Little Women is one of the world's most beloved stories set at Christmas time, but did you know that its author, Louisa May Alcott, also wrote many other Christmas tales? I didn't until I stumbled upon a book dedicated to them last year called A Merry Christmas & Other Christmas Stories, but it's now got a happy home in my book collection, and it's calling out to be reread again this Christmas.
A Merry Christmas & Other Christmas Stories is filled with seven wholesome short stories that are based around kindness, generosity and charity at Christmas time, providing lessons of morality the way only children's stories of the 1800s can, as well as an authentic taste of Christmas in 19th century America.
Perfect for adults and children alike, the works included in this 147-page book are:
A Merry Christmas
The Christmas morning scene from Little Women when the March sisters donate their Christmas breakfast to a poor family, and are rewarded with an extravagant feast by their rich neighbour, Mr. Lawrence.
Kate's Choice
An orphaned English teenager comes to live with her American cousins. When she discovers they have a Grandma that they never see, she takes it upon herself to visit her, and makes a plan to bring all the family together for Christmas.
The Quiet Little Woman
A lonely orphan is finally adopted in to a family, but is broken-hearted when it's clear her new family consider her nothing more than a dutiful servant. When the family don't bring her along to a Christmas party, the Aunt she has befriended makes it her mission to teach the family how precious the girl is, and show her she's loved in time for Christmas.
Tilly's Christmas
A sweet Christmas story about a poor girl who rescues a robin, despite her spoilt friends advising her not to do anything without reward, and takes it home to her mother. The girl shares what little she has with her Mum, who she realises has gone without food to feed her, and when they wake the next morning, they discover how a few kind words can lead to generosity from neighbours.
What Love Can Do
Two little girls are upset to realise how poor they are at Christmas, and overhearing this, a neighbour sets about leaving presents for them, inspiring every neighbour who passes to give generously, too. It's such a sweet story of what an act of kindness can do.
Rosa's Tale
The curious tale of a horse who was granted the ability to speak one Christmas Eve, and used it to tell the story of her past to a girl bringing her a Christmas feast.
Mrs Podgers' Teapot
A grieving mother and widow is attached to a teapot, but then, one Christmas, when she welcomes an orphaned boy in to her home, she learns it was not earned how she thought.
Besides the chapter from Little Women, I think my favourites from the book have to be Kate's Choice and The Quiet Little Woman, though What Love Can Do was gorgeous, too.
The writing style is similar to that of Little Women, and if you're anything like me, the stories will likely evoke the same warm, comforting, festive feels it gives, too. Each one is so heart-warming it's as comforting to read as curling up in your favourite PJs and blanket with a mug of tea.
It's a lovely collection of tales, and the perfect book for unwinding with after a stressful day to help you relax and feel festive. I read it for the first time last December, a story or two at a time, and it had such a calming influence, even on those days when preparing for Christmas was stressing me out. I was very grateful for it, too.
This edition is a Penguin Christmas Classics- a charming little collection which is made up of several festive-themed works, including The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann, and The Night Before Christmas by Nikolai Gogol. I have to admit, I am tempted to collect them all, if only for the beautiful book covers.
I can't speculate on the other books in the collection, but A Merry Christmas & Other Christmas Stories is a plain, festive, cherry-red hardback, with beautiful gold foil lettering on the spine.
It might be plain on the outside, but inside you'll find the prettiest cream-coloured end-papers featuring a simple Christmas illustration of a red cardinal and branches laden with red berries, as well as a back drop of red polka dot snow.
Another lovely feature of the book is that the first page of each short story is crowned with a simple greyscale illustration of branches and berries. A simple touch, but aesthetically, it ticks all the right boxes
The dust-jacket matches the illustrations inside but in more detail, with brightly-coloured cardinals perched on branches blooming with golden-brown leaves and scarlet berries, that stand out on a white background peppered with multi-coloured snow of brown and mint green. The fonts used for the title and author's name are tasteful, and they're surrounded by a border of metallic red foil on the front, and printed white on the red spine.
It's such a pretty little book, and if you enjoy classic Christmas children's stories, and love collecting beautiful books as much as I do, trust me- you need it in your collection.
A Merry Christmas & Other Christmas Stories should be available from all good book shops now. Find it on Amazon here.
Have you read any A Merry Christmas & Other Christmas Stories yet?
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