Customer Reviews

The Miracle of St. Nicholas (Golden Key Books)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We just purchased this book to give to our son on St. Nicholas day. It is a beautiful book, the pictures were originally painted using egg tempra (the paint which is traditionally used for iconic art). It gives a glimpse of Russian history, as a Babushka tells her grandson (Alexi) how soldiers closed the churches in Russia and Christians hid their religion. St. Nicholas, the name of the church in town, had been closed and empty for many years. Alexi takes it upon himself to clean up the church, chasing out the mice and sweeping away the cobwebs in the hopes of celebrating Christmas there this year. However, the church is missing the altar cloth, candles, cross, icon of St. Nicholas, and a priest. On Christmas day one by one, villagers who unbeknownst to the rest of the village had hid various items from the church during the persecutions brought them back to the church. The biggest surprise is when Alexi's friend, the town's old cobbler, enters the church in his priestly robes and reveals that he was the town priest, in hiding all these years. "The miracle of saint nicholas" is not about a miracle in the strictest sense of the word, but it is a wonderful story of the faith of a little boy.

As other reviewers have recounted, it is difficult to read this book without shedding tears. It's a marvelous story of a Russian village's return to church. The story is sweet without being cloying, the historical context is spot on (yes, Communists destroy churches, kill priests, and imprison believers), and the iconographic illustrations are nearly divine.

But--the author betrays on one page an unfortunate ignorance about Orthodox Christian worship, especially in traditional Orthodox cultures such as Russia. She has the people waiting patiently in the church for something to happen, and they are SITTING, and then the priest appears, walking down the AISLE.

There are no pews in an Orthodox church hewing to the traditional mode of worship, as would no doubt be the case in Russia.

Still, the book is wonderful and worth getting and giving for Christmas.

Being a Russian Orthodox Christian and also first-generation born American, it was very touching to me. I loved it. It made me cry. A story of sadness that turns into great joy. Beautiful artwork!!!

Our family has read this book countless times, often at our children's request. The frustrating part is that both parents have yet to make it through the book without shedding tears! A touching book based on real-life experiences of people throughout the former Soviet Union, in a format eminently suitable for young children. Highly recommended.

After reading the customer reviews, I ordered this book, which came, unfortunately, too late for either Western or Orthodox Christmas. But that doesn't mean it is NOT going to have primacy of place NEXT year!

The truth of the Bolshevik/Communist revolution, their COMPLETE dedication to the utter eradication of the Orthodox, Christian, Caucasian culture of Imperial Russia, is given in this book. (It is historical fact that the vast majority of the early Bolsheviks were 'ethnic foreigners' in Mother Russia; see Wilton's 'Last Days of the Romanovs' for a contemporary account.) This truth is clearly, beautifully laid out in the pictures of this book, which astoundingly can do what a GOOD work of children's literature always does- teach TRUTH.

Moreover, the miracle of a town utterly bowed down before the antichrist agenda of seventy years of Communist rule, springing to new life, is THE most joyous moment in the story. The miracle of the Incarnation in Bethlehem, is made manifest in the miracle of the 're-incarnation' of Christ within the hearts and souls of these simple Russian folk in the village, who can once again, 'worship God aright.' This book is SO much more than just a 'nice story'- it is a parable, a beacon for future generations, that the Church must 'never forget' that those who tried to kill Christ (either then, or nowadays in recent memory), can never succeed at their task, for indeed, "He is risen!" And lives within his faithful people always.

Marvellous book and illustration. It explains poignantly the truth of where "Santa Clause" originated. It is no tale. Saint Nicholas was a real ordinary man who became a great priest of God and Saint by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well for the glory of God.

Young Alexi helps the people of his village come together to pull off a Christmas miracle in their small, deserted church. Beautiful illustrations and a heartwarming story you will want to share time and again with your family.

Hello my name is . This book is one of my favorite books to read over and over. It's about a boy that will open a church that was not opened for sixty years. And the pictures look like they were hand painted by the author. When I read the book for the first time it seemed like a true happening.

Hi! My name is Jacqueline Whelan. This book is a great holiday time picture book for all ages. The illustrations are wonderful, and each book appears to be had painted! A touching story, very well written.Jacqueline Whelan:-)