First sentence: There are many ways to lose a child, and none of them is merciful. But like all unbearable things it can be borne, and in the weeks before Christmas 1938, the Pullmans were learning how.

Premise/plot: Zanna's Gift is a LOVELY Christmas novel. Zanna, the youngest of the Pullman family, has a special way to memorialize her older brother, Ernest, after his unexpected death at fifteen.

The best way to read Zanna's Gift is without knowing a thing about it. I promise you. I'm doing you a favor by NOT summarizing the plot and sharing what Zanna's GIFT was and how it was a gift that kept giving and giving.

My thoughts: LOVE. I loved this one absolutely and completely from start to finish. It was one of those perfectly perfect EXPERIENCES. It feels like more than just a book, a story, a fictional work. THESE CHARACTERS ARE REAL. How it hasn't been adapted into a movie if it was truly published originally in 2004 is beyond me. It would make an excellent movie.

I would recommend this one to people who aren't necessarily readers. Of course I recommend it to readers who read anything and everything. But for those who are reluctant to pick up books, please consider reading this wonderful amazing book.

If you LOVE Christmas, this is an absolute must. I could easily see it becoming a book that you feel you HAVE to read each and every year.

The following is a review clipped from a full Christmas book review list found at: https://www.wataugademocrat.com/mountaintimes/columns/in-print-for-the-holidays-16-titles-for-your-christmas-book-giving/article_4a7cd0e8-e064-5b9f-8533-d00322223382.html

‘Zanna’s Gift: A Life in Christmases’ (Blackstone Publishing) by Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card is a prolific writer from Greensboro, N.C., who was introduced on an international stage with the publication of the award-winning “Ender’s Game” and its sequels, “Ender’s Shadow” and “Speaker for the Dead” — science fiction novels that are read widely by both adults and young readers that set up moral discussions worthy of serious debate. In addition, Card writes popular fantasy, novels based on the Bible and has produced plays, scripts and poetry during his long career.

With such an output, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Card has a Christmas tale in his repertoire that incorporates much of the above. “Zanna’s Gift: A Life in Christmases” is a beautifully produce, small volume from Blackstone Publishing (https://www.blackstonepublishing.com/books) that tells a Christmas story the way only Card could write.

Set in reality but steeped in fantasy and magic, it is the latter part of the title that is most telling. Early in this novella, Card pulls us in media res with this opening: “There are many ways to lose a child, and none of them is merciful. But like all unbearable things it can borne, and in the weeks before Christmas 1938, the Pullmans were learning how.”

Such an introduction cannot be ignored, and from here Card introduces us to the unique and wonder Zanna, a very young girl fully understood only by the brother who is now the subject of the Pullmans’s grief. When he dies just before Christmas, Zanna is left with a present she had made for him — a drawing that only he could understand. Using the drawing as a touchstone for the life of the family and all of Zanna’s Christmases until she is an old lady, Card manages, in just 100 pages, to weave a story that is tender, touching and loving — all of the things a Christmas story should be.

With “Zanna’s Gift,” Card again has not only produced a story that will be read by young and old, he has given us all a Christmas present that will be cherished generationally, especially during the holidays. As a bonus, Card also includes a new afterword about the genesis of the novella in this Blackstone edition.

A wonderful Christmas story written by a talented author! This is a heartwarming story about family, loss of a loved one, family traditions, and sharing those traditions with the next generation. I loved the plot and the characters. I also liked how the story evolved throughout time and generations. I would highly recommend this book to readers that love a great, heartwarming Christmas story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is a sweet story that is a perfect read during the winter holiday season. This charming tale takes you through one girl's life as she grows into womanhood and then a wise grandmother. This reminder of family and cherishing memories is one that stirs the soul.