Christmas spirit in Newfoundland!
Christmas in Newfoundland--Memories and Mysteries: A Sgt. Windflower Book (The Sgt. Windflower Mysteries)
by Mike Martin.
What can I say. Windflower's Christmas stories are as I expected redolent with that Newfoundland spirit of independence, the joy of simple pleasures and communal eccentricities.
Set in both Grand Bank and St. John's I could easily picture the houses and streets described in St. John's, the areas of the town, the snow, the excitement and traditions of Christmas, and the tragedies.
I loved the illustrations provided by the 'young artists from the Visual Arts Program at Canterbury High School in Ottawa.' They aptly depict my memories of the St. John's houses in rows and their colorful exteriors.
I loved the Grand Bank Christmas tales, "where gifts were few and love was plenty. Those were the days when the snow and a homemade sled were sufficient entertainment, the nights were filled with kerosene lamps and laughter, and the twelve days of Christmas were a time for family, friends and roving bands of mummers."
In turn we are treated to Martin's memories of St. John's in the 1960's and Windflower's recollections of events, places, characters around the Grand Bank community.
I was won over by the St. John's moments of shopping in the Arcade, the trip around town by bus to view the lights, the battle in Grand Bank to get Christmas presents delivered in time when the town was snowed in! I was completely turned with the advent of the Christmas present record player and the accompanying vinyls, featuring some of my childhood delights, the "Witch Doctor with a crazy chorus that went “ooo eee, ooh ah ah ting tang, walla walla, bing bang.” Running Bear by Johnny Preston and Tom Dooley by the Kingston Trio (I drove my parents crazy singing that off key around the house fully convinced I was to be the next great folk singer. Not!)
Told with love and generosity, I was fully immersed and loving every moment of these literary gems from Martin. And of course to my mind, Windflower should be a Canadian national treasure!
A BooksGoSocial ARC via NetGalley
*****
by Mike Martin.
What can I say. Windflower's Christmas stories are as I expected redolent with that Newfoundland spirit of independence, the joy of simple pleasures and communal eccentricities.
Set in both Grand Bank and St. John's I could easily picture the houses and streets described in St. John's, the areas of the town, the snow, the excitement and traditions of Christmas, and the tragedies.
I loved the illustrations provided by the 'young artists from the Visual Arts Program at Canterbury High School in Ottawa.' They aptly depict my memories of the St. John's houses in rows and their colorful exteriors.
I loved the Grand Bank Christmas tales, "where gifts were few and love was plenty. Those were the days when the snow and a homemade sled were sufficient entertainment, the nights were filled with kerosene lamps and laughter, and the twelve days of Christmas were a time for family, friends and roving bands of mummers."
In turn we are treated to Martin's memories of St. John's in the 1960's and Windflower's recollections of events, places, characters around the Grand Bank community.
I was won over by the St. John's moments of shopping in the Arcade, the trip around town by bus to view the lights, the battle in Grand Bank to get Christmas presents delivered in time when the town was snowed in! I was completely turned with the advent of the Christmas present record player and the accompanying vinyls, featuring some of my childhood delights, the "Witch Doctor with a crazy chorus that went “ooo eee, ooh ah ah ting tang, walla walla, bing bang.” Running Bear by Johnny Preston and Tom Dooley by the Kingston Trio (I drove my parents crazy singing that off key around the house fully convinced I was to be the next great folk singer. Not!)
Told with love and generosity, I was fully immersed and loving every moment of these literary gems from Martin. And of course to my mind, Windflower should be a Canadian national treasure!
A BooksGoSocial ARC via NetGalley
*****
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