Synopses & Reviews
A wonderful addition to the collections of Christmas stories rendered in the past by the team of McCord and Tucker. --Carolyn Haines, author of the Sarah Booth Delaney Mississippi Delta Mystery seriesWhile Christmas stories are traditionally sweet, warm, and fuzzy, not every holiday memory generates a feeling of ease, merriment, and plenty. Penned by the capable hands of twelve of the best writers in the South, the stories in this collection challenge, illuminate, and provoke strong feelings as they examine Christmas from a variety of unexpected angles. From the desperation arising from marital separation in Occasion for Repentance to a widowed judge's attempt to open his heart in The Amaryllis, the contributing authors examine human experience in the context of the Christmas season. In a manner exclusive to only the best literature, these stories elucidate emotions shared by all people. The stories affirm the power of family in the face of hardship, as exemplified in Novena, where a daughter welcomes her elderly mother into her home, or Blue's Holiday, where a father dresses up as Santa for his aging daughter. Each character in every story is deeply developed, unifying the anthology with a pervading sense of quality authorship. With an impressive ensemble of award-winning writers, including Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Olen Butler, critically acclaimed Olympia Vernon, and Guggenheim Fellow Elizabeth Spencer, Christmas Stories from the South's Best Writers provides sensitive and deeply felt reflections on the Christmas season from a mature and thoughtful perspective. ABOUT THE EDITORSCharline R. McCord received a Ph.D. in English from the University of Southern Mississippi and has studied literature at Mississippi College and Oxford University. An arts activist and director of communications, McCord has extensive experience editing, publishing, and teaching. She has been writing short stories for more than twenty years and was the recipient of the Henry Bellamann Award in Creative Writing. McCord lives in Clinton, Mississippi. Mississippi native Judy H. Tucker is a playwright and freelance editor. She has received numerous awards for her plays, including a Literary Arts Fellowship from the Mississippi Arts Commission in 2007 and the Daughters of the American Revolution Evelyn Cole Peters Award for historical drama. She lives in Jackson, Mississippi.
Synopsis
Penned by the capable hands of 12 of the best writers in the South, the stories in this collection challenge, illuminate, and provoke strong feelings as they examine Christmas from a variety of unexpected angles.
Synopsis
As a season for family, feasting, gifts, and giving, Christmastime brings with it a host of traditions, beliefs, and stories. With an impressive ensemble of award-winning writers, including Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler, critically acclaimed Olympia Vernon, and Guggenheim Fellow Elizabeth Spencer, the 11 stories in this anthology offer a range of poignant ruminations on the Christmas season. From the touching account of a handyman's enduring gift to a wealthy child to a father's reconciliation with his estranged, troubled daughter and a lonely judge's attempt to open his heart to his neighbors, this collection is a celebration of family, love, and understanding. With maturity and depth, the stories in this anthology evoke strong emotions in a way only the finest literature can. Accompanied by striking watercolor illustrations, these Southern Christmas tales will be sure to captivate generations to come.