Esther's Gift: A Mitford Christmas Story

by Jan Karon

A wholesome holiday story by the author of The Mitford Snowmen finds Esther Bolick considering not giving her expensive holiday cakes to friends that have disappointed her, before a Christmas carol reminds her of the meaning of gift giving. 500,000 first printing.

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Short Stories, Inspirational, Adult Fiction

37 pages, Hardcover

First published October 28, 2002

About the author

Born Janice Meredith Wilson in 1937, Jan Karon was raised on a farm near Lenoir, North Carolina. Karon knew at a very early age that she wanted to be a writer. She penned her first novel when she was 10 years old, the same year she won a short-story contest organized by the local high school. Karon married as a teenager and had a daughter, Candace.

At 18, Karon began working as a receptionist for a Charlotte, N.C. advertising agency. She advanced in the company after leaving samples of her writing on the desk of her boss, who eventually noticed her talent. Karon went on to have a highly successful career in the field, winning awards for ad agencies from Charlotte to San Francisco. In time, she became a creative vice president at the high-profile McKinney & Silver, in Raleigh. While there, she won the prestigious Stephen Kelly Award, with which the Magazine Publishers of America honor the year's best print campaign.

During her years in advertising, Karon kept alive her childhood ambition to be an author. At the age of 50, she left her career in advertising and moved to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, to pursue that dream. After struggling—and failing—to get a novel underway, Karon awoke one night with a mental image of an Episcopal priest walking down a village street. She grew curious about him, and started writing. Soon, Karon was publishing weekly installments about Father Tim in her local newspaper, The Blowing Rocket, which saw its circulation double as a result. "It certainly worked for Mr. Dickens", says Karon.

The Father Tim stories became Karon's first Mitford novel, At Home in Mitford. That book has since been nominated three times (1996, 1997, and 1998) for an ABBY (American Booksellers Book of the Year Award), which honors titles that bookstore owners most enjoy recommending to customers, and the only book ever nominated for three consecutive years. The fourth Mitford novel, A New Song, won both the Christy and Gold Medallion awards for outstanding contemporary fiction in 2000. A Common Life, In This Mountain, and Shepherds Abiding have also won Gold Medallion awards. Out to Canaan was the first Mitford novel to hit the New York Times bestseller list; subsequent novels have debuted on the New York Times list, often landing the #1 spot.

Karon has also published two Christmas-themed books based on the Mitford series, The Mitford Snowmen and Esther's Gift, as well as Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader. Other Mitford books include Patches of Godlight: Father Tim's Favorite Quotes, a compilation of wit and wisdom, and A Continual Feast: Words of Comfort and Celebration, Collected by Father Tim. In addition, Karon has written two children's books, Miss Fannie's Hat and Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny, and an illustrated book for all ages, The Trellis and the Seed.

Karon says her character-driven work seeks to give readers a large, extended family they can call their own. Though Light From Heaven is officially the final novel in the series, there's yet another Mitford book in this prolific author. Karon urges her millions of ardent fans to look for the Mitford Bedside Companion, releasing in the Fall of 2006. "It has everything in it but the kitchen sink", says Karon.

Reviews

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute and funny short story! Even if you don't end up reading the book, you should look at the author's picture on the back cover. It's classic!

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute short story

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely little snippet of Mitford life, with gifts of the orange marmalade cake all of the readers of the Father Tim Mitford series are so familiar with.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was included at the end of the audiobook Shepherds Abiding.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story filled with Christmas spirit - just what I needed to begin the holiday season. Even has the recipe for Esther’s famous Orange Marmalade Layer Cake. Always a joy to read a book in the Mitford tradition/series.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet little short story finished in about 15 to 20 min another mitford story

[Carrie Brownell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Popped off with this short Christmas read. I spent so much time in Mitford this year, I appreciated a little side story about Esther and her orange marmalade cake. A cozy read!

[Virma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this story of giving and generosity. Although it really is too small, it does pack a lot of punch. Glad I took the time to read

[writer... · Rating 5 out of 5]

#ChristmasinJuly2019 readathon

Delightful heart searching Christmas story regarding gift cost vs value involving Mitford characters created by Jan Karon.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can you not give this sweet story 5 stars? God bless Mitford, and dear Jan Karon. This series and the characters, including Mitford itself, will live within me all my days. Now, I think I need to gather the ingredients for an orange marmalade. It's been far too long since I've baked one. I need to follow Esther's example.

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just a short story, and typical of the Mitford series, but it's about baking cakes and counting the cost thereof, so it hit just the right spot in my heart. Karon's too sweet for some, but I find her the right degree of sweet -- not too treacly, more like a marmalade cake.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little story about the spirit of Christmas. Also included is a recipe for Orange Marmalade Layer Cake - which sounds awesomely delicious!

[Julie Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

g read

[Bam cooks the books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story about giving with an open heart, without counting the cost. Delicious orange marmalade cake recipe included.

[Ann Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Karon book for the quiet days after the holidays.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet little short Christmas story about a couple characters from the Mitford series.

Reread Dec 26, 2023

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

You are basically paying for the recipe, because there's not much of a real story there. And $30.00 for time and labor? Who is she kidding!!

[Reyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little novella that reminds us to give what is in our heart at Christmastime.

