by David Valdes Greenwood
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Wishing you a merry, slightly dysfunctional and oftentimes silly Christmas.In his second book, Greenwood (English/Tufts Univ.; Homo Domesticus: Notes From a Same-Sex Marriage, 2007, etc.) presents 12 holiday- and childhood-themed autobiographical essays that cover such universally shared memories as disappointing gifts, Christmas-tree decorating wars and the joy of still believing in Santa Claus. The author's holiday memories are dominated by his Grammy, a charismatic ball of energy who wants nothing more than for her family to experience the perfect Christmas. Unfortunately for the author and his irrepressible brother Ignacio, Grammy's idea of perfection includes unwanted tube socks, unwearable winter gear and inedible fruitcakes. Sound familiar? Today, anyone writing humorous true-to-life holiday essays will inevitably be compared to David Sedaris and Jean Shepherd - which isn't unfair, as Sedaris's "Santaland Diaries" and Shepherd's A Christmas Story are the paragons of Christmas confessionals - but here the comparison is particularly apt. Like Sedaris, Greenwood is a gentle soul who isn't afraid to poke fun at himself, and, also like Sedaris, he lovingly mines his eccentric family for material. Like Shepherd, his prose and delivery are simple and self-effacing, and he comes off as an engaging character. While all of this makes for a pleasant enough read, Greenwood just doesn't display the chops or gravitas of Sedaris or Shepherd.Plenty of nice material cheerfully presented but lacking in originality and resonance. (Kirkus Reviews)
“The perfect stocking stuffer…in the vein of David Sedaris."—The Today Show
“Today, anyone writing humorous true-to-life holiday essays will inevitably be compared to David Sedaris and Jean Shepherd—which isn’t unfair, as Sedaris’s Santaland Diaries and Shepherd’s A Christmas Story are the paragons of Christmas confessionals—but here the comparison is particularly apt. Like Sedaris, Greenwood is a gentle soul who isn’t afraid to poke fun at himself, and, also like Sedaris, he lovingly mines his eccentric family for material. Like Shepherd, his prose and delivery are simple and self-effacing, and he comes off as an engaging character.”—Kirkus
"Those who loved the youthful recollections in David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day will cotton to David Valdes Greenwood's A Little Fruitcake. Valdes Greenwood is a little less nasty than Sedaris, and he finds more in the world to warm the heart, nevertheless he manages to find a somewhat similar stance: to plunk us down in the middle of a somewhat familiar scene and look at it from a new and different angle…Valdes Greenwood's talent is such that in sharing his memories, we often see ourselves."—January Magazine
"Little beauty of a book…Fun, funky, and fa-la-la-liscious, A Little Fruitcake is joyous reading for a joyous season."—Louisville Courier Journal
"David Valdes Greenwood has spun a silver-tinsel upbringing in a small Maine town into a glittering chapter book stuffed with precious memories. Each story records a different Christmas, a different lesson learned, and a new laugh to be had… A Little Fruitcake is an homage to family, small towns and the holiday spirit. It certainly makes the case that there is room enough for everyone at the holiday table, no matter what type of present they are hoping to find under the tree."—Portland Press Herald
"This is a fruitcake you might actually enjoy."—Minneapolis Star Tribune
"’A Childhood in Holidays’ is presented through 12 delightfully amusing tales based on the author’s own Christmases, including ‘Jealous of Baby Jesus.’"—OK!
"Amusing yet warmly nostalgic holiday high jinks in the spirit of A Christmas Story."—San Jose Magazine
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. "This hammy kid manages not only to get into every kind of trouble, but also to patch things up again with charm and cheer."—The Advocate
"Valdes Greenwood…writes with David Sedaris-like wit about the Christmases he enjoyed as a young, fey boy with his eccentric family in rural Maine."—Bay Windows
Ah, the sweet memories of Christmas. Gifts under the tree. Cookies for Santa. And, of course, the annual fruitcake.
For young David Valdes Greenwood, the indomitable “little fruitcake” at the center of these tales, nothing is sweeter than the promise of the holidays. A modern-day Tiny Tim, he holds fast to his ideal of what Christmas should be, despite the huge odds against him: Sub-zero Maine winters. A host of eccentric relatives. And his constant foil: a frugal, God-fearing Grammy who seems determined to bring an end to all his fun. A book that’s “fa-la-la-licious” (Louisville Courier Journal) and filled with funny, charming Yuletide memories (from building a Lego® manger to hunting for the perfect Christmas tree), A Little Fruitcake will inspire even the biggest Grinches around.
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