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White Christmas-Bloody Christmas: Finally the True Story of the Lawson Family Murders of Christmas Day, 1929
A tragic story of mass murder on Christmas Day 1929. This book was the first book written by Trudy J. Smith about the Charlie Lawson murders. It was followed in 2006 by another book on the subject by Trudy J. Smith entitled The Meaning of Our Tears. This first small paper back version has remained sought after for 25 years. On the Anniversary of its first publication, Trudy J. Smith has agreed to allow this special 25th Anniversary Edition to be published due to popular demand. This new edition of the famous book will come to you signed inside by the remaining living author, Trudy J. Smith. And the book and its sleeve with come with a clear protective plastic covering. It is a beautiful, artistically redesigned version of the original cover with special gold foil accents, but also has the addition of a matching sleeve that shows the inscription on the tombstone of the mass family "Not now but in the coming years, It will be in another land, We'll read the meaning of our tears, And sometime we'll understand." An Original Reviews of White Christmas Bloody Christmas from 1990... "From the decade of the 20's, its secret etched in stone, the past has come alive through the efforts of authors M. Bruce Jones and Trudy J. Smith... straightforward... dramatic... realistic... carefully researched... interesting reading..." - The Sanford Herald, Sanford NC
141 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1990
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892 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 19, 2022
Let me tell you about this book. This book is basically every library’s cryptid. I work in a library about 15min from Walnut Cove, NC where the murders happened and everyone and their grandma wants to read this book. The only problem is, the cheapest copy is $125 on Amazon (as of May 2020). That means no library in their right mind is going to let you take this book from the building. My library’s copy has been checked out since 1999. We’re never getting that back.
So how did I get a copy of it? Well, we’re closed to the public for COVID-19, which means there’s no public coming to visit our buildings to read our reference, in-library use only items. And the library I live near, in the same county system as the one I work in, has a reference copy of this book. So I called em up and said “pretty please can I borrow this I give you permission to storm my house if something happens.” So, after sending a couple of photos of my cats being cute, the adult services librarian there let me take it home!
Now, I have to say, I first heard of this murder on the My Favorite Murder podcast, which I think did a better job of telling the story. Honestly? It’s probably a good thing this book can’t be widely read because it’s very much a 1990s small press, small town book. The research isn’t detailed and the editorializing feels like a “stay safe, kids” documentary made in the late 80s, early 90s. It’s not great. But I had to find that out for myself, so I’m writing this now to tell you don’t bother worrying if you’re interested in this story but can’t get a copy of the book. It’s not worth $126.
Listen to Episode 142: Live at the Durham Performing Arts Center for all the info you need and, you know what, if you really want to read the book, check your local library. The book is super short and quick to read because it’s easy to skip all the detail about tobacco farming practices of the 1920s, if the library has a copy in their collection, they’d be happy to let you read it (in the safety of their building, in exchange for something you won’t leave behind).
So how did I get a copy of it? Well, we’re closed to the public for COVID-19, which means there’s no public coming to visit our buildings to read our reference, in-library use only items. And the library I live near, in the same county system as the one I work in, has a reference copy of this book. So I called em up and said “pretty please can I borrow this I give you permission to storm my house if something happens.” So, after sending a couple of photos of my cats being cute, the adult services librarian there let me take it home!
Now, I have to say, I first heard of this murder on the My Favorite Murder podcast, which I think did a better job of telling the story. Honestly? It’s probably a good thing this book can’t be widely read because it’s very much a 1990s small press, small town book. The research isn’t detailed and the editorializing feels like a “stay safe, kids” documentary made in the late 80s, early 90s. It’s not great. But I had to find that out for myself, so I’m writing this now to tell you don’t bother worrying if you’re interested in this story but can’t get a copy of the book. It’s not worth $126.
Listen to Episode 142: Live at the Durham Performing Arts Center for all the info you need and, you know what, if you really want to read the book, check your local library. The book is super short and quick to read because it’s easy to skip all the detail about tobacco farming practices of the 1920s, if the library has a copy in their collection, they’d be happy to let you read it (in the safety of their building, in exchange for something you won’t leave behind).
December 25, 2013
A true crime story that opens with the authors, father and daughter, standing at the massive grave of the Lawson family, where all the members were buried together, along with their killer, built around the grave of an earlier child that died young.
We know right away that it was the father, Charlie Lawson, 43, who murdered his family, wife Fannie, 37, daughters Marie, 17, Carrie, 12, Mae Bell, 7, Mary Lou, 4 1/2 months, and sons James, 4, and Raymond, 2. The oldest son Arthur, 19, was the only survivor, gone to the store to buy ammunition for squirrel hunting later in the day.
All were either shotgunned and/or bludgeoned to death with a piece of 2 by 4.
And it all happened on Christmas day, 1929.
This book is an examination of theories of why Charlie murdered his family and it took sixty years for the truth to finally be revealed.
Meticulously planned murders, it seems, as Charlie bought them all new sets of clothes and posed them for a family portrait a few weeks before the Christmas surprise he promised them.
Interesting story that happened the next county over from my own here in North Carolina.
We know right away that it was the father, Charlie Lawson, 43, who murdered his family, wife Fannie, 37, daughters Marie, 17, Carrie, 12, Mae Bell, 7, Mary Lou, 4 1/2 months, and sons James, 4, and Raymond, 2. The oldest son Arthur, 19, was the only survivor, gone to the store to buy ammunition for squirrel hunting later in the day.
All were either shotgunned and/or bludgeoned to death with a piece of 2 by 4.
And it all happened on Christmas day, 1929.
This book is an examination of theories of why Charlie murdered his family and it took sixty years for the truth to finally be revealed.