[Grace K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love short Christmas books like this one! It's both hilarious and heartwarming.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very short story (took about 10-15 minutes to read) it was cute; but at times it was irritating because it seemed to just center on the cost of the lady making cakes. She usually makes a traditional marmalade cake (which at the end of the book is the recipe) and gives it to several of her friends whom either doesn't have family or is lonely etc. But this year she wants her husband to calculate up how much it costs her to make them. So majority of the story is about that. Which I guess was okay, but I just feel it could have been written a little less centered on the details of everything for the cost. The summary of the book refers to "(characters) all of them favorite Mitford characters." But for someone like myself that has read the other book but it's been a few weeks ago and a few books in between and it was like this one and a very short story. So we don't really remember characters from book to book like in a longer novel. So the descriptions of her and her recipients would have made this book more interesting and nicer. But in the end carols playing on tv reminded her that its not about how much money you spend but how much you want to allow the true Christmas spirit to shine in you. Will I read this again sometime? Um... probably... will I 'rush' to find it next Christmas probably not

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review: As with the Mitford Snowmen which I read right before this one, I haven't read other book by Karon and wasn't really familiar with the characters or setting of the town of Mitford, but the story is still a great book to read. Sometimes we get so caught up in the cost of things that we forget the feeling of giving and this book is a perfect little reminder. Even all those cookies and goodies have a cost associated with them (I had actually been thinking about this with my annual chex mix which takes an hour for each batch, with the 10-12 batches to make each Christmas, that time really adds up), but the act of giving those goodies and how much it means to the recipient that you thought of them makes all the effort worth it. A great story that gets you thinking and forgetting the trouble of the season and reminds you of the joy of the season instead.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've actually read this several times in connection with Shepherds Abiding as it was included with the audible audiobook version. Since I found a separate listing here on Goodreads, it seemed like it was finally time to give this novella it's due. This book gives us a closer look at Esther and Gene Bolick and giving her famous orange marmelade cake to folks at Christmastime. Over the years, Esther has increased her gifts of OMC's, but costs of making them have certainly gone up. She questions whether it's worth it, whether people really do appreciate her gifts. Although short, this story causes the reader to evaluate his or her own spirit of generosity and we cheer as we see Esther's gift of love doing much more than she ever knew.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book, "Esther's Gift by Jan Karon. This was a beautiful Christmas story that I will read every year. It is filled IMHO with the joy of Christmas. I love Jan Karon's writing, and I feel joy in every word of every Mitford book. Her writing is truly heartwarming. If you haven't read them, Jan Karon's books are set in the small town of Mitford and the characters are all of the people who live there and pass through Mitford. If you live in a small town like Mitford - as I do or maybe even if you just grew up in one - or live in a bustling city like New York or Los Angeles, I think you will love the Mitford Series of books. I challenge you to begin reading, "At Home In Mitford," and then read every novel in the series. I believe if you do, you couldn't help but enjoy them all.

[Lea McKenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esther's Gift by Jan Karon is a small, short book based on the character Esther Bolick from the Mitford series. Esther has planned to make her Orange Marmalade Layer Cake for several friends for Christmas. She starts thinking about the cost of ingredients, and then she has her husband figure the cost of one OMLC. To her surprise, the cost is more than 8 times what she thought it would be! Unable to fathom spending that amount, she starts trying to determine who she can strike from her Christmas list. Further thought, however, makes her realize that these are important people to her, and she begins baking.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems like every year at Christmas, some clever economist-type with little else to do calculates the exact cost of the gifts mentioned in the 12 Days of Christmas song. It’s always an exorbitant sum, and I’ve paid little attention to it over the years.

As Christmas Eve approaches, Mitford Mayor Esther Bolick puts together her list of people who will get her famous marmalade cake. She encourages her husband to figure out what her actual costs are to bake the cake, and when she learns the number, she determines that fewer people really need the cakes this year.

But that all changes when she hears the lyrics of a famous, beloved Christmas carol.

[Lenore Kuipers-Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jan Karon is one of my favorite authors, which is why I enjoyed this book so much, and will share it with my grandchildren. Ester B0lick is preparing to make her annual Christmas gifts for each of seven friends and neighbors. She and her husband, Gene, will deliver them before Christmas Eve services at Lord's Chapel.
Gene then calculates what it costs to make these gifts, and Ester is stunned. Is it worth it to spend so much money on people who haven't always measured up to her expectations? She has to make a decision.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yesterday, whilst bemoaning the fact that my current read would likely not be finished in time for the year end (hence I wouldn’t meet my projected goal of 100 books read), my granddaughter suggested that I look through my bookcase for some thin books and reread them! Brilliant, that girl! This little Jan Karon delight fit the bill perfectly. I received it as a Christmas gift 21 yrs ago, read it then but not since, until today. Not only did I enjoy the words but the watercolour illustrations by Donna Kae Nelson, are very sweet. And it brought me nearer to my goal!

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute, heartwarming Mitford Holiday story about the joy of giving. This book was paired with The Mitford Snowmen.

[Note] Since the Mitford holiday books are very short, for tracking purposes I’m including the following same day reads amidst the hundreds of children’s books read daily this year as Nana:
—Little Bea and the Snowy Day by Daniel Rose
—The Very Smiley Snowman by Jack Tickle
—‘Twas The Night Before Christmas, Clement Clarke Moore
—Snow by P.D. Eastman

[elisabeth ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a weird story for me to read for this time of year. It put me in a Christmastime mood though, so props for that!

It’s extremely short and I’ve never read anything else by this author, but what I inferred from this story is that she’s a good writer, but I don’t really think her genre of choice is for me personally. I found it quite cookie cutter and a little depthless. The main message is just so generic. Which is fine for a short Christmas story. It was short enough to be enjoyable.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very short and quick read (only 32 pages and some of those pages were pictures). I enjoyed this book more than "The Mitford Snowmen." Esther wanted to make her orange marmalade layer cake for her friends until she calculated the cost of the cake. In the end, she realizes that her friends, though far from perfect, were worth the cost. The book even includes a recipe for Esther's Orange Marmalade Layer Cake.