Cole Family Christmas review and giveaway
Written by valmg on October 12, 2008 – 2:35 pm
Thanks to the Family Review Network I received the opportunity to review Cole Family Christmas, a book based on a family story passed down through the generations. Hazel Cole Kendle, now 88, was one of nine children in a poor coal miner’s family living in the Appalachians in the 1920s. Ms. Kendle coauthored the book with her granddaughter in law Jennifer Liu Bryan in an effort to encourage people everywhere to share their stories and record their family history.
From the website: “Cole Family Christmas is a delightful story about a coal-mining family of eleven in the Appalachian Mountains who learns that love and togetherness far surpass material things. It’s a story similar to the O’Henry’s Gift of the Magi in which one’s most prized possession take on a new meaning when you give them away.”
The Cole Family was a simple, poor family that lived in a small house in a coal mining town in Kentucky. Papa Cole worked in a coal mine. The family lives in a small house with very few possessions. As a rare treat the children each pick the one thing they’d like most from the Sears catalog. A heavy snowstorm that keeps Papa from getting home also prevents deliveries from getting made so none of the gifts arrive in time for Christmas. That Christmas morning the children receive unexpected gifts and are grateful. The story of that day was passed down through family history not only as a memory but an example of the true meaning of family, compassion and Christmas.
Published by Next Chapter Press, The Cole Family Christmas is a hardcover book with lovely colorful illustrations. It contains 9 chapters and 74 pages. The printing in the book is in a nice sized font and the language is easy to understand. The actual writing in the book is so personal that the reader feels almost as if it is their own family memory that is being described. The book is suitable for reading by people of all ages, from grandchild to grandparent. It would make a great book for a family to read together during the holiday season. Reading aloud is a great way to spend quality time together, promote reading, share stories, make memories and start or carry on traditions.
I’ve always thought that your family makes you who you are, and that you can learn a lot from people’s memories, traditions and family stories. As a person from a small family that only seems to get smaller I’ve often wished that my family was bigger and that there were more stories from past generations. I find myself telling my son TJ stories from my childhood so he can learn more about our past and our family.
My parents didn’t have a lot of money but they always tried to make sure we enjoyed Christmas. I’m in my forties and I distinctly remember the fun of looking through the Sears Wish Book when it arrived each fall. That catalog is what we based our Christmas wish list on. Part of the fun in making the wish list was all of us sitting together at the kitchen table spending time with each other. I now enjoy spending time with my kids sitting at the kitchen table looking through toy catalogs, not only because I want to learn what they want but also because I enjoy learning how they, and their interests, are changing. In a way looking through toy catalogs has become a family tradition for my family.
Cole Family Christmas is available to purchase online for $17.95. Next Chapter Press will contribute a percentage of the net proceeds from the sale of Cole Family Christmas to the Berea College Appalachian Fund, which supports organizations working to improve the health, education and general welfare of people living in the Appalachian Mountains and surrounding areas.
I have one copy of Cole Family Christmas to giveaway. To enter please leave a comment on this post sharing one of your family traditions or stories. Contest ends Sunday 10/19/08 at 11:59 pm est. US addresses only please. Only comments containing the requested information will be eligible. Good luck to everyone!
THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.
Carla Pullum
October 12th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
The day after Thanksgiving we have a Christmas Tree and Decorations putting up Party! We Love it!!!! It’s our family tradition!! Each ornament is put on the tree with the stroy told by the person putting it on the tree!
Janelle
October 12th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Every year before Christmas my parents put out our cherished “Night Before Christmas” puzzle and we work on and off as a family to put it together. Usually it gets finished by the time Christmas arrives.
Renee Simmons
October 12th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Thank you so much for this opportunity! Our tradition has always been decorating the tree on Thanksgiving Day as a family. EVERY ornament has a reason or meaning (gift, something the kids are into, personalized, ornaments from childhood etc).
micaela6955 (Michele P.)
October 12th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
We celebrate our multicultural heritage with tamales and turkey on Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Rebecca C
October 13th, 2008 at 12:20 am
Every year we all snuggle up on the couch and watch a Christmas Story while we string popcorn.
Betsy
October 13th, 2008 at 8:12 am
This movie looks great!
We watch Christmas Vacation every year before Christmas. It is always too funny!
reeva
October 13th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Each year at Christmas Eve we sit as a family and eat homemade donuts and teacakes and ask/answer “what if” questions. It’s a great family time.
Sandra Jensen
October 13th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
We cook special dishes that were made by relatives long passed. We remember them and tell our children about our memories of them.
