A Memory of Christmas Tea [Hardcover]

Tom Hegg (Author), Warren Hanson (Illustrator)

Book Description

On a lonely Christmas a nephew remembers his beloved great-aunt and realizes the value of her legacy, a message of advice revealing the true spirit of the season.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tom Hegg is a husband, father, grandfather, teacher, actor and writer. He has touched countless lives with his New York Times bestselling title, A Cup of Christmas Tea, and his series of books about PEEF The Christmas Bear. Tom is a drama teacher at Breck School in Minneapolis where he holds the rank of Master Teacher. He trained at Carnegie Mellon and performed for many magical seasons at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Tom and his wife Peggy live in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Author and illustrator, public speaker and musician, Warren Hanson has his name on several currently available books, including two he wrote and illustrated: The Next Place (1997; over 250,000 sold); Older Love (1999; nearly 20,000 sold); and six that he illustrated: A Cup of Christmas Tea (1982; 1.5 million sold); A Memory of Christmas Tea (1999; over 110,000 sold); Mark of the Maker (1991; over 50,000 sold); PEEF The Christmas Bear (1995; 240,000 sold); A Silent Night for PEEF (1998; 65,000 sold); Reading With Dad (2000; 12,000 sold).

On his business card, right under Warren Hanson’s name, it says “illustrator, author, amateur.” As an amateur, he goes back to the word’s Latin root, which means “someone who does something purely for the love of doing it. “ Warren Hanson love what he does. And it shows.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Waldman House Press; F edition (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0931674395
• ISBN-13: 978-0931674396
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #473,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hegg and Hanson revisit an old friend., October 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Memory of Christmas Tea (Hardcover)

Tom Hegg seems quite unashamed to be sentimental. Revisiting the themes of his first book, A Cup of Christmas Tea, Hegg again gently chides his reader to remember the important things in life; taking the time to take time for others is central to his work. As always with Hegg's work, this is not a poem for the cynical, or indeed for those whose poetry must be "deep". It is straightforward, and unabashedly honest. Hegg revisits his narrator's great aunt, and the message she taught him many years before, but does so in such a way that avoids being sugary sweet. Her influence, gentle but firm, prompts the narrator to make time to find Christmas within, and share a cup of Christmas Tea with "someone"...we never know who, and it doesn't really matter. If you are a fan of Hegg and Hanson's work, you will love A Memory of Christmas Tea. If you're new to this pair, read A Cup of Christmas Tea first. The echoes in words, and in Hanson's nuanced illustrations of the first book make the sequel all the richer.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ahh, a Cup of Christmas Tea, December 26, 2006

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Memory of Christmas Tea (Hardcover)

(The two books have been combined and are available in audiobook)

A Memory of Christmas Tea is the long-awaited sequel to the beloved bestseller, A Cup of Christmas Tea, written 25 years ago.

In A Cup of Christmas Tea, the man had to go visit an old aunt--and tried to get out of it. Many of us can identify with that. But once there, their time together was precious.

"...I didn't know that this would be our final cup of tea, I only knew that my Great Aunt was listening to me."

Now years later, the nephew tells us that his old Great Aunt always believed in him, and listened to him talk about his life. Before she died, she made him promise her something, but he writes:

"My life was an emergency, a crisis, and a race, with problems running after me and at me at a place that only was accelerating as the years flew by. So if I couldn't stop for tea, I had my reasons why."

His promise to his aunt was that every year he would take time to invite someone in for Christmas tea, served out of her beautiful Christmas tea set she willed to him.

The book has some reminiscing about the good times, big family gatherings of when he (and I) was young, but the message for today is to take that time to do something special for someone else, to have that cup of tea.

Warren Hanson's wonderful illustrations match the first book. The teaming up of Hegg and Hanson has provided many wonderful books as they complement each other so well.

This book would be a nice addition to those special books you bring out when you need to be reminded about those who have gone before us--and the role they played in our life--at holidays or all year long.

Armchair Interviews says: Raise a cup of tea to another special Christmas story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poetry, October 24, 2008

By 

Mehitobel Sars "elder" (Diamondhead, MS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Memory of Christmas Tea (Hardcover)

'Cup of Christmas Tea' and 'A Memory of Christmas Tea' (Unabridged) I love these books. I have both of these and have given several as gifts. This one will be a gift, also. It arrived promptly and was in excellent condition.