|
My husband and I went to the little town in NC that is the benefactor of the proceeds of this book. It was a charming place and as warm as the story in this book. The pictures are equally well done as the story. THis has become a permanent part of my Christmas book collection.
However, war comes and Papa leaves. What a delightful story that can remind us of the bygone days of old-fashioned country Christmases. Ruthie is a small-town girl whose family finally receives the honor of choosing the Christmas tree for their town--and sure enough she and her papa find the perfect balsalm. Ruthie and her mother have more worries than they expected.This is a surprisingly gritty story of wartime heartache, but it still managed to perfectly capture the Christmas spirit and the true meaning of the holidays. The prose is gentle and folksy, and the illustrations are to die for.
This was purchased for my nephew and he loved it. Since he lives in the moutains, it was a story he related too. He liked it so much, I ordered another one for a gift and it was also well received.
This is a wonderful story that shows the importance of keeping family traditions alive and about the courage it sometimes takes to carry on in the most difficult of times. You will absolutely love Ruthie and will warm up to her really thoughtful and loving mother. This is a story very close to my heart since I grew up close to the Appalachian Mountains and remember how excited we were at Christmastime--- to just be together.
I bought this for my kindergarten granddaughter as her Christmas book. I wanted something a little different from the typical Christmas book and this one delivered. She really enjoyed the book.
|