Katy Lin
October 13th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
My dad and I faithfully get up on Thanksgiving Day to watch the Macy’s parade. Then, on the day after Thanksgiving, my family goes to town decorating the house. Without fail every year we take a break in the afternoon to enjoy “Christmas Eve on Sesame Street.”
Carol M
October 13th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
On Christmas Eve we have an open house for family, friends and neighbors. Christmas day is for family. It’s so much fun to watch the children (my daughter has seven) open their presents!
mittens0831 AT aol DOT com
Cecilia
October 13th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
We spend Christmas eve with my family but find time during the day to bake cookies for Santa. Breakfast morning, we open presents and eat goat cheese strata. Yummmm!
Thank you!
Cecilia
Shelly
October 13th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I am from Australia where everyone leaves Santa beer and fruitcake, and the ’stocking’ is a pillowcase on the end of the bed
Katrina
October 13th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
We attend tons of family get togethers and church programs and travel to different houses on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
We play what one family calls “Chinese” Christmas, another calls it “White Elephant Gift Exchange” They have similar rules but “chinese” christmas uses new gifts and “white elephant” uses new or used. We draw numbers and the first person goes - picks a gift. 2nd person can pick a new gift or take the gift of 1st person. If they take 1st persons gift, 1st person picks a new gift. We generally have a rule that the 3rd owner of any gift gets to keep it. It gets tense sometimes because several people want the same gift and sometimes work together to get it. It is funny at times when the person and the gift do not match at all - Like if a big tough guy mechanic or logger gets a frilly spa set or the most feminine woman there gets a tool set. We love it and buy up gifts through out the year since they don’t have to be something specific. Just a nice gift or we “regift” things that were given to us or that we don’t want anymore.
Fun - kinda silly …
Janet F
October 13th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
We celebrate Christmas Eve with a dinner of assorted Seafood dishes.
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
Jennifer
October 13th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Every Christmas eve, we go to my parents house…just my mom, dad, me, my sister and our families. We play Christmas music and my dad and mom cook a great steak and shrimp dinner with all the trimmings and a yummy dessert. Then we open the presents from each other! It’s my favorite part of the Christmas holiday (as far as the family part of it!!)
Jenna
October 13th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
We love the True Christmas Story from the Bible the most! One of our traditions is having “Christmas Morning Rolls” (aka: monkey bread) on Christmas morning. Yum!
Thomas Semesky
October 14th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
The arguing over how the Christmas tree should be setup and decorated. Good times! Good times! :o)
Vickie Couturier
October 14th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
As I get older the traditions mean so much more to me,we have some Christmas presents on CHristmas eve,but then Santa comes on Christmas morning,still to this day,even though my kids are grown,an now its the grandkids its still the same,my kids are doing what I started an what my parents did for us,my grandaughter would love that book,thanks
crystal christman
October 14th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
GREAT FAMILY MOVIE
Keeling
October 14th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
I always let my kids decorate cookies at christmastime. It’s fun for me too!
Bridget
October 15th, 2008 at 12:33 am
My children each get a brand new pair of P.J.’s Christmas Eve and love to wear them down Christmas morning.
Noreen
October 15th, 2008 at 2:31 am
kids always get to open one gift xmas eve (I think this was to keep us busy while the grownup talked and talked)
Vicki Wurgler
October 15th, 2008 at 11:45 am
we always watch Christmas Story while we decorate the tree
Julie Donahue
October 15th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
The patriarch of the family (currently my husband’s dad) reads the Christmas story from Luke 2.
nicolerenae@gmail.com
October 16th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
When ABC starts playing the Christmas specials, we pop some popcorn and watch all the traditional shows together: Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph, etc.
Mary @ Adventures in Mommyland
October 16th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
We always put up our Christmas Tree together the day after Thanksgiving, and never go shopping on ‘Black Friday’. Too stressful. Great giveaway, thanks!
sandy
October 17th, 2008 at 2:15 am
we watch a christmas story together, and make ornaments together mrs.mommyyatgmail.com
Peggy Gorman
October 18th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
I have a huge party with tons of food,I like to cook a prime rib,open presents and everyone having a wonderful time.
xmas day is for visiting the family members and then I go to my Moms to hold another party there.She is homebound so I have everyone stop for a xmas meal
Timothy Sternberg
October 19th, 2008 at 4:10 am
Thank you so much for this opportunity!
Mamamoose
October 19th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Our family tradition is to have red and green pancakes on Christmas eve for dinner!
Thanks for the chance to win!
Tina
October 19th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Every Christmas Eve we open one present (always pajamas!) We know what we are getting, but it is so much fun:)