Our Simple Gifts: Civil War Christmas Tales

In his other persona, Owen Parry is a prominent retired army officer who writes brilliantly on national defense and strategy. It comes as a surprise, therefore, to find these gentle stories written by the same hand. This is fine historical fiction. Not only do the characters stay within their historical period - no distracting anachronisms here - but so does the writing. The stories are upbeat and completely ingenuous. They might not be cynical enough for modern tastes, so here is a test: if you enjoy A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, you will love this book. If your tastes run more toward Tim Burton's Christmas tale, you probably won't enjoy it, although you should read it anyway: it would be good for your head. No matter what your tastes, however, no one should miss the last story in the collection. It is not only the finest in the book, but a classic work which illustrates the human condition better than any other story written in the last 100 years. The protagonist is a newly freed slave who had been unspeakably abused by his "masters." Now the tide has turned, the men are dead in the war and the mistress of the house is on the verge of losing everything to the bank and about to be cast out with her retarded daughter. The simple act of Christian kindness which the slave shows toward the women brilliantly illustrates the evil of slavery and the importance of religion. This isn't Dickens; it's much much better than that.

This was a great break from the normal holiday re-runs. Best read at the end of the day in that easy chair in front the Christmas lights with a hot butter'd rum.....

For those of us who have come to appreciate and admire his series of Civil War mysteries, author Owen Parry has given us a sparkling gift this Christmas season. *Our Simple Gifts* is not another installment in the Abel Jones adventures, however, but a wonderful collection of four short Civil War-era Christmas tales. The characters are lively and the book is similar to Parry's series of novels in the rich textures and scenes it provides. Its stories offer four markedly different views of Civil War Christmases. The first is the tale of a young, wealthy Union officer determined to make it home for the holidays no matter what the weather, and his encounter with a poor Irish widow. Next is the story of a Yankee soldier, and German immigrant, in a winter encampment. Third, we look through they eyes of an exhausted Southern private returning to his home deep in the hills. And finally is the story of a freed slave family near the war's end. The subjects' circumstances couldn't be more different, but in each of the stories I think there's a common thread: the decency that dwells in most of our hearts, brought out by the spirit of the season. If that sentence seems ponderous or maudlin, don't let it dissuade you from giving this delightful book a try. Fault this reviewer, not the book. The book's stories touch a wide range of emotions, much like the Christmas season itself, but one doesn't need to search for deep meaning in these stories to appreciate *Our Simple Gifts.* The stories are enjoyable and entertaining, their laudable sentiments are near the surface, and they give the reader a nice little taste of Civil War-vintage Christmas cheer. This is a book I'll pick up again at Christmastime for many years to come. For those who haven't read any of Parry's Abel Jones mysteries, *Our Simple Gifts* will give you an idea of what you've been missing. Whether you have an interest in the Civil War, are looking for a gift with a Christmas flavor that's different and interesting, or whether you just enjoy good writing, this book will fill the bill. *Our Simple Gifts* is a wonderful little Christmas present from Owen Parry to those of us who admire and enjoy his work, and it will be a terrific introduction to many readers new to his work. I definitely plan to give copies to some of my family and friends this Christmas. What better recommendation could I offer? Merry Christmas, Owen Parry!

I do not know enough about the current state of American letters to venture an educated opinion about where Mr. Owen Parry stands in comparison to his colleagues who are writing fiction today, but this slim volume of poetic prose is such good stuff that any author would be proud to have written it. I'm a writer too, so I'm cursed to know good writing when I see it, but I also know that no matter how hard I might try, I'll never be up to Mr. Parry's level. Well, that puts me into very good company with many so-called best-selling scribblers. These simple stories, told by a master, wonderfully evoke the joy of humanity at its best, and yet Mr. Parry writes with a steel pen: Reading these stories is like coming inside from the cold to a room with a blazing fire -- they warm you through and through and you're grateful for the respite they bring your soul, but your ears sting painfully from the howling wind outside. Ladies and gentlemen, not many can write like that.

This is a lovely, beautiful book. Author Owen Parry brings his trademark prose style to the short story form, making "Our Simple Gifts" a true gift to the reader. In four beautifully-crafted tales, set during the Civil War, Parry transports readers to that turbulent era and gives us a sense of how love and faith endure the strongest trials. Through Parry's graceful, lyrical prose the reader is moved by the lives of a maimed Union officer returning home, an immigrant soldier seeking to make sense of his new homeland, a newly-freed slave and a Confederate soldier just returning from a prison camp. With powerful atmosphere, vivid characters and a compelling message, this collection is bound to be a holiday classic. Parry is an American Dickens. A gift indeed.