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Lucy
Lucy's Christmas
A Christmas story from years past, drawn from the author's own family history, tells of an era when gifts were mostly handmade, and the arrival of a new stove from the Sears Catalog is a significant event. Reprint.
40 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1994
About the author
Donald Hall
188 books201 followersDonald Hall was considered one of the major American poets of his generation.
His poetry explores the longing for a more bucolic past and reflects the poet’s abiding reverence for nature. Although Hall gained early success with his first collection, Exiles and Marriages (1955), his later poetry is generally regarded as the best of his career. Often compared favorably with such writers as James Dickey, Robert Bly, and James Wright, Hall used simple, direct language to evoke surrealistic imagery. In addition to his poetry, Hall built a respected body of prose that includes essays, short fiction, plays, and children’s books. Hall, who lived on the New Hampshire farm he visited in summers as a boy, was also noted for the anthologies he has edited and is a popular teacher, speaker, and reader of his own poems.
Born in 1928, Hall grew up in Hamden, Connecticut. The Hall household was marked by a volatile father and a mother who was “steadier, maybe with more access to depths because there was less continual surface,” as Hall explained in an essay for Contemporary Authors Autobiography Series (CAAS). “To her I owe my fires, to my father my tears. I owe them both for their reading.” By age twelve, Hall had discovered the poet and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe: “I read Poe and my life changed,” he remarked in CAAS. Another strong influence in Hall’s early years was his maternal great-grandfather’s farm in New Hampshire, where he spent many summers. Decades later, he bought the same farm and settled there as a full-time writer and poet.
Hall attended Philips Exeter Academy and had his first poem published at age 16. He was a participant at the prestigious Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference, where he met Robert Frost, that same year. From Exeter, Hall went to Harvard University, attending class alongside Adrienne Rich, Robert Bly, Frank O’Hara, and John Ashbery; he also studied for a year with Archibald MacLeish. Hall earned a BLitt from Oxford University and won the Newdigate contest for his poem “Exile,” one of the few Americans ever to win the prize. Returning to the United States, Hall spent a year at Stanford, studying under the poet-critic Yvor Winters, before returning to Harvard to join the prestigious Society of Fellows. It was there that Hall assembled Exiles and Marriages, a tightly-structured collection crafted in rigid rhyme and meter. In 1953, Hall also became the poetry editor of the Paris Review, a position he held until 1961. In 1957 he took a position as assistant professor of English at the University of Michigan, where he remained until 1975. While at Michigan, Hall met the young Jane Kenyon. They later married and, when Hall’s grandmother, who owned Eagle Pond Farm, passed away, bought the farm, left teaching, and moved there together. The collections Kicking the Leaves (1978) and The Happy Man (1986) reflect Hall’s happiness at his return to the family farm, a place rich with memories and links to his past. Many of the poems explore and celebrate the continuity between generations. The Happy Man won the Lenore Marshall/Nation Prize. Hall’s next book, The One Day (1988), won the National Book Critics Circle Award. A long poem that meditates on the on-set of old age, The One Day, like much of Hall’s early work, takes shape under formal pressure: composed of 110 stanzas, split over three sections, its final sections are written in blank verse. The critic Frederick Pollack praised the book as possibly “the last masterpiece of American Modernism. Any poet who seeks to surpass this genre should study it; any reader who has lost interest in contemporary poetry should read it.” Old and New Poems (1990) contains several traditional poems from earlier collections, as well as more innovative verses not previously published. “Baseball,” included in The Museum of Clear Ideas (1993), is the poet’s ode to the great American pastime and is structured around t
His poetry explores the longing for a more bucolic past and reflects the poet’s abiding reverence for nature. Although Hall gained early success with his first collection, Exiles and Marriages (1955), his later poetry is generally regarded as the best of his career. Often compared favorably with such writers as James Dickey, Robert Bly, and James Wright, Hall used simple, direct language to evoke surrealistic imagery. In addition to his poetry, Hall built a respected body of prose that includes essays, short fiction, plays, and children’s books. Hall, who lived on the New Hampshire farm he visited in summers as a boy, was also noted for the anthologies he has edited and is a popular teacher, speaker, and reader of his own poems.
Born in 1928, Hall grew up in Hamden, Connecticut. The Hall household was marked by a volatile father and a mother who was “steadier, maybe with more access to depths because there was less continual surface,” as Hall explained in an essay for Contemporary Authors Autobiography Series (CAAS). “To her I owe my fires, to my father my tears. I owe them both for their reading.” By age twelve, Hall had discovered the poet and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe: “I read Poe and my life changed,” he remarked in CAAS. Another strong influence in Hall’s early years was his maternal great-grandfather’s farm in New Hampshire, where he spent many summers. Decades later, he bought the same farm and settled there as a full-time writer and poet.
