A Little Fruitcake: A Childhood in Holidays

by David Valdes Greenwood

Ah, the sweet memories of Christmas. Gifts under the tree. Cookies for Santa. And, of course, the annual fruitcake.For young David Valdes Greenwood, the indomitable “little fruitcake” at the center of these tales, nothing is sweeter than the promise of the holidays. A modern-day Tiny Tim, he holds fast to his ideal of what Christmas should be, despite the huge odds against him: Sub-zero Maine winters. A host of eccentric relatives. And his constant foil: a frugal, God-fearing Grammy who seems determined to bring an end to all his fun. A book that’s “fa-la-la-licious” (Louisville Courier Journal) and filled with funny, charming Yuletide memories (from building a Lego® manger to hunting for the perfect Christmas tree), A Little Fruitcake will inspire even the biggest Grinches around.

Genres: Christmas, Memoir, Nonfiction, Humor, Essays

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 30, 2007

About the author

David Valdes Greenwood is the author of two memoirs, Homo Domesticus and A Little Fruitcake, and the new narrative nonfiction book The Rhinestone Sisterhood. As a playwright, his work has been staged coast to coast and in the UK. A former freelance journalist, Valdes Greenwood is best known for his Boston Globe columns.

Reviews

[Chase Hackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sweetest little collection of Christmas memories. I adored every page of this.

Can't recommend this highly enough.

c.t.h.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute little holiday vignettes from his childhood, each one covering a different year.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended for humorous and heartwarming Christmas vignettes, but when I discovered it was written by a man who grew up in Maine during the 1970s and 1980s, I was hooked. David Valdes Greenwood, his mother, and his brother moved into his grandparents' home in Norridgewock, Maine, after an early childhood in Boston and Miami's Little Havana. His grandmother is a no-nonsense, hardworking member of the Seventh Day Adventist church, a woman on the brink of retirement when her daughter and grandsons move in. David and Grammy are soon butting heads over whether a boy should have a doll, the disappointment of socks as a Christmas gift, the indignity of sitting at the kids' table, the injustice of your brother getting more fudge than you did, and the age-old battle of white tree lights vs. colored tree lights. Along the way, he also deals with the difficulty of living in the least racially diverse state in the country and the discomfort of realizing he is one of the poor receiving charity as part of the holiday tradition.

As a Mainer, I remembered and related to the joy of burrowing through snow drifts, watching the Santa Claus TV show to see if Santa read your name from his good list, and the amazing array of merchandise at LaVerdiere's Super Drug Store. Even if you're not from Maine, you will enjoy the stories of Christmas pageants, the anticipation of what might be under the tree, and the special feeling you get the first time you give gifts to loved ones. Greenwood reminds us that Christmas is about family, even when they drive you crazy.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was adorable. The author is very funny and has a lovely perspective that he shared through his childhood eyes. It is a quick read and a throw back to pre technology connected kids. Outside was just that. I loved that they jumped off the roof into the snow for fun. I could visualize all of their antics. A nice read with a lovely reflective ending.

[Amy Dee Eidson Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet stories of Christmas holidays from his childhood. I loved these vignettes, each one unique and telling of a childhood before cell phones and technology. Very hygge Christmas book and a short read!

[Mary Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is super funny.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

He’s done a good job with a difficult time of life to write about. The writing is good, the characters come alive. Very enjoyable.

[Debbie Dananberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went back and forth between a 2 a 3. IMHO, even though this was a short book, I would have preferred to have read a shorter version. I thought this should have been an article in a magazine. The book did not keep my interest and I found my mind wondering. At times i would read the same paragraphs over again. I could not understand why an entire chapter was needed on the topic of a baby doll or extra piece of fudge. On a good note, every so often, I found myself thinking of the movie A Christmas Story. And the last chapter was excellent - it was truly a perfect ending to the book. And I thought - finally it is over!

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was funny and poignant and made me appreciate my family just a little bit more.

This is a tale of a boy more enthusiastic and wide-eyed than circumstances should have allowed. His Little-Orphan-Annie can-do attitude was completely endearing and surprisingly powerful!

