Strike the Harp!: American Christmas Stories [Hardcover]

Owen Parry (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Best known for his suspenseful Civil War novels, Parry is carving out a new niche for himself as a spinner of holiday magic. Like his previous Christmas classic, Our Simple Gifts (2002), these five heartwarming tales are meticulously steeped in historical detail and atmosphere. Abounding in compassion and goodwill, they represent a chronological passage through the Christmas holidays of yesteryear. From the meager Christmas in a company coal town in the late nineteenth century to the lavish but essentially empty holiday spread taken for granted by a tycoon's family in 1960, these stories resonate with bittersweet warmth and humor. As always, Parry's major strength lies in his mastery of period detail and dialogue. Another charming treasure trove of Yuletide Americana. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (October 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060572361
• ISBN-13: 978-0060572365
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,558,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Again this year -- wonderful!, December 10, 2004

By 

John W. Mountcastle (Glen Allen, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strike the Harp!: American Christmas Stories (Hardcover)

Owen Parry has the rare ability to transport his readers from their armchair to the very place about which he is writing. I swear that I could smell the coal furnaces and the oil lamps, feel the wind, and the cold seeping up through my boots as I read his marvelous story of Christmas in the coalfields of Pennsylvania. He has this wonderful capacity to paint word pictures on the page that is unequaled. Read on in this collection, and I'll bet you can hear the voices of an orphans' choir as they sing "O, Tannenbaum" in a garrison town along the Rhine. Get this book for yourself to enjoy -- and several more for your family and friends. It's a wonderful, heartwarming collection.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Gem, November 20, 2004

By 

Gail Knott (Philly) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strike the Harp!: American Christmas Stories (Hardcover)

Two years after his perfect holiday gift of OUR SIMPLE GIFTS, a collection of Civil War Christmas stories, Owen Parry offers up another treasure in STRIKE THE HARP! Venturing beyond the historical period for which he is best known through his series of Civil War novels, with this new collection of Christmas tales Parry proves that he is adept at capturing the heart and soul of any era. Taking us from the late 1800s to the end of World War I, from the eve of the Great Depression and then into the grip of those desperate years, and finally to 1960, each story is a shimmering facet of a perfect gem. A gem that celebrates quiet victories of the heart wherein the strength of sorrow is harnessed to climb back into the light; that shouts with delight over the invincible spirit of the scamp; that gently eases a child along in his understanding of father and family.

Each story is complemented by an original poem and, given the lyricism of Parry's prose, it is no surprise that this superbly gifted writer has a talent for poetry also. STRIKE THE HARP! sings the soul of the Christmas season and is bound to fill you with wonder and joy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Owen Parry is the pen name for Ralph Peters, December 22, 2004

By 

thfiv "thfiv" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strike the Harp!: American Christmas Stories (Hardcover)

These are the Christmas stories that should be read and taught.