A Pioneer Christmas: Celebrating in the Backwoods in 1841

The Robertsons, a Scottish pioneer family living on Canada's Ontario frontier in the nineteenth century, return in this third and final story devoted to their lives, following upon A Pioneer Sampler (originally published as A Pioneer Story) and A Pioneer Thanksgiving. Told from the perspective of Sarah, one of the middle children, of the six Robertson offspring, it narrates the family's preparations for the upcoming Christmas holiday, from preparing the all-important pudding to decorating the house with garlands. The family eagerly anticipate the arrival of Uncle Andrew and his very pregnant wife, Sophie, but also worry that the winter weather will prevent their arrival. Interspersed amongst the fictional narrative, are non-fictional show more side-panels explaining the history of various things - the Christmas traditions brought to Canada by immigrants from different traditions, for instance - and instructions on how to create some of the items discussed in the story...

Although it is the third in the series, A Pioneer Christmas: Celebrating in the Backwoods in 1841 is only the second I have read, following upon A Pioneer Thanksgiving. I found its blend of fiction and non-fiction, and its inclusion of various craft ideas, quite appealing - it was both educational and entertaining. I thought that the primary narrative here was just a little bit more emotionally involving than in the previous title, perhaps because the reader shares Sarah's suspense regarding the arrival of these unknown relatives from the east, and her pleasure, when they eventually do turn up safe and sound. Although I didn't attempt any of the crafts, I have made pomanders in the past - in my case, they were made from oranges - and was pleased to learn that this is what they are called, being unaware of that fact. The Scottish lullaby that Sarah and Meg sing, at the Christmas Frolic, was unknown to me, but I immediately found a recording online and listened to it, discovering a lovely new (to me) song in the process. All in all, this is a wonderful addition to the series, one which could be used in an educational unit on pioneer life in nineteenth-century Canada, as well as in the northern United States. The blending of various immigrant cultures, as they shared their traditions, is a particularly strong theme of these stories, it seems, and that is as true of the states, as of Canada. Author Barbara Greenwood even discusses the introduction of the Santa Claus figure by New York author Clement Moore, and how his famous poem was based partially on Dutch immigrant traditions from that state. Illustrator Heather Collins' beautiful pencil illustrations greatly enhance both the fictional and non-fictional strands of the story here, and are every bit as appealing as in the previous title. Recommended to anyone who has enjoyed other stories about the Robertsons, as well as to those looking for Christmas stories about nineteenth-century North American pioneers. show less