By telling the story as a "Childhood in Holidays," I felt like I got to grow up as Dave did, catching a glimpse of the world through his eyes.

There are several parts that made me laugh out loud, most especially the chapter about the cutting the Christmas tree in mid-air. I loved reading about snow tunnels, jumping off
roofs, and how different his Maine childhood was from mine. I admired his ease of prose and amusing turns of phrase.

I liked his gentle touch with religion, racism and burgeoning
sexuality. His oblique references to these subjects let me as the
reader fill the blanks as to what his world must have been like. The
center of his story was childhood, which is a simultaneously
universal and unique experience. I think he was successful on both
counts.

If only we could all turn our childhood joys and tribulations into something so enjoyably readable! Thanks for a good read, Dave!

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

To understand the book better, it helps to know that the author is a gay man (something the reviews don't mention). His childhood Christmas stories brought back many memories to me. Like the author, I wanted a doll and figure skates too under the tree. And like the author, my gift request was met with disapproval from family members who wanted me to have only boy things. If you grew up feeling different from the rest of the pack, this book will definitely hit home. I disagree, however, that it's "hilarious," as the description suggests. Some of the stories will bring a smile to your face and the last one maybe a tear. In the end, it's a book that captures the childhoods of "little fruitcakes" everywhere.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of short stories is a memoir of the author's childhood Christmas memories. He is gay and pretty much knew he was different from a young age. He is funny and endearing, growing up with a single mom in a low income household, and for several years they lived with his formidable Grammy. In some ways, his writing reminded me of David Sedaris's memoirs; the humor, the gay angle, but this writing has more of an innocence and sweetness, less acidic. The author is slightly younger than me, but from the same era. Despite our differences, reading this was an escape into my childhood. I will read this book every Christmas; I enjoyed it that much.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who scored an advance copy of A Little Fruitcake at the Book Expo? Oh, I did! And like Christmas cookies, you can't stop with one chapter of this lively memoir. Another book devoured in one sitting. The tone of this memoir is generally lighthearted and Greenwood's ability to poke gentle fun at himself is entertaining. A very nice conceit to recount growing up through holiday memories. Now I want him to write another book about his Halloween memories, because I'm dying to hear him recount his various costumes.

[Ashley W · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet book about growing up in rural maine, the title and cover make you think it's a Christmas book, but really it's a book about families. The author gives us 12 short stories from various Christmases from his childhood; thru them, we can see our own families - the traditions, the food, the fights, the love. Take a walk down memory lane when he drops references to The Lawrence Welk show, Sonny and Cher and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
A great little book to help get anyone in the holiday mood.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slim volume of 12 childhood holiday remembrances, some amusing, some relatable, and some touching. The author moves chronologically of Christmases past reflecting on his memories of his grandmother and grandfather, his mother, and his brother. I enjoyed reading this book, particularly the last few chapters.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book of holiday recollections from a young boy to a young teen. Most are funny (I now have that image of him doing a Nixon wave permanently in my brain, in a good way), and a few are touching (especially the last one). It's a very good way to get into the Christmas spirit since his family, just as nutty as every other family, features prominently and humorously.

[James Levesque · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very moving book that explores a childhood though Christmas experiences in Maine. David Valdes Greenwood writes funny and moving vignettes that make you appreciate family and the holidays without being sappy!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While amusing, the part I enjoyed the most is that a fellow Mainer wrote it. There were certain places that he refered to that only someone who was in Maine during the 70s and 80s would have known about.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While amusing, the part I enjoyed the most is that a fellow Mainer wrote it. There were certain places that he refered to that only someone who was in Maine during the 70s and 80s would have known about.

[Lenore · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were a child in the 70's, this amazing memoir is for you! Raised by his grandmother, his very funny(holiday) stories are wonderful.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories with humor and a dollop of gay-boy-growing-up angst. The author has an engaging writing style, and the theme of holidays works quite well to pull it all together.

[Sheri Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a great family and character study. it suffered only as compared to the david sedaris book.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read. Funny, light. The gender-bending author reminisces about Christmases growing up with his brother, mother, and grandparents.

[Gr82bprncss · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book that could of moments from his childhood.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written collection