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The Christmas Trespassers
Owen Wister Award-Winning Author
DO NOT OPEN FIRE UNTIL CHRISTMAS . . .
T'was the week before Christmas and all through the ranch, not a creature was stirring--because Shad Parker would fill it full of buckshot. Embittered by the loss of his wife and children in the Civil War, Shad relocated his sorry self to Gilead, Texas, where he planted a DO NOT TRESPASS sign on his land, his heart, and his soul. Intruders, beware . . .
Enter the Coats children: three scrappy runaways from the Faith, Hope, and Charity orphanage. Austin, Pet, and Davy are hiding out in a cave on Shad's land. When the lonely rancher begrudgingly saves their lives, he's stuck taking them in. But when a gang of bank robbers show up, they're going to need a Christmas miracle--to stay alive 'til New Year's . . .
Includes three bonus Andrew J. Fenady western stories as told by the Wise Old Man of the West.
DO NOT OPEN FIRE UNTIL CHRISTMAS . . .
T'was the week before Christmas and all through the ranch, not a creature was stirring--because Shad Parker would fill it full of buckshot. Embittered by the loss of his wife and children in the Civil War, Shad relocated his sorry self to Gilead, Texas, where he planted a DO NOT TRESPASS sign on his land, his heart, and his soul. Intruders, beware . . .
Enter the Coats children: three scrappy runaways from the Faith, Hope, and Charity orphanage. Austin, Pet, and Davy are hiding out in a cave on Shad's land. When the lonely rancher begrudgingly saves their lives, he's stuck taking them in. But when a gang of bank robbers show up, they're going to need a Christmas miracle--to stay alive 'til New Year's . . .
Includes three bonus Andrew J. Fenady western stories as told by the Wise Old Man of the West.
365 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
16 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Andrew J. Fenady
27 books6 followersAndrew J. Fenady was born in Toledo, Ohio. A veteran writer and producer in Hollywood, Fenady created and produced The Rebel (1959–1961) for television, starring Nick Adams. The top-rated show lasted three seasons and the Fenady-penned theme song, “Johnny Yuma,” became a No. 1 hit for Johnny Cash. He wrote and produced the 1969 John Wayne hit Chisum and the popular TV western series Hondo and Branded. His other credits include the adaptation of Jack London’s The Sea Wolf, with Charles Bronson and Christopher Reeve, and the western feature Ride Beyond Vengeance, which starred Chuck Connors. His acclaimed western novels include Big Ike, Riders to Moon Rock, The Trespassers, The Summer of Jack London, The Range Wolf, and Destiny Made Them Brothers. Fenady presently lives in Los Angeles and has been honored with The Golden Boot Award, the Silver Spur Award, and the Owen Wister Award from the Western Writers of America for his lifetime contribution to westerns.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 4, 2018
“The Christmas Trespassers” by Andrew J. Fenady, is a nice little Christmas story. After the Civil War, Shad Parker returns home to the Shenandoah Valley to find that his wife and children did not survive the war. In deep despair and vowing not to get close to anyone again, he moves to near Gilead, Texas. He keeps to himself, is gruff with everyone he meets and is even feared by some of the townspeople.
A few weeks earlier, siblings Peg, Davy, and Austin ran away from the Faith, Hope, and Charity Orphanage in Palestine, Texas. They had traveled on foot for a far piece and were desperately tired, hungry and dirty. They had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. The finally found refuge in a cave but needed to find food. They’d been living on fish, birds, and, rabbits that they caught. Davy, as the oldest, decided to do a little foraging for food. He found Shad’s cabin and the chickens behind it. He took a couple of eggs for the three of them to eat, but Shad caught him and told them to leave his property. The children stayed in the cave for shelter, but it was getting cold and they were starving.
In town, there were three brothers up to no good, but trying to act as though they were going to settle in the town. They were really there to hold up the bank. When the robbery was committed, one of the brothers was killed and one shot. Making their getaway, they stopped at Shad’s place. During a struggle, Shad was shot. The children came to his rescue and eventually all was well, especially as it was Christmas.
I downloaded a Kindle copy of this book by Netgalley.com in return for my honest review. You can find this review on my blog at https://wp.me/p2pjIt-wj. Other reviews can be found at http://imhookedonbooks.wordpress.com.
A few weeks earlier, siblings Peg, Davy, and Austin ran away from the Faith, Hope, and Charity Orphanage in Palestine, Texas. They had traveled on foot for a far piece and were desperately tired, hungry and dirty. They had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. The finally found refuge in a cave but needed to find food. They’d been living on fish, birds, and, rabbits that they caught. Davy, as the oldest, decided to do a little foraging for food. He found Shad’s cabin and the chickens behind it. He took a couple of eggs for the three of them to eat, but Shad caught him and told them to leave his property. The children stayed in the cave for shelter, but it was getting cold and they were starving.
In town, there were three brothers up to no good, but trying to act as though they were going to settle in the town. They were really there to hold up the bank. When the robbery was committed, one of the brothers was killed and one shot. Making their getaway, they stopped at Shad’s place. During a struggle, Shad was shot. The children came to his rescue and eventually all was well, especially as it was Christmas.
I downloaded a Kindle copy of this book by Netgalley.com in return for my honest review. You can find this review on my blog at https://wp.me/p2pjIt-wj. Other reviews can be found at http://imhookedonbooks.wordpress.com.
November 21, 2018
As a western it was very good. As a Christmas story it was not so good.
