Customer Reviews

Angels and Donkeys: Tales for Christmas and Other Times

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What a rare and precious thing - a book to inspire compassion in children and adults, without heavyhanded moralizing. Nelly Trocme Hewett and Good Books have done the world of children's literature a great service in translating Pastor Andre Trocme's one-of-a-kind stories. Words do instill courage - in the people of a French mountain village 50 years ago, and now, thanks to this lovely little book, in the hearts of people everywhere.

Mary Stucky Minnesota Public Radio Producer

This wonderful little book makes available to English-language readers the stories told by Huguenot pastor Andre Trocme in the village of Le Chambon in southern France during the dark days of rule, first by the collaborationist regime of French fascists Henri-Phillipe Petain and Pierre Laval and later directly by the German occupation regime. Trocme and his wife, Magda, both pacifists, had come to Le Chambon in 1934 from northern France where they had been ministering among industrial workers. The front page of his church paper bore this passage (from 1 John 4:20): "If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen , cannot love God whom he has not seen." In his memoirs, Trocme wrote that his faith was in the possibility of goodness on earth "without which the theoretical existence of God doesn't interest me." Trocme's role as their shepherd during Vichy and the occupation surely played a role in the rescue by the 5,000 people of that plateau of 5,000 refugees, 3,500 of them Jews. These were Christians who - like their pastor and unlike most of Europe's Christians under the Nazis - practiced what they preached. The living faith of this true disciple of Jesus shines through these Christmas stories. See Pierre Sauvage's documentary about Trocme and the people of Le Chambon. Weapons of the Spirit

A wonderful little collection of stories for anyone from eight to ninety-nine who wants to know the real truth of Christmas. Told out of the experience of the bravery of several of the folk of the Plateau Vivrai-Lignon in France during World War II, crafted by their most famous spokesman,Pastor Andre Trocme, these stories, mostly told at Christmas, combine poetry with unflinching truth. I especially appreciated the story of the elderly, misanthropic woman who, when she finally hears of the plight of the Holy Family, dismantles her own furnace and sends it, at considerable cost to her welfare, to Bethlehem.... Charm never hides the truth that prompted the stories--saving over 5000 refugees from Hitler. Still, the hope that is the point of the coming of Christ is portrayed in contemporary situations that certainly charmed me. I'm sending it to several friends, from eight to ninety-nine (pace Amazon.com)for Christmas presents.

Perfectly marvelous. The triumph of light over darkness. Christmas, the winter solstice, Chanaka, Kwanza, New Years are all celebrations of the triumph and return of light over darkness. True darkness however is not from the solar system but from the heart of darkness, from man, and in this case, from hitler. We live in a cruel world where history is the history of humans acting rather borish to one another. Light triumphs over hearts of darkness. These stories communicate the story and the triumph of Christmas in a new and fresh way to children - to adults - that will touch the soul. The story of the Birth of Jesus seen in a contrast from the rich neighbor and a poor neighbor. What would the three wise men think about looking for the King of the Jews in a donkey stall? How an old lady can give everything to god. Hear the story of Christmas as you have never heard it before, from those who lived in the valley of darkness.

As a minister, I was hoping to find some stories here that I could re-tell. Times have changed, I guess. Many of the stories seemed too long to use today. Some were boring, others dated. Only a couple seemed suited to the Christmas season (which was what I was especially looking for).

The back story on the author (a Huguenot minister in France, during WW II) is powerful. He was a faithful, inspiring, and courageous pastor. No doubt the stories he told were deeply moving to his parishioners. But IMO they are not very useful to pastors today. In themselves, they are probably not of much interest to most readers. I would much rather tell a story ABOUT the author, than a story BY the author. Angels and Donkeys: Tales for Christmas and Other Times.

This is a book full of beautiful stories that will help you to see the Biblical story of Christ's birth in a new way. The writing is beautiful and the the stories provide a very different look at the characters of the Biblical narrative.