Every December I re-read out loud Dylan Thomas’s famous story, A Child’s Christmas in Wales. Using beautiful language, the author describes a young Welsh boy’s memories of Christmas, with mounds of snow, aunts and uncles, red-nosed postmen, and of course presents. The holiday season wouldn’t feel as special to me if I didn’t read this book each December.
There are so many wonderful Christmas books, from How the Grinch Stole Christmas to The Polar Express. What are your favorites?
A new favorite of mine is Jim Murphy’s Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting. This is a non-fiction book about a miracle on Christmas Eve, 1914, in the midst of World War I. In World War I trenches were used to help shelter soldiers from bullets and bombs. Trenches ran from the North Sea Coast all the way to the Swiss border, with the trenches being from 50 to 1000 yards apart. The Germans were on one side of the trench and the French, English and Belgians were on the other. Originally both sides thought the war would be over by Christmas, each side shelling, bombing and launching raids on the other. Massive losses on both sides contributed to doubt among those on the front lines. Then on Christmas Eve of 1914, a miracle happened. Almost all the way along the lines a spontaneous peace erupted; for more than 24 hours no fighting took place The soldiers met in the middle of no-man's land between the trenches and exchanged gifts and songs and Christmas greetings and wishes.
With lots of historical photographs, this book tells of politicians and military leaders who wanted to continue fighting and soldiers who did not obey orders and had a Christmas miracle.
Whatever holidays you celebrate, I wish you. ..and the world…peace in this special season.
Happy reading,
Connie
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