A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg
Reviewed by Vicki Carver Several new Christmas books of fiction have recently been added to our library collection. Reading a novel about Christmas may help to prepare for the upcoming holiday season or provide an escape from the stress involved in preparing for the days ahead.Fannie Flagg, whose most famous novel is Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, has a new novel called A Redbird Christmas. Its main character is Oswald J. Campbell, who leaves the austere winter of Chicago and moves to Lost River, Alabama. Oswald believes he is dying and needs to move to a warmer climate. His life has been grim up to the point of his departure but many wonderful surprises are in store for Oswald. His encounter with a little redbird named Jack transforms Oswald’s life as well as other characters in the story.
For readers of Christian fiction, there is a new Christmas story written by Kathleen Morgan called The Christkindl’s Gift. The story takes place in rural Colorado and begins in the year 1913. Anna Hannack’s husband had been savagely beaten and subsequently died. Anna is struggling to keep her family going and survive in the wilderness. On Christmas Eve an injured stranger is found and Anna begins to help him recuperate from his injured. Of course they fall in love and the story moves along to a meaningful conclusion.
Strike the Harp! is a collection of Christmas stories and reading compiled by Owen Parry, who also wrote Our Simple Gifts. There are several storied included such as “How Jimmy Mulvaney Astonished the World for Christmas”. Some poetry is also in the book. One poem is titled “In Every Inn”. Strike the Harp! may be appropriate for anyone who is looking for a thought provoking story or poem.
The library has many other Christmas books including how-to-books by Gooseberry Patch and Leisure Arts. Anyone who wants to prepare for Christmas, either in practical or spiritual ways, can find something useful at the library.