From the Author
This favorite Christmas tale has been retold many times over the years, but not all of the retellings have done justice to O. Henry's remarkable combination of wit, sentiment, and magic. In my retelling, I have worked hard to remain faithful to the original classic while contributing the emotional "punch" of rhythm, rhyme, and condensation--the hallmarks of poetry.
From the Inside Flap
A dollar eighty-seven. That was all: the whole, the lot.
A heart full of love, and a purse full of pennies--and Christmas just hours away. That was the dilemma of O. Henry's famous heroine on a long-ago Christmas Eve. How could she possibly show her husband the depth of her love? With so little to spend, what gift could ever be worthy?
Her cheeks were pale, but now her face
Betrayed a kind of glee.
She raised a hand to touch her hair
And let it tumble free.
Here is the classic Christmas story in a graceful rhyming version, perfect for reading aloud in the holiday season.
Share it with someone you love this Christmas.
