Rediscover the magic of Christmas with this timeless treasury of classic holiday tales. Open these pages and you’ll be welcomed back into the glow of cherished memories—crackling fires, familiar laughter, and the unshakable feeling of being surrounded by those you love. Each story captures the true spirit of the season: generosity, wonder, forgiveness, and the quiet joys that make Christmas unforgettable.
Joe Wheeler, a master collector of holiday literature, devoted years to gathering these gems from around the world. With the discerning eye of a seasoned English professor and the tender heart of someone raised on fireside storytelling, Wheeler has assembled a collection that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly new.
In Christmas in My Heart, beloved classics by Pearl S. Buck, Madeleine L’Engle, Taylor Caldwell, O. Henry, and many others sit side-by-side with hidden treasures from the golden age of Christmas storytelling. The result is a luminous anthology that captures every shade of the season—from quiet acts of kindness to miraculous moments of hope.
Whether read aloud to family or savored alone in a quiet corner, these stories quickly become part of your holiday tradition. They delight, they move, they surprise—and they remind us why Christmas continues to hold such power over our imaginations and our hearts.
Give this collection as a heartfelt gift, or treat yourself to a book you’ll return to year after year. Once opened, it’s impossible to put down—and impossible to imagine Christmas without it.
Editorial Review(s)
"This is Wheeler's third collection of emotionally cathartic Christmas stories culled from thousands of potential "candidates." The anthology is an attempt to rediscover the family values inherent in this Christ-centered holy day. Preceded by saccharine and superfluous introductions, the 16 selections range from the ubiquitous "Gift of the Magi" through works by respected writers such as Pearl Buck, Taylor Caldwell, and Madeleine L'Engle to lesser-known and anonymous authors. The stories range from the poignancy of a mother's periodic "Jubilee" vacation away from her family through a teary-eyed twist on a Christmas pageant to the trauma of a homeless, pregnant teenager seeking refuge at holiday time. In its own way, each portrays God's intervention during the dark times. Author David Grayson intimates that the kindness of Christmas is too grand to take in all at once; he prefers his Christmas kindness spread throughout the year. That's also a great prescription for consuming these sensitive holiday morsels." —Patricia Hassler, Booklist
About the Author
Joe Wheeler, Ph.D., chaired the English Department at Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, Maryland, before he retired in 1996 and moved with his wife to Conifer, Colorado. A Senior Fellow for Cultural Studies at the Center for the New West in Denver, Colorado, and Executive Director of Zane Grey's West Society, he has edited and published Zane Grey's West. In addition to the popular Christmas in My Heart volumes, his other publications include Remote Controlled and View at Your Own Risk.
