told them: that Mary will bear the Son of God.

Berg, the author of more than a dozen novels including the 2000 Oprah Book Club selection Open House, brings remarkable freshness and respect to one of the most told, most beloved stories in human history. Her Mary and Joseph are devoted partners, but in awe of the idea that they've been chosen to bring forth a savior. "What shall I make of these exotic fabulations?" Joseph asks his wife. "For, in truth, these things seem more fit for stories that children might tell than as direction for our lives." A quietly joyful take on the Immaculate Conception, Berg's graceful story breathes new life into an ancient tale.


The best Christmas ever

The weather outside is decidedly not frightful in balmy Savannah, Georgia, where Weezie Foley is gearing up for what she hopes is her best Christmas ever. She expects her antique shop to grab first prize in the annual historical district window-decorating contest, even if the nasty new owners of the shop across the street seem hell-bent on sabotaging her victory. Even better, Weezie suspects this might be the year that her boyfriend, Daniel, finally pops the question.

Mary Kay Andrews, the author of so-much-fun-to-read-it-must-be-criminal bestsellers Savannah Breeze and Hissy Fit, dishes up another Southern charmer with Blue Christmas. Strange things are afoot in Weezie's neighborhood. First, a down-and-out woman is found sleeping in Weezie's dazzling window display. Then Weezie's faithful mutt, Jethro, disappears. It's the last straw when someone breaks into Weezie's home, swiping a fridgeful of hors d'oeuvres meant for a holiday party. Is someone just hungry, or is there a more sinister reason for the break-ins?

Anyone who has devoured Andrews' previous work knows there is something downright addictive in her punchy prose and sparkling storylines. Here, she delivers holiday cheer that will leave you anything but blue.


On the wings of an angel

Christian author and minister Max Lucado is among the nation's most popular and prolific inspirational writers, and The Christmas Candle shows why readers are drawn to his warm, simple stories.

It's 1864 in the English village of Gladstone, and shopkeepers Edward and Bea Haddington are awaiting a visit from an angel—yes, an angel. It seems that every 25 years, Gladstone receives a visit from a glowing messenger, who lights a candle that bestows a miracle on whoever receives it. As villagers make their case to Edward and Bea as to why they should get the blessed candle, the Haddingtons wonder whether they should save this miracle for themselves.

A powerful reminder of the true meaning of faith and community, The Christmas Candle is a welcome respite from the harried commercialism of the holiday season.


The miracle of forgiveness

Still reeling from his mother's death in a freak car accident, Mark Smart loses his college scholarship and his job, and becomes estranged from his indifferent father. Scraping by as a janitor, reeling from the sudden, brutal unraveling of his life, he contemplates suicide until one night his car breaks down outside a coffee shop. Inside, Macy Wood is locking up, but lets Mark in to call a mechanic. Their lives intersect just when each needs it most: Macy is searching for the sister she lost when both were adopted out of a troubled home, and Mark finds himself drawn to this woman whose life is as fragmented as his own.

Though the setup may sound just this side of maudlin, don't be fooled: With Finding Noel, Richard Paul Evans, author of the holiday bestseller The Christmas Box, offers a sweet, simple story that is ultimately an uplifting reflection on chance encounters and what it means to truly forgive.


Holiday short takes

A treasure trove of short stories from an astonishing array of distinguished writers, The Ecco Book of Christmas Stories features tales from two dozen authors including Muriel Spark, Graham Greene, Vladimir Nabokov and Ann Beattie. Editor Alberto Manguel chose stories that explore the holidays from virtually every angle. John Cheever's "Christmas Is a Sad Season for the Poor" is a stark meditation on why so many think of charity only during the Christmas season. Grace Paley's elegantly tough "The Loudest Voice" takes on the Jewish immigrant experience in an American culture steeped in Christianity. And Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory" is deeply bittersweet.

Richly thought-provoking, this is a collection to be savored. As Manguel writes, "Every reader knows that the best stories have no ending but continue beyond the page in the reader's own world."


Amy Scribner celebrates the holidays with her family in Olympia, Washington.

© 2006 ProMotion, inc.