Is it the homemade gifts, the relaxation and satisfaction of post harvest season or the jingle of sleigh bells that brings a smile to those who remember their farm country Christmases? The stories of school house pageants, "blacking" the cookstove and gatherings at Grandpa's farm bring delight not just to those who were raised in the country, but also to those who wish they had been.

Amy Rost-Holtz has collected a delicious mixture of stories, and shares them with us, like the treasured stack of library books one author delighted in as a child each Christmas. The authors keeping company among glorious photographs and artwork depicting the quaint country life are a varied lot, including: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garrison Keillor, L.M. Montgomery, Bob Artley and many more.

We come away from this title, having shared their memories, and the memories of their characters. This is comforting and enlightening. As one author told us, our memories become mingled with images of memories shared by others. So that, while the youngest child could not remember the Christmases before she was born, she can imagine them quite clearly from the stories her siblings tell every year. So too, then, can those who did not grow up on the farm, imagine the Christmases down the lane, through the stories told here. In this way, we share the heartwarming moments, the touching sentiments, and the excited joy at hearing sleigh bells jingle.

Oh, the aromas of roasting fowl and candied yams, the sticky fingers of candy cane lickers, the delight in a single treasured gift, the sorrow of illness at Christmas. The authors represented here are masters at the craft of writing. Ms. Rost-Holtz introduces us to each, before presenting their stories, through detailed biographies, though short in nature, that are much appreciated. At the start of each chapter Ms. Rost-Holtz makes introduction to the topic, be it "Traditions" or "Going Home." We are enticed to continue on this journey through her companionable speech and appropriate quotes of other authors.