Christmas Memories

by A.C. Greene, Geoffrey Greene (Illustrator)

“In the town where I was born and raised, everyone drove a few miles south to cut a tree. In that dry, windy country few of the cedars grew straight and full, so the major problem was to find the one least lopsided and wind-whipped.”

Thus A. C. Greene, in “The Too-Big Christmas Tree,” tells of a Christmas in the 1920s when his father cut a too-big tree and almost broke up the family. Long out-of-print and a collector’s item, this story is now coupled with “Christmas Shopping,” in which a small boy sets out with his grandmother on his first shopping trip to buy Christmas presents for the family. “My grandmother and I boarded the little four-wheel trolley on the Fair Park loop—the men who were waiting all tipping their hats and letting the women and children on first. Pretty soon we were bumping and swaying up Sayles Hill on our way to downtown.”

78 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1996

About the author

A.C. Greene (Alvin Carl Greene, Jr.) was an American writer — important in Texas literary matters as a memoirist, fiction writer, historian, poet, and influential book critic in Dallas. As a newspaper journalist, he had been a book critic and editor of the Editorial Page for the Dallas Times Herald when JKF was assassinated, which galvanized his role at the paper to help untangle and lift a demoralized city in search of its soul. Leaving full-time journalism in 1968, Greene went on to become a prolific author of books, notably on Texas lore and history. His notoriety led to stints in radio and TV as talk-show host. By the 1980s, his commentaries were being published by major media across the country. He had become a sought-after source for Texas history, antidotes, cultural perspective, facts, humor, books, and politics. When the 1984 Republican National Convention was held in Dallas, Greene granted sixty-three interviews about Texas topics to major media journalists. Greene's 1990 book, Taking Heart — which examines the experiences of the first patient in a new heart transplant center (himself) — made the New York Times Editors Choice list.

Reviews

[Deb Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shares fond memories of childhood that I hope that triggers memories for the reader, as well.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually read A Christmas Tree the meaning behind the authors memories is very sweet. He talks about his most favorite Christmas memories one where his parents nearly split up but in the end ended up being the best Christmas ever. It was written in the 60's so is nice reading it (although it's listed as a juvenile book in the library) it was nice as an adult to read about the way things used to be. Bring home memories for me.