Kirsten's Surprise: A Christmas Story

American Girl: Kirsten #3

by Janet Beeler Shaw

Kirsten and her family will be celebrating their first Christmas in America. Kirsten wants to keep some of their old Swedish traditions alive in the new country, so she secretly plans a Saint Lucia celebration. But everything depends on a trip to town with Papa, and he's too busy to leave the farm. At last they go--and get caught in a terrible blizzard. It's up to Kirsten to keep herself and Papa safe through the night. When she finally gets home, the candles in the little cabin glow with a special holiday warmth.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Christmas, Fiction, Middle Grade, Historical, Juvenile

62 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeez Louise. I didn't have cry-while-reading-an-American-girl-book on my bingo card.

*ahem*

"Papa often stroked his beard and pointed to the geese flying south.
'A very hard winter's on the way,' he said."

Winter is nearly here and Kirsten is feeling anxious. There's so much to do to prepare for winter on Uncle Olav's farm that everyone is always working.

Kirsten knows she should focus on the important things - like family - but she can't help but to wish after her family's trunks. When they came over from Sweden, her family packed all of their most important things in that trunk but whenever Kirsten asks after the trunks, her mother replies:

"People are more important than things."

Kirsten knows this is true...but the trunk has all of the family's winter clothes along with precious keepsakes, like her mother's candlesticks, her brother's whistle, and Kirsten's most treasured item: a little doll named Sari.

Kirsten also worries about the upcoming holidays.

"She'd hoped this first Christmas in America would be just like Christmas in Sweden. How could it, if they didn't have Saint Lucia's Day?"

Kirsten and her cousins soon come up with a plan to at least keep some of the Swedish traditions alive...but it requires the family's trunks. And no matter how much Kirsten begs, she can't convince her papa to travel the ten miles to Maryville.

"Now Papa scowled. 'Don't ask me again or I'll be angry.' "

How can Kirsten convince her papa that she needs those trunks? And what would happen to the family traditions if she can't get them?

Ohhhh, Nelly. This was definitely a five-star one for me.

This series is so gosh-darn well-written - Kirsten's struggle to find her place in the new world felt so heart-achingly real.

Janet Shaw does such an amazing job of painting a picture for the readers. The world building and character development is impressive considering how short this book is.

I won't spoil it but wow. The ending really got to me. There's something about fathers and daughters struggling against the world that really gets my tears flowing.

[Shannara · Rating 4 out of 5]

How adorable. I liked this one, but I’m not sure if it’s because I read the other two recently, but I’m not quite as into this one as I have been the first two. Kirsten is still our curious and brave main character and her friends are still sweet and all, I was just not loving this.

I did enjoy Kirsten’s practically harrowing journey to grab the trunks, but it was pretty short considering. So I do still recommend this, just not as much as the first two. Hopefully as I finish reading the series I won’t get bored with it!!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My oldest really enjoys pioneer and farm life stories and he really enjoyed this. There's a lot of excitement and bravery with the blizzard chapters so, even though the doll element didn't really resonate for him, he thought the book was great. We've read the first several Little House books (I kept thinking of Pa and the oyster crackers as I read this book!) and we also recently read The Golden Name Day (about a Swedish immigrant farming family, though a few decades later than Kirsten's time--highly recommend it if you can get your hands on a copy) and his eyes lit up with the Swedish connection. I definitely recommend this book to those looking for a pioneer story of courage and adventure, as well as a sweet Christmas story--I think it can stand alone, you don't need to read the series or be an American Girl fan to appreciate it. (Though, boy, did this take me back to my childhood and wishing I had an American Girl doll!)

Speaking of belongings, the conversation between Kirsten and her mother about how important (or not) it was to take the time to fetch the trunk (filled with their belongings from Sweden) from town really resonated with me; her mother says that people are more important than things (very true!) but Kirsten responds that things can connect us with people (also true!) I feel so "old-fashioned" in these days of minimalism and latest-and-greatest but there's just something about picking up the rolling pin my grandmother used, or seeing my son rock in the child's rocking chair that my great-grandfather made that is deeply meaningful to me. I could relate to Kirsten and her mother's joy at unpacking the trunk and feeling some of Sweden and their dear friends and family had come into their home--I felt a little of that when we unpacked after moving to another state, I can only imagine how much more profound it would be when leaving a country and knowing you would never again see the people you left behind.

The illustrations are lovely, and I appreciated the brief back matter telling more about Christmas customs on the frontier in 1854. I know I would have wanted to be Saint Lucia if I'd read this when I was a girl!

[kezzie ʚ♡ɞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

✩ 5 stars
~
my great grandma’s parents immigrated from sweden so as a kid i always thought of her as kirsten

[Olde American Spirit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one!

