A Timeless Christmas: A Giftable Collection of Classic Christmas Stories and Seasonal Poetry

by Louisa May Alcott, L. Frank Baum, O. Henry

Delight in the most wonderful time of the year with a collection of heartwarming and heartfelt Christmas classics in this beautiful, giftable Christmas collection. In this beautifully packaged anthology, discover lesser-known and tender stories and poems from classic authors you know and love. Each selection honors the spirit of the season and celebrates the beauty, mystery, and joy found this time of year. From O. Henry’s iconic story “The Gift of the Magi” to L. Frank Baum’s quaint and clever history of Santa Claus and his reindeer, the stories gathered in A Timeless Christmas honor the yuletide tales and traditions passed down through generations. Christina Rossetti’s beautiful poetry, L. M. Montgomery’s charming short stories, and many other classic works will bring warmth to the fireside this season and remind us all that Christmas is a time for joy. With additional pieces from Louisa May Alcott, George MacDonald, and more, A Timeless Christmas will become a cherished keepsake for friends and family to enjoy this year and for years to come—a reminder that the heart of the holiday never changes.

Genres: Christmas, Classics, Poetry, Short Stories, Holiday, Anthologies, Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

Published October 13, 2020

About the author

Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known for writing the novel Little Women (1868) and its sequels Good Wives (1869), Little Men (1871) and Jo's Boys (1886). Raised in New England by her transcendentalist parents, Abigail May Alcott and Amos Bronson Alcott, she grew up among many well-known intellectuals of the day, including Margaret Fuller, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Alcott's family suffered from financial difficulties, and while she worked to help support the family from an early age, she also sought an outlet in writing. She began to receive critical success for her writing in the 1860s. Early in her career, she sometimes used pen names such as A.M. Barnard, under which she wrote lurid short stories and sensation novels for adults that focused on passion and revenge.
Published in 1868, Little Women is set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts, and is loosely based on Alcott's childhood experiences with her three sisters, Abigail May Alcott Nieriker, Elizabeth Sewall Alcott, and Anna Bronson Alcott Pratt. The novel was well-received at the time and is still popular today among both children and adults. It has been adapted for stage plays, films, and television many times.
Alcott was an abolitionist and a feminist and remained unmarried throughout her life. She also spent her life active in reform movements such as temperance and women's suffrage. She died from a stroke in Boston on March 6, 1888, just two days after her father's death.

Reviews

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have such a soft spot for classic Christmas stories. There’s something about Christmas time that makes me yearn for the nostalgic and wholesome. I want stories that remind me of the true meaning of Christmas, of the birth of Jesus and the importance of giving to others, even if you have little to give. I want stories that remind me of a simpler, less digitally connected time. This collection, along with the others in the series, absolutely delivers.

Included in this particular installment are stories from L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, and Elizabeth Harrison, as well as a handful of poems. The highlights are O. Henry’s classic The Gift of the Magi and L. Frank Baum’s The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. While I had read many of these, including The Gift of the Magi more times than I can remember, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus was wholly new to me. It was a very interesting, unique take on Santa’s origin and how certain Christmas traditions came to be.

I enjoyed my time with this book, and I think all three of the books in this series are ones that I’ll reread every year or two.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book - Selection is a bit hit or miss. 3 stars
Narration - Did not like the narrator for "Gift of the Magi" and "Life & Adventures." 1 star

CONTENTS

STORIES & SKETCHES
O. Henry
"The Gift of the Magi"

L.M. Montgomery
"The Joseph's Christmas"
"The Osbornes' Christmas"

Elizabeth Harrison
"Little Gretchen and the Wooden Shoe"
"The Legend of the Christ Child: A Story for Christmas Eve"

L. Frank Baum
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus

Louisa May Alcott
"A Christmas Turkey, and How It Came"
"What the Bells Saw and Said"

POEMS
Christina Rossetti
"Epiphany"
"The Shepherds Had an Angel"

Nahum Tate
"While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night"

William Cullen Bryant
"The Star of Bethlehem"
"Christmas in 1875"

Margaret Deland
"The Christmas Silence"

George MacDonald
"Mary's Song"

[Maygon Brack · Rating 5 out of 5]

12-10-25 My second time reading this and feel the same way about these books!! I love my new tradition of reading these every year!

12-19-24 I’m copying my review from the first book I read of this collection because it really fits all 3 of these books!! I loved all of them and even though I like some stories & poems more than others in each individual book I’m still rating it 5 stars because the book as a whole and the stories & poems that I loved most made each book great!! Copied review below…
Perfect Christmas classics!! These books are a perfect addition to my Christmas book collection that I know I will reread over the years!!
It’s a mixture of short stories and poems. I liked some better than others in each book, but that could easily change over the years with different stories or poems resonating differently at different stages of life.
This collection is classic and timeless and I know I will reread them over the course of my lifetime.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Staci · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. There were some stories that were fantastic, but others (including the longest story) were not enjoyable to me. I think this is why I've never liked short story collections by more than one author.

