BONITA, Calif., Sept. 30, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Wrapping gifts and baking cookies are on many people's to-do list around the holidays. For those who discover author Diane Gustafson, reading heartwarming short stories could wind up on that Christmas list, as well. Mary Christmas: Short Stories Spanning Two Centuries (now available through 1stBooks) includes 20 whimsical short stories, and each unique tale revolves around heroines who encounter poignant and compelling situations during the holiday season.
With tales spanning from 1808 to 1996, Mary Christmas offers main characters whose names are derivatives of Mary. Follow Moira and her brother on the "orphan train" to the Midwest after their parents die; Marianne, whose three children die from scarlet fever within a week without a word from her husband, a Union surgeon in the Civil War; Maribel, whose two sons climb onto the roof to see if Santa fits through the chimney; and Mary, who leaves her daughter behind in Russia for one year after answering an ad for a mail-order bride and loses her forever. Other stories tell of a Sioux maiden, a slave owner who befriends and frees her slave and a mother whose grown son no longer needs her.
A compilation of tender short stories, Mary Christmas has been highly praised for its connection to actual historical events and well-developed storylines. Gustafson has created a remarkable volume that is sure to appear year after year as a must-read during the Christmas season.
A college librarian, Gustafson spent seven years writing this work. Mary Christmas is her first book.
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