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The Christmas Letters Lee Smith Books

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The Christmas Letters Lee Smith Books

For the most part I liked this book. It's the story of one family told through three generations of Christmas Letters (well, two really, the third generation only writes one letter). Now, it was very difficult for me to get past the feeling of...'why is all this stuff being written in x-mas letters, shouldn't the family have already known about all this stuff? Wouldn't you tell your family these things as they happen?'.

I know it was necessary to include these things in order for the reader to understand everything that's gone on in the family over the years, but it was very distracting. This said, I think this book would have been much better if it were formatted as a regular novel, not in Christmas letters. I believe it would have been a very interesting read.

But regardless, the story itself was good. It kept me turning the pages. I really enjoyed the second to last letter, where Mary (the second generation) sends out the REAL Christmas letter, not the superficial one that everyone gets saying all is peachy-keen and life couldn't be more perfect, blah, blah, blah. This letter tells us the 'good stuff'. I recommend this book as a very quick little Christmas read. It'll help you get into the Christmas spirit.


Tags : Amazon.com: The Christmas Letters (0019628723765): Lee Smith: Books,Lee Smith,The Christmas Letters,Algonquin Books,156512376X,Literary,Christmas stories,Epistolary fiction,FICTION Literary,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction-Literary,GENERAL,General Adult,LiteratureClassics,Literature: Classics,Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945),POPULAR AMERICAN FICTION,United States

The Christmas Letters Lee Smith Books Reviews

I reread this every year at Christmas! The story of a family through 3 generations. It’s the top story AND the whole story!
This is such a "real" insight into Christmas letters. They(proper Christmas letters, that is) tell all the good stuff that does not reflect the writer's true feelings. The letters in the book follow a family of 3 generations starting with what one wants all to know and celebrate their bright wonderful lives. Gradually the letters tell the whole story warts and all.

I have been an ardent fan of lee Smith for decades - and this more than lives up to my expectations of her writing. Highly recommended
Three generations of women write letters to family members and friends, usually at Christmas. The letters reflect the social conditions at the time they are writing. Birdie begins in 1944; Mary in1967, and Melanie in 1996. The writers also share recipes, which become increasingly complex. The time span covered allows mother's expectations for and understanding of their children to be reflected in the reality of the next generation.

This is not a 'gushy' Chirstimas book, but a worthwhile read, especially as you sit down to write or read this year's Christmas letters.
My first Lee Smith book and it couldn't have been more perfect. Three generations of women as seen through what they shared each year in their Christmas letters. A window into each of their lives and reminder of what is and isn't important in all the days we give away. You will find yourself in at least one of these letters!
Loved the generational changes. How quickly our lives change
in each generation. Gave me much insight between my Grandmothers growing up years, My Mom's mine,
my childrens and now my grandchildrens. Our thoughts are the same but we deal with life so differently.
What changes in our minds, traditions and mores. Not bad but sooo different. Well done.
Everything she writes tugs my heart strings. This little novella follows 3 generations of strong women through their own hard times, and draws parallels to each other. The Christmas letter is a tradition carried on by the daughter to tell what is happening In their lives and share a recipe or two. What the reader gets is a multi-color photograph of their intimate take on life and their surprise at how smart and brave their mothers were. A really good "we are women too" kind of book. Lee always makes me cry with joy. Loved it!
I will miss hearing about the lives of the women who wrote the Christmas letters in this book. I felt I had come to know them. The letters were sent to various recipients, which differed from year to year, so the content of each letter was chosen accordingly by its writer. Some items in the letters seemed to be included to remind the writer of experiences she did not want to forget.

My only complaint about this version is that the cover of the book as it appears in my carousel has NO WORDS at all. It has only an off-white linen appearance. Could I re-order this book at no charge and have it delivered to my with a cover that looks like the one pictured on this web site?
For the most part I liked this book. It's the story of one family told through three generations of Christmas Letters (well, two really, the third generation only writes one letter). Now, it was very difficult for me to get past the feeling of...'why is all this stuff being written in x-mas letters, shouldn't the family have already known about all this stuff? Wouldn't you tell your family these things as they happen?'.

I know it was necessary to include these things in order for the reader to understand everything that's gone on in the family over the years, but it was very distracting. This said, I think this book would have been much better if it were formatted as a regular novel, not in Christmas letters. I believe it would have been a very interesting read.

But regardless, the story itself was good. It kept me turning the pages. I really enjoyed the second to last letter, where Mary (the second generation) sends out the REAL Christmas letter, not the superficial one that everyone gets saying all is peachy-keen and life couldn't be more perfect, blah, blah, blah. This letter tells us the 'good stuff'. I recommend this book as a very quick little Christmas read. It'll help you get into the Christmas spirit.