A Midnight Clear

This little book of Christmas stories is a gift from a dear friend from a few years ago. I picked it up at the start of December, hoping to nudge myself into the spirit of the season. The stories are a little dated now, but uplifting and inspiring and better written than I had expected, a pleasant surprise.

I only got to page 68/212 before Christmas, so I'm reshelving it for now and will finish it next December.

A girl scout dutifully doing her good deed by visiting a woman at the nursing home, a pastor's child struggles with unfairness at Christmas, a rich lady gets mistaken for a poor lady who needs Christmas cheer. This is a collection of five Christmas stories written to be read by Paterson's minister husband at the yearly Christmas service. Paterson can be edgy at times, but these stories are not. They all illustrate in fresh ways how the gospel story changes lives. They're subtle, as good fiction is (I'm assuming the minister husband filled in the details afterward).

Katherine Paterson is a two-time Newbery medal award winning author. Her writings are crisp, poignant and deal with difficult situations. The Same Stuff As Stars, Jacob I Have Loved, A Bridge to Terabithia, The Great Gilly Tomkins are but a few of her excellent books.

A Midnight Clear is a small book of short stories that capture the meaning of Christmas. Never resorting to smultz or over dramatization, the tales are heartwarming and lovely.

Each Christmas Eve when John Paterson was a pastor, he read an original story to his congregation - a story that illuminated the true meaning of the holiday season, written by his wife, two-time Newbery Medalist Katherine Paterson. Now you, too, can share them. Whether depicting a child coping with disappointment, friendship between young and old, or a couple awaiting the birth of their baby, these stories present a vision of hope and peace harking back to that first Christmas over two thousand years ago.

Includes 5 short stories.

Christmas short stories, some odd. Not her best.

Pleasant Christmas stories

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