Kirsten's tenaciousness was impressive. But the star of the show on this one was good ol' horse, Blackie. He deserved a major treat and rubdown after all of that!







✨📚☕💙☕📚✨More in-depth reviews on my Youtube Wrap Up videos.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kirsten was a brave pioneer girl who brought Christmas to her family. And for that, slay.

[Sarah Opgenorth · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite things is how Sibbie will look at my face at any crescendo in a story to see if I am crying yet. The last chapter in this story unexpectedly made me cry! I mean honestly Kirsten shows strength and courage and they make it home from the blizzard alive and then get to celebrate Christmas in their special Swedish way.

Am I going to fulfill all of my millennial mom dreams and dress my girls up as Saint Lucia on December 13 after re-reading this book? Absolutely, yes, duh!

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not crying, you're crying!! Okay...I am totally crying. When Kirsten and Papa get home and they open up the trunk with all their most precious possessions from Sweden- waterworks. I absolutely adored these books as a kid and rereading them as an adult is so wonderful and nostalgic <3 I love the illustrations, I love that each book builds on themes from the last and references past events. I just love them okay? And as a doll collector I am freaking obsessed with how the outfits and accessories are taken directly from the stories.

[Morgan's Endless Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely the best Kirsten book so far! For once, her stubbornness and impulsiveness actually turned out for the better!

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember loving this story as a child. There was excitement and Christmas and a surprise planned. I enjoyed learning about St. Lucia day. It was just as much fun rereading it now that I am so much older. The interactions between Kirsten and her cousins and their desire to make their plan work, made me smile as that’s how I would have been. And the ending is sweet.

[Renn · Rating 5 out of 5]

CW: survival

[Evelyn McCallum · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mom read this to me. Kirsten’s dad twisted his ankle so she had to help the horse go. She couldn’t even talk because her lips were so cold. They went to a cliff and they saw a little cave and they went to go inside it. Her other brothers and her mother went to save them. They got home in the end. She be’d Saint Lucy.

[Shoshanah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Making our way through the Kirsten books, we’ve now finished Kirsten’s Surprise.

In my mind I feel like I’ve mixed up parts of this book and the Little House books in my mind. Not too surprising though since there are so many similarities between the two.

It’s been so much fun to read these together. Out of all of Kirsten’s books it’s hard to pick a favorite, but I’ll let you know if that changes once we’ve read through them all!

5/5

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was always one of my favorites. I had never heard of St. Lucia's day as a child and I always thought Kirsten looked utterly radiant on the cover. It was so nice and comforting to revisit this heart-warming Christmas story.

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saint Lucia day sounds magical

[RaspberryRoses · Rating 5 out of 5]

An iconic book for a reason. This was so much fun to read around the holiday season. I do think it's wild that Papa was so against getting the trunk back earlier, though - you've got all your warm clothing in there! You need that! Come on.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a nice story that helps children to learn but other cultures and the people who immigrated to the United States. It's a good story for a second through four grade reader. It's a great story for parents to read with their children. Get the kids of the electronics and read with them.

[Marisa Maloney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second series of American Girl doll books I’m doing with Amelia. We started with the Christmas book and it was so great. You follow Kirsten whose family has just moved to MN from Sweden. It definitely felt similar to Laura Ingalls books.
Excited to read this series.

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

{March 2025 Reread}

the St. Lucia fit will always be iconic but sadly this series is not really it

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rereading as an adult, here's what stands out:

The first scene, between Kirsten and her mother is so touching, especially as they reflect on people and places they'll never see again. After Happy Birthday, Kirsten and a little math, it becomes even more poignant. It's not mentioned in this book, but Mama would be pregnant at this point. I imagine she might be thinking that this baby may never see Sweden, or meet the loved ones they left behind there. Don't mind me, there's something in my eye.

But amid all the emotional connections Kirsten is drawing, she also says, Hey won't we need all our heavy quilts and warm clothes this winter? That point gets lost as they begin to reminisce, but it seems EXTREMELY relevant. Didn't we just say that Papa thinks this winter will be colder than what they were used to in Sweden? Without an inventory of what they have on hand and what Aunt Inger could loan them, it's hard to say for sure, but seems like this should be a high priority well beyond Kirsten's doll and Saint Lucia outfit. Maybe pull Lars out of school for a bit to speed up the farm work if you need to? (Also, how did Uncle Olav manage alone before now, when it's such a stretch for the two of them together?)

And then of course Kirsten goes straight to Papa with "there are things Mama and I need." Lol, that is NOT what your mother just said. Kids are kids everywhere, forever.

Lisbeth says "I was just a baby when Mama left [Sweden]" - I had forgotten that Olav is actually their stepfather, but we are actually told that in Meet Kirsten. AG's first step-parent is actually right here at the beginning.