Hall attended Philips Exeter Academy and had his first poem published at age 16. He was a participant at the prestigious Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference, where he met Robert Frost, that same year. From Exeter, Hall went to Harvard University, attending class alongside Adrienne Rich, Robert Bly, Frank O’Hara, and John Ashbery; he also studied for a year with Archibald MacLeish. Hall earned a BLitt from Oxford University and won the Newdigate contest for his poem “Exile,” one of the few Americans ever to win the prize. Returning to the United States, Hall spent a year at Stanford, studying under the poet-critic Yvor Winters, before returning to Harvard to join the prestigious Society of Fellows. It was there that Hall assembled Exiles and Marriages, a tightly-structured collection crafted in rigid rhyme and meter. In 1953, Hall also became the poetry editor of the Paris Review, a position he held until 1961. In 1957 he took a position as assistant professor of English at the University of Michigan, where he remained until 1975. While at Michigan, Hall met the young Jane Kenyon. They later married and, when Hall’s grandmother, who owned Eagle Pond Farm, passed away, bought the farm, left teaching, and moved there together. The collections Kicking the Leaves (1978) and The Happy Man (1986) reflect Hall’s happiness at his return to the family farm, a place rich with memories and links to his past. Many of the poems explore and celebrate the continuity between generations. The Happy Man won the Lenore Marshall/Nation Prize. Hall’s next book, The One Day (1988), won the National Book Critics Circle Award. A long poem that meditates on the on-set of old age, The One Day, like much of Hall’s early work, takes shape under formal pressure: composed of 110 stanzas, split over three sections, its final sections are written in blank verse. The critic Frederick Pollack praised the book as possibly “the last masterpiece of American Modernism. Any poet who seeks to surpass this genre should study it; any reader who has lost interest in contemporary poetry should read it.” Old and New Poems (1990) contains several traditional poems from earlier collections, as well as more innovative verses not previously published. “Baseball,” included in The Museum of Clear Ideas (1993), is the poet’s ode to the great American pastime and is structured around t
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 10, 2018
Lucy's Christmas tells the story of a young girl preparing for Christmas. Although this happened over a hundred years ago and I suspect we are meant to observe that Christmas was different then, to us it didn't seem much different to preparing for Christmas now. We make lots of presents, cook and grow our own food, and many people where we live still cook on a stove, but I suspect if you don't do this, this book will have added appeal. We found we were marvelling how life hasn't changed much. I almost gave this two stars because I found the illustrations ranging from unappealing to plain scary, many of the faces are creepy, all the poses are like wooden dolls, and the colours are inappropriate for the era, for example one girl has bright blue boots, a yellow skirt, bright cerise pink coat, with lime green stripey scarf, they just wouldn't have worn those sorts of colours 100 yrs ago. I think I read they are woodcuts? But they look as though they have been coloured over. The scenery and horse and sleigh are good, but this illustrator struggled with people, which is a shame because the book is full of them, so overall 2.5 stars.
July 2, 2018
The poet and essayist Donald Hall died this past week in his family home in New Hampshire. In spite of temperatures in the high nineties I ordered a few of his books I didn't own, including this one that I had read when I was young. The Lucy of the title is Hall's mother, who described many times (of course) to her son Donald her experience of Christmas in the home Hall was not born in, but returned to live in for decades until his own death. Illustrator Michael McCurdy also interviewed Lucy to help him with his colored scratchboard artwork when she was 90. Lots of warmth in those drawings.
The Christmas this book describes is 1909, when Lucy and her sister made most of her gifts for her family, assembled chains of bright paper and bags of popcorn and ribbon candy, opened as were other families' gifts at their church. The big family gift was a Glenwood Kitchen Range ordered from the Sears Catalogue and delivered from Chicago. Family Christmas stories! You read this aloud to kids, or your kids, and share holiday stories they can pass down as Hall has done.
The Christmas this book describes is 1909, when Lucy and her sister made most of her gifts for her family, assembled chains of bright paper and bags of popcorn and ribbon candy, opened as were other families' gifts at their church. The big family gift was a Glenwood Kitchen Range ordered from the Sears Catalogue and delivered from Chicago. Family Christmas stories! You read this aloud to kids, or your kids, and share holiday stories they can pass down as Hall has done.
January 4, 2026
Poet and children's author Donald Hall describes his mother Lucy's 1909 New Hampshire farm Christmas in this gorgeous holiday picture book featuring illustrator Michael McCurdy's detailed and appealing scratchboard artwork. Beginning to make her presents well ahead of time, for her parents, sister Caroline, and friends and cousins, Lucy also participates in her family's exciting new purchase: a brand new stove, a Glenwood Kitchen Range, ordered from the Sears Roebuck Catalog. The return to school, the progression of autumn, and the beginning of community Christmas preparations are all covered, as are the wonderful celebrations at the Danbury Christian Church, including carols, a children's pageant, and the exchange of gifts. The book closes with an author's note giving more information about the real-life Lucy and her childhood...
