Description: In this delightful Christmas Chronicles tale, the first lady of Christmas herself tells the story of how she and a very brave group of people once saved a treasured holiday from being lost forever. It's 1620, and Mrs Claus' dear husband is off in the New World, planting the seeds for what will become a glorious Christmas tradition. Meanwhile, Mrs Claus has chosen to stay in England, where the first signs of a dangerous threat to Yuletide cheer are in evidence. The Puritans have gained control of Parliament and appear determined to take all the joy out of Christmas. But Mrs Claus knows that it's time for serious action when, in 1647, a law is passed by Parliament that actually punishes anyone who celebrates Christmas. Based on the actual events of a day in 1647, when ten thousand peasants marched through the streets of Canterbury demanding their right to celebrate a beloved holiday, "How Mrs Claus Saved Christmas" is rich in historical detail, adventure and plain ol' Christmas fun.
Details: First of all, you have to read The Autobiography of Santa Claus before this book. I think this book may be better. Autobiography sets the stage for this second book in the trilogy of Christmas. The first part of How Mrs. Claus starts off recapping things so I guess you could technically not read Autobiography first, but I suggest you don't. Layla Claus is left alone in England during a turbulent time of British history. King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell play a huge part in this book. I love how Jeff Guinn takes factual history and makes it another character in his story. He weaves the Puritians take over of England into them trying to cancel Christmas. The only bad things about this book is the fact that it drags in spots which would bore some children and the fact that he takes historical people such as King Arthur and Leonardo da Vinci and keeps them alive to help Santa out. I didn't enjoy that. I always thought that Santa used normal everyday people. However I'm willing to overlook this part. ;-) I would highly recommend this trilogy so far to parents to read to their children. It will instill Christmas in their hearts while teaching them some history at the same time.
Review Summary: Long winded and drawn out, boring and hard to get into
Date: 2008-12-10
Details: I was intrigued with the topic and the historical perspective of the fiction book, but it was a chore to read. I felt exhausted from the dry content and the more I read, the harder it was to maintain my interest.
Review Summary: great book from a non reader
Date: 2008-08-08
Details: I love this book. It was great to get some historical facts in with fiction. I am not an active reader and this one kept me interested to the end
Review Summary: Outstanding book! Very interesting and full of rich history!
Date: 2008-01-04
Details: I am listening to the audio version of this book and it is so rich in detail and history, Jeff Guinn paints a picture-it's like I'm there! Not just the history of Christmas but of the World, this book has politics, traditions and whimsy all rolled into one.
If you believe in the magic of Santa (and you know you do) this book is a must read.
Review Summary: Great Christmas Read
Date: 2007-07-17
Details: All of Jeff Guinn's books are centered on Santa Claus and his real life persona. The books are absolutely vivid and striking. The Autobiography of Santa Claus was the better of the first two books, but How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas was also great. The books detail real history and interwine facts of Santa Claus and his life into the historical facts. It's a great read for Christmas time and for anyone who ever believed in Santa Claus.
out of 9 Reviews