Meticulously planned murders, it seems, as Charlie bought them all new sets of clothes and posed them for a family portrait a few weeks before the Christmas surprise he promised them.
Interesting story that happened the next county over from my own here in North Carolina.
February 17, 2016
Such a sad story. When I first started reading this book I was under the impression that it had never been solved, but the authors end it with a confession. As much as I hope the allegations are false, there could be some truth to it and it might bring some closure to this horrific mystery.
RIP Lawson Family
RIP Lawson Family
December 16, 2021
Living near the area this happened, I had to read into the story more. When reading it your heart breaks, you get an awful pit in your stomach. The details are horrific. How a father could ever do such a thing still blows my mind to this day!
December 6, 2023
Such a sad but interesting story. I learned about this book from the podcast my favorite murder. It was labeled as hard to find and pulled from shelves. I was able to snag a copy for 30$ while there are some out there for hundreds. For the hefty price I had to get my hands on it.
August 3, 2019
White Christmas -Bloody Christmas: Finally the True Story of the Lawson Family Murders of Christmas Day 1929 by M. Bruce Jones and Trudy J. Smith
Star rating: ★★★☆ ☆ 3/5 stars
Format: library hardcover
Summary: This book examines a murder case from 1929 where a man murdered his family.
Review: For how expensive this book was on Amazon I had sort of expected something better. But this book is what it is and I don't have to like it, in fact I doing like it.
Right away in the introduction they let the reader know that for some of the book.they will basically be writing their own dramatic reenactments. Like it's a goddamn made for tv movie. I wanted facts not some fictionalized ideas of what happened between the facts they have.
A lot of their conclusions of the truth seem to be based off of rumors. Some seem to be eyewitness accounts but they don't specify too often so I wasn't going to assume they were actual witnesses.
Most of the chapters were extremely short, like one to two pages. I felt a lot of these tiny chapters could have been combined into longer chapters. It just made it feel like they had all these parts but we're unsure how to make it a cohesive narrative.
The ending conclusion was what really made me question the book's integrity. The authors put forth this theory, which they offer no real evidence for aside from hearsay. It seems like they went with the most outrageous rumor and ran with it.
Recommendation: This is an interesting case, no doubt-- but the best part of this book was the fact the authors included the raisin cake that was left on the table after the murders. There are far better written and researched true crime books out there.
Star rating: ★★★☆ ☆ 3/5 stars
Format: library hardcover
Summary: This book examines a murder case from 1929 where a man murdered his family.
Review: For how expensive this book was on Amazon I had sort of expected something better. But this book is what it is and I don't have to like it, in fact I doing like it.
Right away in the introduction they let the reader know that for some of the book.they will basically be writing their own dramatic reenactments. Like it's a goddamn made for tv movie. I wanted facts not some fictionalized ideas of what happened between the facts they have.
A lot of their conclusions of the truth seem to be based off of rumors. Some seem to be eyewitness accounts but they don't specify too often so I wasn't going to assume they were actual witnesses.
Most of the chapters were extremely short, like one to two pages. I felt a lot of these tiny chapters could have been combined into longer chapters. It just made it feel like they had all these parts but we're unsure how to make it a cohesive narrative.
The ending conclusion was what really made me question the book's integrity. The authors put forth this theory, which they offer no real evidence for aside from hearsay. It seems like they went with the most outrageous rumor and ran with it.
Recommendation: This is an interesting case, no doubt-- but the best part of this book was the fact the authors included the raisin cake that was left on the table after the murders. There are far better written and researched true crime books out there.
Want to read
October 27, 202228 day haunted on Netflix!
My family is kin to Charlie on my maternal granddad side.
Acquired the books years ago and then bought the DVD.
Researching genealogy can bring up quite the interesting stuff!
My family is kin to Charlie on my maternal granddad side.
Acquired the books years ago and then bought the DVD.
Researching genealogy can bring up quite the interesting stuff!
March 10, 2011
A fairly well done book on the Lawson Family murders that took place almost 90 years ago near Walnut Cove, NC. Some of the surviving family members have complained about the main revelation of the book. But after reading, I feel compelled to believe Jones conclusions. The old Lawson farm is gone now, torn down in the 70's to end the decades long "lookie-loo's" who would inevitably drive by for a gander. The graves remain still and many whispered conversations can still be heard about the tragedy to this day in the area. A documentary has been made on this case as well and can be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLYocH...
January 25, 2023
I enjoyed this book, a first edition that my mother bought decades ago and that now goes for a few hundred on eBay, because these murders took place near my hometown. My parents took me to the family grave when I was a young girl.
It's a sad and true story, and one in which we will never know what caused Charlie Lawson to snap that Christmas Day of 1929 and kill his entire family... or was it premeditated?
This book is the best when it comes to the mechanics of good writing, but the story is interesting.
It's a sad and true story, and one in which we will never know what caused Charlie Lawson to snap that Christmas Day of 1929 and kill his entire family... or was it premeditated?
This book is the best when it comes to the mechanics of good writing, but the story is interesting.
May 6, 2023
I gave this book 5 stars. I loved it I thought the story was very detailed, I live in the same area and have heard lots of things about the Lawson family and I would say this is pretty accurate the research that was done for this book is amazing I was very impressed! It really is a great read but also a very tragic story definitely give it a read !
June 24, 2019
A true crime story that really kept my interest, as it happened in my “neck of the woods,” in North Carolina. Very sad.
February 7, 2023
I’ve heard this story on many podcasts it was interesting to get a deeper look into the tragedy
July 26, 2024
An eerie read, true story right here in central NC.
May 26, 2009
This is really a good book. Very CREEPY and SAD, but interesting because it talks about the emotional state of the killer.
Want to read
October 12, 2018self pub, Lawson daughter’s bff, MFM ep 142
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews