Auggie Wren's Christmas Story

A timeless, utterly charming Christmas fable, beautifully illustrated and destined to become a classic.

When Paul Auster was asked by the New York Times to write a Christmas story for the Op-Ed page, the result, "Auggie Wren's Christmas Story," led to Auster's collaboration on a film adaptation, Smoke. Now the story has found yet another life in this enchanting illustrated edition.

It begins with a writer's dilemma: he's been asked by the New York Times to write a story that will appear in the paper on Christmas morning. The writer agrees, but he has a problem: How to write an unsentimental Christmas story? He unburdens himself to his friend at his local cigar shop, a colorful character named Auggie Wren. "A Christmas story? Is that all?" Auggie counters. "If you buy me lunch, my friend, I'll tell you the best Christmas story you ever heard. And I guarantee every word of it is true."

And an unconventional story it is, involving a lost wallet, a blind woman, and a Christmas dinner. Everything gets turned upside down. What's stealing? What's giving? What's a lie? What's the truth? It's vintage Auster, and pure pleasure: a truly unsentimental but completely affecting tale.

"[T]his little volume is a jewel, not only because Auster is such a dazzling and canny storyteller but also because of Argentine artist ISOL's superbly jazzy illustrations." Booklist

"No matter the form, the story is still as engaging and satisfying as ever....Far from sentimental, Auggie Wren's Christmas Story is a smart, slightly offbeat holiday tale that should be at the top of any gift list." BookPage

"[A] delightful tale....Auster effectively draws readers in....You feel as if you're sitting next to Auster listening to Wren's juicy fable while eating pastrami sandwiches at a New York delicatessen. (Grade: A-)" Andrea Ahles, Dallas/Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"This slim book is barely larger than a paperback but packs a wallop greater than the sum or size of its pages. Witty illustrations by Isol (that's the moniker) make this a great season beginner." Glenn Giffin, Denver Post

When Auster was asked by the New York Times to write a Christmas story for the Op-Ed page, the result, "Auggie Wren's Christmas Story," led to Auster's collaboration on a film adaptation, Smoke. Now the story finds yet another life in this enchanting illustrated edition.

It begins with a writer's dilemma — he's been asked by the New York Times to write a story that will appear in the paper on Christmas morning. The writer agrees, but he has a problem — how does one write an unsentimental Christmas story? The result is Auster's timeless, utterly charming Christmas fable, beautifully illustrated and destined to become a classic.

Paul Auster is the bestselling author of Oracle Night, The Book of Illusions, and Timbuktu. I Thought My Father Was God, the NPR National Story Project anthology which he edited, was also a national bestseller. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

ISOL is a celebrated Argentinian illustrator whose work has been featured internationally. She lives in Buenos Aires.