Review: Christmas Truce by Aaron Shepard; illustrations by Wendy Edelson

I first read the story of the 1914 Christmas truce between British and German soldiers in a Guideposts magazine story published in the mid-1980s. It is the kind of story that even today thrills me to read as it exemplified the truth spoken by the angel on the night of Christ's birth, "Peace on Earth, goodwill to all men."

In Christmas Truce, Aaron Shepard retells the story as a letter written by a British soldier named Tom to his sister Janet. In his letter, Tom mentions the conditions the soldiers lived in and the surprise he felt upon viewing a line of trees lit up with candles or flashlights. And then the part of the story that always stirs my heart:

Stille nacht, heilige nacht . . .

Maybe it's because it's my favorite Christmas carol, but I can't think of a more perfect song -- especially for 1914 -- to sing on the evening of such a momentous event as an unplanned truce during wartime.

Wendy Edelson's paintings capture different scenes from the letter, but my favorite is the one shown at left from near the beginning of the book. It reminds me of any of a number of photos where soldiers take a moment to write down some thoughts in a letter to a loved one back home. In my mind's eye I can see the soldier trying to put down on paper what he's experienced while also remaining alert to any possible danger.

Christmas Truce is, at its core, a heartwarming book that reinforces the idea of man's desire for peace in the midst of conflict, even if it's just for one or two days.
 Highly recommended.

Rating: 4 Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Skyhook Press (through NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.