Fun to see Miss Winston as a co-conspirator here.

While I don't love the pestering, I do like that Kirsten is level headed and capable the the teeth of the blizzard.

Here's the first instance of Kirsten's friendship with Singing Bird becoming Chekhov's plot convenience. While it's a very clever callback to the previous book, I don't love that Kirsten doesn't tell Papa about Singing Bird at this point. We are literally watching white people replace Native people in this landscape while also writing them out of the narrative.

This one is a very economical little book. Everything ties into retrieving the trunks and recognizing the changes between this year and last. I love, love, love the ending - their homecoming and the Saint Lucia surprise. Everyone's together and happy and it's all beautiful.


More Kirsten babble

Meet Kirsten | Kirsten Learns a Lesson | Kirsten’s Surprise | Happy Birthday, Kirsten | Kirsten Saves the Day | Changes for Kirsten

Kirsten on the Trail | Kirsten and the New Girl | Kirsten Snowbound! | Kirsten and the Chippewa | Kirsten’s Promise | Kirsten’s Short Story Collection

The Runaway Friend

[Charlotte&#x1faf6; · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about Saint Lucia’s day, and the story was cute, but Kirsten acted like a spoiled 5 year old! I know the characters are supposed to be nine, but they usually act a lot older, so this caught me off guard and it was kinda annoying.

[Heather Mayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dear favorite book of mine from childhood and I thought it would be fun to read one of Kristen's books along with each season. I have very special memories of dressing up as St. Lucia for my family when I was 9 because I loved reading about this fun Christmas tradition. Even though it is January, since it's the last day of my holiday break, I thought reading this beloved childhood book would be a great way to wrap up my holidays.

Update: Loved reading this book again! I was to tired last night to read it in St. Lucia's Day, but read it this morning by the Christmas tree while it was still dark and no one else was awake yet. So cozy and so many memories. At Meijer Gardens yesterday the girls saw a St. Lucia candle wreath and tried it on and it was fun explaining the tradition to them. Soon I'll share this story with them. I love Christmas traditions and this book is one of them.

[Yuliana Gallardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book because it was about a girl that was maybe my age and she had to overcome lots of challenges. It was about a girl named Kristen and she used to live in Sweden but she moved and where she went they didn't celebrate Saint Lucia. So she told her cousins that didn't live there how they celebrate it and when and she has to go really far for a trunk for her white gown and then they all celebrate it. I recommend this book to girls because it's a book of American Girl Dolls and that could happen to someone where they move to another country and they don't celebrate their favorite holiday and you can bring it back and make it more popular.

[Stasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Christmas, it is a tradition that I read every American Girl Christmas story. Kirsten's is one of my very favorites. I think Christmas on the prairie would have been a lonely affair, unless you made your own season magic, and this book brings that across so beautifully. Blending old and new traditions...and of course, the illustrations (in colored pencil!!!) just make this book.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading each chapter with my kids leading up to Christmas. Because we're so far from anything familiar, my kids related to her story and found comfort that Kirsten was able to hold onto a family tradition even though everything else felt different during the Christmas season. It spurred us into an excellent discussion about how our Christmas would look the same/different and the importance of light in other cultural celebrations during Christmas. Reading about Kirsten's hardships, although fictional, gave our family some perspective about the hard things we face, and how grateful we are for the technology that makes those things feel easier.
I DIDN’T love the part of the story when she kept her friend a secret from her dad. We heavily discourage secrets in our family, so that led to its own discussion.
Otherwise, this was a very sweet story that I hope we read again next year.

[Alenka of Bohemia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Storytime: As a little girl in a newly born Czech Republic I had no idea of the "American Girls". But my mum started to teach English and once among the promotional materials, there was a package and inside three paper dolls with lots of dresses and other things to be cut out and to play with. They were Kirsten, Samantha and Molly. And I spent literal hours playing with those paper dolls. Kirsten was my favourite. Only as an adult, I found out what a phenomenon the "American Girls" was and that there was a whole merchandise around them. And I have managed to snag a few of the books. This is the first one I read. And I loved it. It is going straight to my nostalgia drawer, to be with my paper dolls.

[Mary T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I love the Kirsten books! She was my favorite of the American Girls, and I dressed up as St Lucia once as a kid. Now as an adult, I dressed up for St Lucia Day, so I read this book to my oldest two to explain the tradition a bit more. I even read the historical notes in the back (I always skipped those as a kid).

[Rachel Moyes]

Kirsten pesters her dad a LOT even though shes knows he's going to get mad. Could never be me.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always loved reading about St. Lucia.

[halle · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books taught me more about countries around the world than my actual American public school education