No one does Christmas better than Louisa May Alcott, with the exception of Charles Dickens. She captures all that homey, wistful, wishing for perfection part of Christmas in what is a sentimental, overly precious way; but I love the feeling she leaves me with that makes me want to smile at the story and cry for the loss of this world I cannot believe was not once real.

A large, old-fashioned farm-house, with a hospitable porch and tall trees in front, an orchard behind, and a capital hill for blackberries in summer, and coasting in winter, close by. All the upper windows were curtained, and made the house look
as if it was half-asleep. At one of the lower windows sat a portly puss, blinking in the sun, and at the other appeared a cap, a regular grandmotherly old cap, with a little black bow perked up behind. Something in the lonely look of the house and the
pensive droop of that cap made Katy hurry up the walk and tap eagerly at the antique knocker.

Yes, thank you, I will spend my Christmas here.

https://loa-shared.s3.amazonaws.com/static/pdf/Alcott_Kates_Choice.pdf ( )

This was a quick, simple and sweet read. These were delightful little stories, though they seemed more like snippets of longer novels to me, than stories in their own right. They really captured the kindness of the human spirit, though that seems to be lacking in today's society sometimes. ( )

Several tender stories by one of my most favorite authors. ( )

These are all nice little stories that gently teach good lessons: don't neglect the elderly, being good to neighbors can brighten one's own life, and practical things are as good to know as more abstract things, because one never knows when they might be needed. Oh -- and don't let your pride keep you from admitting that you're lost, and pay more attention to the weather.

All the characters are decent people, even if some need a nudge to remember to Do the Right Thing. If you want some Christmas entertainment for your children or grandchildren that isn't another variation on the idea that Christmas is all about receiving and not about the giving, these would be good stories to share with them.

For adult readers, the editor's notes section is interesting. First we're given something about Miss Alcott and the three stories reprinted here: Kate's Choice , What Love Can Do, which was originally titled How It All Happened; and Gwen's Adventure in the Snow, which was originally titled How They All Camped Out. The second section is about the virtues of Miss Alcott's upbringing, which were reflected in her writing.

The third section is a short biography.

The last is about Mr. Hines, the editor.

From these notes I learned a couple of things about Mr. and Mrs. Alcott that I hadn't known: Abba Alcott was one of the first paid social workers in the USA. I'd already known about Bronson Alcott's impracticality. I hadn't known that he was a good carpenter, but once refused to work as one because he thought it would "debase the purity of his soul". If it weren't for the fact that Mr. Alcott's inability to support his family helped lead to his daughter giving the world some beloved children's classics, I would have a wish. I'd wish that his friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson, had told Alcott that since carpentry was good enough for Jesus Christ, that should be good enough for him. I mean really!

The illustrations are very well done. They look as if they could be tinted photographs. I like the decorated background for the title pages, the sprigs above and below the page numbers, and the border along the bottom margin of the pages. There's a presentation page with a line each to write to whom the book is being given, by whom, and the date given.

My copy is a Crossings Book Club edition. Its dimensions (with the dust jacket removed) are: 8 & 1/2 inches high, 5 and 1/2 inches wide, and 1/2 inch thick. ( )

These Christmas stories can be a bit saccharine, but they're perfect for evoking that old-fashioned Christmas feeling.