Christmas Eve on the Underground Railroad: And Other Christmas Stories

Christmas, it has been said, is many things to many people. In these seven stories the meaning of Christmas is as varied as the time and circumstances in which they take place. A young Quaker recalls Christmas as a time when he received the courage to shelter fugitives. A Dutch fisherman is driven to despair by his own compulsive gift giving. An Amish housewife seeks resolution for a life haunted by the image of a Christmas tree. Of course, Christmas is foremost a celebration of the birth of Christ, and a time for life made anew, which is why we delight in the redemption of Scrooge. But what of poor Jacob Marley whose sacrifice made possible Scrooge’s salvation? Christmas is also a time we associate with miracles, and a miraculous gift from Santa Claus allows a boy to make peace with the senseless death of his parents. And lest it be forgotten that Christmas is a time for joy and playful celebration, there are Roy and Willis, two handymen bent on playing Christmas carols on a pipe organ fashioned out of a pickup truck. Lastly, in a children’s story, a hermit finds Christmas to be the chance to help a mysterious stranger dressed in black. Seven stories, seven different Christmases, yet all united by this: Christmas is special to all.