I purchased this book, and the opinions expressed here are my own, voluntarily expressed. Iris Chacon.

This collection of nineteen separate short stories centers around the themes of birth and rebirth and the idea of new beginnings. It is not specifically a group of Christmas stories, although Christmas is a key feature of several of the entertaining and evocative tales.

This would have been a five-star review all the way but for one technicality, which I will explain later. That one lost star, which should probably be only half a lost star if that were possible, should not dissuade you from picking up this excellent book of stories to read through the holidays and beyond. You’ll find yourself thinking about Christmas, and births of many kinds, in unexpected, new ways.

The stories range in tone from somber and sad to quirky and funny, but all will reach your brain’s deep core and stay there. Here are examples of some of the great writing, chosen from two of my favorite stories.

If you haven’t yet discovered Pakistani storyteller Aqsa Mustafa, you will want to seek her work soon and often. Here are some passages from her story of a woman who is dealing with the loss of her child in bizarre ways.

“Some say bullet wounds hurt, some say paper cuts are the worst. But no one talks about the pain caused by something as small as breathing in the wrong perfume.”

“When they brought her to me for that one time and I held her in my arms, I poured my soul into that little figure, trying to will it into animation. But the paper-thin lids did not open, the tiny bird chest did not flutter with life, the rosebud lips did not part to release a twisted wail. I didn’t cry either, just looked at her. And when they took her away, I forgot to ask for my heart back,”

“… she had been ripped from our lives as suddenly and as finally as a circus artist pulls a tablecloth from under the dishes, leaving us clattering like cheap china.”

“In my blind ignorance, I thought a mother lost more when her child was gone, forgetting that the father didn’t even have the consolation of remembering the baby as a part of his body.”

While “Roses Are Red” is one of the most sober stories in the collection, “Sharing Mary” is, in my opinion, the funniest. Author Alyson Faye has tied her story of snobbery and socio-political-scholastic relationships into an annual children’s Christmas play that seems to be going all wrong. Here are some samples of her prose.

When the couple down the street proudly see their sons cast as two of the three Wise Men, Jemma thinks their loud marital fighting should disqualify their offspring. Everyone has heard the battles and is certain of impending divorce.

“Shouldn’t divorce mean your children can’t even be in the Nativity?” Jemma wondered aloud to Herbie the cat, whilst she absent-mindedly pushed him off his fish hunting perch. “What’s the point of being in a stable long-term marriage, if the local vicar doesn’t reward your children?”

After chaotic rehearsals and many artistic crises, an unexpected event occurs, which results in an uncharacteristically charitable resolution to the “Mary conflict.” The joy of Christmas indeed.

Here is a complete list of the authors and titles contained in the Nativity anthology. One of these may be a favorite of yours already, and several are sure to become favorites in the future.

I promised earlier to tell you why this book received four stars instead of five. What could have warranted the loss of that lonely star?

One of these wonderful stories, and only one, contained so many spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors that I nearly quit reading. Giving the editors the benefit of the doubt, I persevered and found the rest of the book to be consistently excellent. I’m not telling you which story offended. You’ll find it for yourself. Sadly, the plot and concept of the story were good; the errors simply made it nearly unreadable. Next time, writer: more editing!

NATIVITY, an Anthology, edited by Debz Hobbs-Wyatt and Gill James, is available on Amazon(USA) and Amazon Worldwide. Follow the authors on Amazon and Goodreads. This book would make a fine holiday gift.

Wherever you are, and whatever holiday you are celebrating, I wish you health, safety, joy, and many happy hours of cozying up with a good book. (At my house it’s Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, y’all.)

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