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A Rare Nativity (32 pages) by Sam Besson
We have all heard the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, and we have all seen the traditional Christmas crèche. Now, author Sam Beeson and photographers Nina and Terral Cochran combine these two classic Christmas icons to create A Rare Nativity.
Upon reading the first lines of the book, it is clear the narrator holds a bitter grudge as he sends his enemy crude and discarded gifts: On the first night of Christmas I gave my enemy a briar from a tanglewood tree. On the second night of Christmas I gave my enemy two rotten eggs.
Night after night the gifts pile up shards of glass, rusty nails, gnarled twigs, and more. What the narrator s enemy decides to do with each of these odious gifts is nothing less than a Christmas miracle. The photographic creation of the rare nativity at the end of the book is both a work of art and a wonder to behold.
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My Review
There’s a saying I’m sure you’re familiar with, “Good things come in small packages.”
It’s a perfect description for this book.
The story is short, written as a poem, with pictures of each item this man sent to his enemy.
For the twelve days of Christmas he sent what seemed to be junk.
What his enemy did with the junk is something we wish we would have done.
Once I finished this book, I wanted to be kinder. To turn the other cheek. To let go of petty anger and grudges. To be better.
It only took me a few minutes to read A Rare Nativity.
The message stayed with me much longer.
4 Stars
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About the Author
Sam Beeson gives himself annual writing assignments. In 2005, he wrote a poem a day. In 2007, he wrote about his wife every day. In 2015, each day he wrote a handwritten letter to someone new. Sam teaches high school English and loves reading the journals of his ancestors.
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Great review. Makes me want to find out what’s inside.
sherry @ fundinmental
What a clever story, with a powerful message.
The author sure gives himself some challenging assignments. I bet he’s a great English teacher!
Laura, this very short story sounds like it was very big on the message! And the idea of the pictures as well as the poem-style of the narration really appeals to me! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Sounds interesting.