November 26, 2018
This book would be better for someone who enjoys westerns. Shad lost his family in the civil war and is a bitter man who keeps to himself. 3 orphans run away and end up in a cave on his land.He refuses to help them, meanwhile a group of outlaws are trying to buy land and rob the bank.
January 2, 2023
This was a random book off the library shelf. I have never read a Western before and now, some parts were not for me, it was actually a cute story that I wanted to read!
November 3, 2023
I wasn't expecting to run into this Christmas Western but decided to give it a try. Having never read this author before, I was prepared to set the novel aside if it turned out to be, well, full of F-bombs and sex scenes, which aren't to my personal tastes. But I found the read to be pretty PG-13 or so, as it doesn't go into superfluous graphic detail about every sordid thing.
There's quite an assortment of characters and different storylines in the book, each with their own relevant enough places. But is it needless to say that Shad's side of it all, along with the children, is what gripped me the most?
I mean, Shad isn't evil, but the hard, dark nature to his character is believable. Not corny, caricatural, or like a cheap costume that a little wind of kindness or affection could blow right off of him. And the young set of siblings he's extremely displeased to meet aren't just pitiable little creatures to make for a simplistic and maudlin "we're such the orphans" tale. It's a shame the children have had to face so much, but their humanity and how they handle difficult situations makes them interesting.
How they deal with Shad makes them interesting. And there came a point when I couldn't put the book down until I finished it.
Now, off the main topic and although this isn't religious fiction: I can't not point out that while a certain character correctly quotes the biblical Ruth as saying "whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge," that character is incorrect in saying Ruth spoke those words to her husband. It was Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi, that Ruth spoke those words of devotion to.
Anyhow.
I actually read an earlier edition of The Christmas Trespassers, which originally had the title Runaways. A fitting title, that was, especially in light of the story's spot-on ending for Shad.
There's quite an assortment of characters and different storylines in the book, each with their own relevant enough places. But is it needless to say that Shad's side of it all, along with the children, is what gripped me the most?
I mean, Shad isn't evil, but the hard, dark nature to his character is believable. Not corny, caricatural, or like a cheap costume that a little wind of kindness or affection could blow right off of him. And the young set of siblings he's extremely displeased to meet aren't just pitiable little creatures to make for a simplistic and maudlin "we're such the orphans" tale. It's a shame the children have had to face so much, but their humanity and how they handle difficult situations makes them interesting.
How they deal with Shad makes them interesting. And there came a point when I couldn't put the book down until I finished it.
Now, off the main topic and although this isn't religious fiction: I can't not point out that while a certain character correctly quotes the biblical Ruth as saying "whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge," that character is incorrect in saying Ruth spoke those words to her husband. It was Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi, that Ruth spoke those words of devotion to.
Anyhow.
I actually read an earlier edition of The Christmas Trespassers, which originally had the title Runaways. A fitting title, that was, especially in light of the story's spot-on ending for Shad.
January 6, 2019
"The Christmas Trespassers" by Andrew J. Fenady is a pretty good western that takes place mostly just before Christmas. Three young orphans have escaped their orphanage and are looking for a better place to live. Shad Parker and his homestead is most certainly not that better place until trouble arrives on Christmas Eve. From the first word on the page, I could see the ending all laid out several miles away. Also, the novel didn't really feel like Christmas even though we are occasionally told that the townsfolk are preparing for the season. A workman-like effort but lacking in the spark that could have brought a decent story to life.
May 26, 2025
A fairly stereotypical Western, one which incorporates the broken hero who finds purpose fighting injustice on the frontier. Shad Parker receives unwelcome visitors on his Texas homestead, a band of outlaws. A female saloon owner fleeing her relationship with the local sheriff. If you need more cliche, a trio of orphans are squatting on the homestead as well. Thanks to these visitors, Parker has something to care about again. This book showed me that, while I may love Westerns, my tolerance for cliches has faded over time. A decent book if you can get into the spirit of it but nothing special as far as the genre goes.
May 21, 2020
This is a delightful book. Shad a man from the Shenandoah Valley that lost his wife and children in the Civil War has turned to the bottle. Three Brothers have decided to rob the local bank. Three runaways from an orphanage take residence in a cave overlooking Shad's farm. The Sheriff and the saloon owner/prostitute are in love. I could go on since the book is full of characters. This all occurs at Christmas and of course it is a Christmas story, western style.I enjoyed it tremendously.
August 27, 2018
I liked The Christmas Trespassers. I thought it was pretty good. I give it four stars and recommend it.
October 17, 2018
THis author is a pretty good writer & I would be interested in reading more of his stuff.
December 26, 2022
Nice western story, not bad cold winter night read
December 15, 2024
A Christmas story with a happy ending
September 21, 2018
This epic story about life in an small, old western town, was quite intense. The time frame is after the Civil War and all of the hardships people face trying to put their lives together or at least make a new life with the sparse remnants. There are numerous characters involved and each played an important part. There are plenty of tragedies and heartache to go around for everyone and this has more of a HFN ending. I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
November 25, 2018
A family western that will make your heart smile. Determined to never allow anyone into his life again, Shad Parker takes his broken life to Gilead, Texas to separate himself from the life he had before the Civil War. But even a hard hearted soul such as his could not leave three orphans to die. As Shad and his new family learn, life is not always under your control. The story is the ultimate Texas version of the Grinch.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews