May Your Days Be Merry And Bright

Description for MAY YOUR DYS BE MERRY & BRIGHT edited and introduced by Susan Koppelman:

LOUISA MAY ALCOTT * ELIZABETH STUART PHELPS * SARAH ORNE JEWETT * MARY E WILKINS * WILLA CATHER * ZONA GALE * FANNIE HURST * EDNA FERBER * FRANCES GRAY PATTON * DOROTHY CANFIELD FISHER * ALICE CHILDRESS * PEARL S BUCK - GRACE PALEY * WILMA SHORE * NTOZAKE SHANGE

This unique collection of fifteen Christmas stories brings together some of the best short fiction written by American women between 1867 and 1985.  Rich and evocative, these tales touch on all the great themes of Christmas, reflecting both its joys and its regrets.  In both Louisa May Alcott's " A March Christmas" and Ntoxake Shange's "Christmas For Sassafrass, Cypress and Indigo," the loving reenactment of holiday rituals reveals the spirit of generosity shared by mothers and daughters.  And the title story, "May Your Days Be Merry And Bright" by Wilma Shore, is a painful yet hopeful portrayal of a group of lonely widows on the brink of transforming their lives.  Luminous, captivating and superbly written, the stories in this remarkable collection capture the essence of Christmas rituals and traditions.