Stories by Firefly! : 12 Days of Christmas // Short Story Recs {pt.1}

Saturday, December 15, 2018

12 Days of Christmas // Short Story Recs {pt.1}

Welcome back to day two, dear readers!

How did the first day of the party go for all of you? Although I didn't get around to commenting on many posts (yet!), it went off without many last-minute slip-ups.

Today I'm sharing five of my favorite Christmas short stories. I'll be doing two other similar posts further into the party. :)

The Christmas Robe by Jennifer Lamont Leo

Christmas, 1926
Marjorie Corrigan, a weary sales clerk at Chicago’s elegant department store, Marshall Field & Company, mentally escapes the crush of holiday shoppers by daydreaming about her upcoming wedding. She spots the perfect item for her trousseau—a luxurious crimson velvet robe that she simply has to have. But when the robe proves too rich for her pocketbook, she resorts to desperate measures—a move that unleashes startling consequences. This inspirational short story is a Christmas treat that will warm your heart.

A short story with a heart-tugging message. Having read and adored You're the Cream in My Coffee by this author, I grinned when I found this short story on Goodreads.

Finding Christmas Joy by Amanda Tero

Melonie Brown just wants to get away from all of the pain and heartache that this year has brought upon her, and Starlight Lodge seems like the perfect place to do so. With no plans beyond a Christmas escape, she drives out to the lodge. Can she bottle up the peace and joy that she finds in this special place to help her face the challenges she may have in the upcoming year?

Finding Christmas Joy is a sweet salvation story, written through the eyes of a young woman with a broken heart. Her struggles over finding purpose and joy in her life were dear and delicately shown.

First Christmas in America by Rebekah A. Morris

Klara Ivanski arrives from the Old Country with her Papa, Mama and ten brothers and sisters. “All vill be vell,” Papa assures them, but Mama and several of her brothers and sisters must remain at their aunt and uncle’s because of sickness. With barely enough money for food, Klara is quick to assure her papa that they only need Mama and the other to make Christmas special. But will the family be together for their first Christmas in America?

A sweet story of a Polish (I think?) family's first Christmas after leaving the Old Country. I lost track of all the kids a time or two, but the family relations were so cute.

One December Night by Melissa Tagg

Librarian Pennilynn Baxter likes life the way she likes her bookshelves—neat and tidy, arranged just so. Niggling doubts aside, getting engaged to the nice man she’s been dating for two years is the obvious next step, right?

But on the snowy evening of the expected proposal, Penn discovers someone’s been squatting in the old Victorian house she inherited from her grandparents. She finds herself back in picturesque Whisper Shore, Michigan, facing off with an intruder named Will who may not be what he seems.

As charming as the house he’s taken over, Will pushes past the reserve that has kept Penn from living the brave life she craves. And one December night in the house she used to love in the town she used to adore changes everything.

Oh gracious, this was so adorable. <3 This cute little story made me want to drink hot cocoa and read books in a drafty old house.

Christmas Quilts by Rebekah A. Morris

Memories. Gifts. And so much more.When her beloved grandmother suffers a heart attack, Olivia pours her love, fear, and grief into a new quilting project, rekindling the passion they once shared. But only through a very special Christmas does she come to see the true significance of her gifts . . . and the legacy they carry.

This story was so much more than I expected it to be—in a really, really good way. Starting out, I wasn't sure what to think, but I ended up loving the complete wrap-around of the special quilts.