[Piscesbambina]

A good bedtime read that gives the coziest of old timey vibes. Light a candle, grab a hot beverage, and snuggle into the covers.

[Rashae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely read. I enjoyed every story and poem and found the Santa origin story really fun too. It was a perfect cozy, Christmas book.

[Jennifer Irons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the stories very much, but could have done without the poems since I am not a fan of poetry! Otherwise, it was a great book!

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful stories and poems. Really enjoyed it.

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of Classic Christmas stories. I plan on purchasing the other two books in the series.

[J.B. Mathias · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main draw for me and the centerpiece of the collection of stories was also it's longest story The Life And Adventures of Santa Claus By L. Frank Baum. A Santa origin story written by the same guy who brought us the Wizard Of Oz. It was quaint but had just the right blend of real world practicality and fantasy magic, it's my new favourite origin story for santa claus. My only complaint is that I wish there were more of it. It would be nice if rather than simply explaining and detailing his origin and the origin of the santa centric Christmas traditions there were additional adventures...more backstories and more time spent as the full fledged santa archetype he becomes.

I didn't really care for the one Alcott story about the spirits of the bells, was far too preachy and not even preachy about Christmas or Jesus it was entirely political. She extols the virtues of sending young men to kill and die in wars as being good and generous and in keeping with Christian values. She sanctimoniously criticizes Christians for not helping a dying little girl that nobody knows about as though they were consciously making a decision to not help her and through the metaphor implies the chiming of the church bells should have been enough to get her help. She goes on a bunch of little rants about the different sects of Christianity including a pretty long catholic rant. making the story more about her picking fights with specific churches.

In fact it seems to me to read like the roots of heretical americanist faux christianity, where they try to merge faith with government...but government being higher and more important. She actually says she believes that a free nation needs a wide religion to bring in as many people as possible...which to me is an admittance that her goal is political not religious and that religion is just a tool for her worldview. Whenever someone points the finger outward at all of humanity but leaves themselves out of it it reads as pretentious and holier than thou. Reading this story makes me think I would really dislike the author as a person a lot. I'm actually going to refuse to read any more Louisa May Alcott books after this one. I've had my fill of unitarian transcendentalist nonsense. This story individually I'd give 1 star absolutely hated it thankfully it was short and the only story in the collection I hated.

If you are put off by the notion of poems being included I should note there are only a few poems, they are all short and are all at the end of the book so don't let it dissuade you if poetry isn't your thing.

The rest of the little stories and poems were enjoyable but mediocre, a nice rather quick Christmas read. Overall I really enjoyed it.

[Katie Cat Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas. Classics. Collection.

Story: This is a collection of Christmas stories and poems.

Language: Featuring authors writing in the 1800's and 1900's including Louisa May Alcott and L.Frank Baum. Most stories are short aside from L.Frank Baum's.

Characters: Husbands, wives, daughters, sons, sisters, brothers and Santa Claus.

A great festive read during the holiday season. Yes, they are all public domain, but it's nice to read them in a physical collection. Some I'd read before, others were new to me. As the title says, timeless indeed.

[Meaghan O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection provides the proper aesthetic for a classic Victorian era Christmas. The stories in the beginning were my favourite while the ones near the end were not. I will say the most jarring is L Frank Baum's story. Most of the stories are 20 pages at most while Baum's is approximately 200. It's very jarring

[Labyrns · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Hit and miss stories, largely 19th c. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum took over the majority of the book. Fanciful and humorous with somewhat dark images but not nearly as memorable as his The Wizard of Oz which I assume was written later.

[Tacia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed most of this collection. The largest addition however, doesn't fit with the over arching focus of the others; to honor Christ and the true reason for Christmas.

Many others were charming. Finding Nahum Tates poem, While Shepherd's Watch Their Flocks By Night, was a highlight.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed about 30 minutes of this - the story by Louisa May Alcott and a few of the poems. The rest was a little bit of a beating. I’m sure they were great when they were written, but I just wasn’t a fan.

[Annah]

Another enjoyable collection — Louisa May Alcott always writes wonderful sibling dynamics. “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry was the standout short story for me, and Christina Rossetti’s poetry reminded me a tad of my own!

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of classic Christmas stories and poems that revolve around joy, festivity, and being kind towards all; for you never know what anyone is facing.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received this as a Christmas present from my parents. It's a wonderful collection of stories and poems with the theme of Christmas throughout. I loved the poetry, and my children loved the story by Louisa May Alcott. An excellent addition to our "Christmas Library" -- thanks Mom and Dad!

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice collection of Christmas stories!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of the stories in this collection although I do wish that the longest story would have been slightly shorter.

[Stephanie Miceli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartwarming collection of Christmas stories of days gone by.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute, but I am sad I did not like it more. I liked the poems the best.100% clean 12 and up.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I waited a long time to read this book and was so excited. Not my favorite.