An authentic and nostalgic collection of true stories about Christmas, exploring our sometimes-complicated relationship with the holiday season. For many, Christmas is a time of cheer and cherished customs, but for some it can also bring hardship and hopelessness. Christmas traditions awaken memories of childhood innocence and wonderment even as they stir heartache about people and places that once figured in our lives. In A Wondrous Gift: Bittersweet Stories of Christmas Past, author Laurie Stanley-Blackwell shares deeply felt stories—part imagination, part memory, part reflection—exploring our sometimes-complicated relationship with the holiday season. Featuring tender black-and-white spot illustrations by Karen Keddy, Stanley-Blackwell's insights about love and loss will bring laughter and tears as readers relive their own Christmases past.