A Country Christmas by Bonnie Lou Risby

 

Summary (from the publisher): Francy wants this Christmas to be the most special holiday ever. But with jobs and money scarce, it doesn't look like her family will be able to afford any gifts or decorations. "Even Santa is poor this year," her parents explain. Then Francy's mother comes up with an idea to earn some money for Christmas. The whole family pulls together and works 'round the clock. But will the plan work?

Review: Set in rural Missouri sometime around the Depression, this book focuses on the Ponder family and their seven young children at home. Times are tough. Their father works away during the week logging lumber and their mother works around the clock on paid sewing jobs from home. Francy wants Christmas to be special for her family but knows it will be difficult because of their financial concerns.

My third-grade teacher gave every student in the class a copy of this early chapter book for Christmas, and I kept it. This year I read it aloud with my two young daughters. It has a great message about focusing on those you love and being grateful for what you do have. Francy is a sweet girl who is plagued by her much older half-sister's bratty children. But she never wavers from being steadfast in her devotion to her family and doing the right thing. 

I loved the historical setting of this novel. It reminds me a lot of the American Girl books or The Little House on the Prairie series. I found the scene where the family decorates their Christmas tree with strings of popcorn and beautiful handsewn ornaments particularly moving. This book really shows that it is the simple things in life that mean the most. 

I did think parts of this narrative were confusing. There are a lot of characters. In addition to the seven siblings at home, Francy's father had a wife that died and much older children, who are married with children of their own. My daughters were sometimes confused trying to keep everyone straight. The narrative also abruptly jumps in time from the end of one chapter to the beginning of another, which was somewhat jarring. But otherwise, a great early historical fiction novel for young readers that I was happy to revisit from my childhood. 

Stars: 3