Cole Family Christmas

Meghan’s Take:

When I was first offered the opportunity to review Cole Family Christmas, I was intrigued by the back story. As the original email said:

The book began as a small family project when Jennifer Liu Bryan, sat down with her 88-year-old grandmother-in-law Hazel Cole Kendle to write a family Christmas memory that had been passed down for generations and shared at family gatherings.

The book is based on a Christmas story passed on to Hazel by her 8 older siblings about their favorite Christmas when they didn’t receive what they wanted from Santa. Instead they found joy in what their parents crafted for them.

But then I read that it was about a coal miner and his family, and my curiosity was peaked a bit more. My grandfather came from a coal mining family in Eastern Pennsylvania. As a child, we would often visit my Great Uncle and Aunt who lived in the house in which my Grandfather and his siblings grew up. I used to love visiting and being able to peer at all the family heirlooms scattered about. Venturing into the basement was a real treat. Tucked away into the dark, damp corners were bits and pieces of a life gone by. I imagined my Great Grandmother, whom I’d never met, doing the wash or putting away the vegetables she’d canned from her garden. I imagined her, hair pinned up in a bun, wearing a worn apron…

Oh, wait. This is supposed to be about Cole Family Christmas. So, my point is that I was hoping it would give me an extra peek into what life was like for my Grandfather and his family. And you know what? It did. It’s a sweet book with beautiful illustrations. The writing is easy, the characters are real, and the message is clear. It’s a bit long, in that it’s not something I could sit down and read to my kids until they’re older. At 3 1/2 and 1, it certainly wouldn’t hold their attention for long. But it’s something that I will definitely keep in my collection and when they are bigger (if I can get them to sit still long enough!), I’ll share the Cole Family’s story with them. It’s a beautiful tale of America’s past, and it brought a little Christmas spirit to the Central Coast.

Rating:

Giveaway!

We have a copy of Cole Family Christmas for one lucky winner!  Simply leave us a comment telling us what your favorite Holiday Tradition is.  We’ll pick the winner using Random.org on Friday, December 19th at 6pm.  Only one entry per person.  Open only to US Resident’s.  Please leave a valid email address with your comment, as that is how we will notify the winner.  The winner will have until Sunday, December 21st to email us their shipping information, or we will pick another winner.

Good luck and Happy Holidays!

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