Published in 1994, Lucy's Christmas was the first of two picture books about young Lucy and her childhood experiences from Hall and McCurdy, followed in 1998 by Lucy's Summer . As it happens, I read that subsequent book first, being unaware that there was another, earlier one. In any case, I found this every bit as appealing as the later title, appreciating both the story and the colored scratchboard artwork, which reminded me a bit of 19th-century engraving work, and which felt admirably suited to the historical setting of the tale. Unsurprisingly, given the fact that it is based upon his mother's recollections, the narrative felt authentic, and it opened a window into another time and place in a very engaging way. Recommended to those looking for Christmas stories for children set in historical New England/New Hampshire in particular, and to those interested in picture-book historical fiction in general.
Published in 1994, Lucy's Christmas was the first of two picture books about young Lucy and her childhood experiences from Hall and McCurdy, followed in 1998 by Lucy's Summer . As it happens, I read that subsequent book first, being unaware that there was another, earlier one. In any case, I found this every bit as appealing as the later title, appreciating both the story and the colored scratchboard artwork, which reminded me a bit of 19th-century engraving work, and which felt admirably suited to the historical setting of the tale. Unsurprisingly, given the fact that it is based upon his mother's recollections, the narrative felt authentic, and it opened a window into another time and place in a very engaging way. Recommended to those looking for Christmas stories for children set in historical New England/New Hampshire in particular, and to those interested in picture-book historical fiction in general.
December 16, 2024
A lovely tale of Christmas in 1909, where a stove takes center stage. Michael McCurdy's illustrations, while not my personal style, are effective at capturing the material culture of the time and the feelings of the characters. A sweet way to preserve the unique tradition of a congregation opening gifts together at church!
December 11, 2023
My kids didn’t care for the illustrations very much, but we all thought the story was sweet. A nice picture at what an early 1900’s New England Christmas was like.
August 7, 2019
This is a Memoria Press Second Grade read aloud selection. I read it aloud to all of mine and they listened intently. The illustrations are attractive but not my favorite style. My middle daughter, the age appropriate one for the story doesn't understand the significance of such a stove, but it opened interesting discussions.
March 5, 2021
I typically don’t rate books that I read to my daughter, but this is an exception. Donald Hall really brings this time period to life, and he does this in all the children’s books of his I’ve read.
I also really appreciate that this story didn’t ever mention Santa; it was about making gifts for others and enjoying the traditions of the season.
I also really appreciate that this story didn’t ever mention Santa; it was about making gifts for others and enjoying the traditions of the season.
January 25, 2022
An turn of the century, middle class, Christmas celebration with all the trimmings. Lovingly and expertly written by the son of protagonist with intricate woodcut illustrations bringing exuberance to each scene.
January 8, 2024
I’ve long liked Hall’s The Oxcart Man so enjoyed this look at a Christmas his mother celebrated as a child in 1909. The scratch board illustrations remind me of woodcuts. My mother-in-law still has her toy stove, somewhat like the one on the story.
February 8, 2018
A very charming Christmas story with wonderful woodcut illustrations. The illustrations were quite detailed, and the story was entertaining.
January 3, 2022
Love this sweet story that incorporates fun gift-giving and Christmas season delight for children.
December 4, 2021
One of our seasonal picture books we get out every advent. A sweet book based on the stories Donald Hall heard as a child from his mother.
August 31, 2014
I enjoyed reading Lucy's Christmas by Donald Hall. Lucy's Christmas is a picture book set in 1909 in New Hampshire. In the fall of 1909, Lucy and her family start preparing for Christmas. For Lucy, this means starting to make her own gifts for her family and friends. It pays to plan ahead since so many gifts take time, and thought must be placed into each gift. She's not the only one thinking ahead. This year the family is ordering a new stove for the kitchen. The family has spent a lot of time browsing in the Sears catalog. Lucy's choice is the one the family decides upon: the Glenwood Kitchen Range. The focus is not just on gifts: planning, making, giving, receiving. The focus is also on family life and community life. Readers get glimpses of the school and church. Both places are very busy! I enjoyed this glimpse into the past! It was interesting to see the family prepare for the new year--1910. The enthusiasm in the story is sweet. The author's note reveals that this picture book is based on family history.
I really liked this one very much. I liked Lucy and her family. I liked the fact that the church plays such a HUGE role in the Christmas celebrations. There are gifts, it's true. But it's not commercialized and selfish.
I really liked this one very much. I liked Lucy and her family. I liked the fact that the church plays such a HUGE role in the Christmas celebrations. There are gifts, it's true. But it's not commercialized and selfish.
January 8, 2013
In this wonderful trubute to his mother, aunt and maternal grandparents, Donald Hall tells to story of a 1909 holiday season in New Hampshire. While the story is warm hearted, it also perhaps erroneously perpetuates our belief in the sweet innocence of times past. Despite that negative, I enjoyed the story and wonderful illustrations, and recommend it for children of all ages. This book will explain many historical facts of Christmas and life in the very early 1900s.
August 4, 2011
A sweet little story about a girl in New England at the turn of the last century and her gifts for friends and family.
August 13, 2013
A classic Christmas story set in New England with oodles of opportunities for extension activities with crafts and cooking.
January 12, 2016
Sweet, old-fashioned, New-England-y story.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews