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George Durrant
As endearing and timeless as Pearl S. Buck’s Christmas Day in the Morning. A welcome addition to this year’s holiday collection! Sam Edwards isn’t looking forward to Christmas, at least not this year. Since losing his job six months before, he hasn’t had any luck in finding a new one. He isn’t sure how he can give his family a merry Christmas, and the last thing he wants is charity from his neighbors. But when he falls asleep in his living room—with his shotgun across his lap just to make sure no one attempts to visit him—he wakes up to find his front porch laden with Christmas goodies. But when he tries to find out who left the presents, the freshly fallen snow reveals no footprints. Years later, Sam’s wife has passed away and his children are grown. Old and sick, Sam remembers the kindness of the anonymous stranger from long ago and wishes for an opportunity to bless another’s life. So on Christmas Eve, when he sees his neighbor’s house on fire, he hopes that he can be the means for another anonymous miracle. Sam’s Christmas Wish is a story of love, service, and sacrifice. It is one man’s realization that Christmas is not just an event, but a spirit that can transform not just one life, but many lives.
Illustrated by Dan Burr.
Excerpt:
Big Sam Edwards had been grumpy ever since he lost his job a few weeks before Christmas. He was worried about “do-gooders” meddling during the holidays. “We don’t need no charity,” he grumbled. He made a few phone calls and gruffly warned, “I’ll be watching if anybody comes around trying to leave anything at the door!”
On Christmas Eve, after his wife, Kathryn, and his children had gone to bed, Sam sat in his small front room with a shotgun in his lap. After a couple of hours, his eyelids grew heavey, and soon Sam was asleep.
