Seasonal

“Marley was dead to begin with . . .”

These chillingly familiar words begin the classic Christmas tale of remorse and redemption in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Now R. William Bennett rewinds the story and focuses the spotlight on Scrooge’s miserly business partner, Jacob T. Marley, who was allowed to return as a ghost to warn Scrooge away from his ill-fated path. Why was Marley allowed to return? And why hadn’t he been given the same chance as Ebenezer Scrooge?

Or had he?

Written with a voice reminiscent of Dickens, Jacob T. Marley is a masterfully crafted story of remorse and redemption, sure to become a Christmas favorite.

Days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt met at the White House. It was Christmas Eve, 1941. As war raged throughout the world, the two leaders delivered a powerful message that still resonates today. Bestselling author and historian David McCullough relates a compelling story about the spirit of Christmas and the power of light in difficult, dangerous times. //More

Also available in paperback October 12, 2011

The New York Times bestseller Christmas Jars has sold nearly 500,000 copies. Thousands of people across the country have emailed the author at ChristmasJars.com about how the Christmas Jars tradition has touched their lives either by receiving a jar or by giving one. Hope Jensen's story continues in Christmas Jars Reunion. It s been two years since Hope was reunited with her biological mother on Christmas Eve at Chuck s Chicken n Biscuits. Hope has never felt more complete. She s writing full- time for a family magazine and, with the help of her mother, Marianne, leading the Christmas Jars Ministry out of Chuck s quirky restaurant. To top it off, she s dating a marketing executive in a comfortable long- distance relationship. Her life is right where she wants it to be a state of orga – nized chaos as another Christmas rolls around. Then her world changes forever over Thanks – giving weekend. The Maxwells hire a nephew to take over the family furniture restoration business. Someone that Hope can t stop thinking about. Then an out- of- town stranger shows up at the diner asking to help in the ministry a stranger whose motives are yet unclear. Before the sun sets on Christmas Day, two men will try to change Hope s life forever. In the process, Hope will be reminded of the immense power of a single jar, and the healing that sometimes comes only with forgiveness.

Where had it come from? Whose money was it? Was I to spend it? Save it? Pass it on to someone more needy? Above all else, why was I chosen? Certainly there were others, countless others, more needy than me…

Newspaper reporter Hope Jensen uncovers the remarkable secret behind the "Christmas Jars", glass jars filled with coins and bills anonymously left for people in need. But along the way, Hope discovers much more than the origin of the jars. When some unexpected news sets off a chain reaction of kindness, Hope's greatest Christmas Eve wish comes true.

Penny Paisley and her family have a special Christmas tradition. All year long they collect their loose change and drop it in a glass jar on the kitchen counter. Then, each December, Penny and her family make their most exciting decision of the year: Who will receive the Paisley Family Christmas Jar? This yea, Penny gets to choose what to do with the jar, and she has something special in mind. // More

Do you think Santa's the only one who can give us the gifts we want?" said Mr. Finnegan.
"Santa's presents simply remind us of a much greater gift, a gift inside ourselves." He lifted the fragile wooden chest by its recently repaired handle and placed it in a wagon.
"What's that old thing?" Maggie asked sourly // More

During the winter of 1917, all of Russia had fallen into dark and tumultuous times as the reign of the Czars came to a bitter and violent end. But in a small Siberian village famous for producing the finest bells in the world, the townspeople made their usual preparations for a Christmas tradition that went back many generations. For eight-year-old Anya and her widowed father, this Christmas had special significance. This Christmas, Anya was one of the girls chosen from the village to ring in Christmas morn with her very own Christmas bell.

This beautiful illustrated story underscores the true reason for celebrating Christ's birth. First presented at the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's 2005 Christmas concerts by acclaimed British actress, Claire Bloom. A CD and DVD version of the original presentation, featuring the music of Alfred Reed preformed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square, is included with the book.

Mary and Joseph weren’t the only ones turned away from the inn at Bethlehem. In this new Nativity story, a widower named Micah travels the crowded road to return to the town of his birth. Just in front of him a young woman, heavy with child, rides on the back of a donkey. Her husband leads the way, walking slowly to make the ride smoother.

Every so often the young woman turns toward Micah, offering gentle words of encouragement as he hobbles along behind them. And each time they stop for water, she makes sure that her husband offers Micah a sip.

When they arrive at Bethlehem, Micah and the young couple go their separate ways. Micah wearily wanders the streets for shelter, a place to eat, and some way to fill his loneliness. Although he doesn’t receive what he wants, he does receive what he needs—a warm quilt, a loaf of bread, and in the end, an invitation to come inside a small stable.

Book includes a music CD featuring 5 Christmas songs by Hilary Weeks!

December 1914 was grim for the thousands of soldiers who had dug into the frozen trenches on either side of Flanders Field. What lay between them in the early months of the First Great War was a field of sorrow—No Man's Land—littered with barbed wire and decaying corpses.

But somehow, amidst the fear and anger, a miracle occurred. As Christmas Day approached, the weapons of war fell silent, men ventured out of the trenches, gifts were exchanged, and the sober duty of remembering the dead was commenced. For two days, the spirit of Christmas filled the air, and a remarkable "Christmas Truce" brightened spirits. When night fell, and that memorable Christmas slipped into the past, one last sound broke the silence: a chorus, from either side, singing, in native tongue, "Silent Night."

Nearly a century later, this remarkable story was retold by Walter Cronkite and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square to thousands of concertgoers at their annual Christmas concert. Silent Night, Holy Night is a commemoration of that presentation. Beautiful illustrations from award-winning illustrator Robert T. Barrett are accompanied by the text of the evening's program—a story you can read aloud or listen along with—and a CD that includes Walter Cronkite's incomparable narration of the story and the Choir's stirring rendition of "Silent Night."

I'm the innkeeper's wife. My name is Hannah. Come with me. My husband says you can stay the night in our stable. It is a little way from the inn, but I think you will be all right there.

Joseph looked at Mary and waited. "Yes, Joseph. We can't stay here."

Suddenly her face tightened and she reached for Joseph's hand. She put down her head down and all she said was "Oh!"

That was all I needed. I saw instantly that her husband, though he would have defended her at that moment with his very life, could not help her. His wife was in labor.

This original and stirring fictional account of the Christmas story introduces readers to Hannah, the innkeeper's wife. The author takes a deeper look at what could have been as she allows us to view the Nativity through the eyes of the supposed midwife to Mary. Readers travel back with Hannah to the day when Mary and Joseph came to Bethlehem and forward to the miraculous account of when shepherds came and witnessed of angels.