Christmas on Deery Street and Other Seasonal Stories. Steven Roberts. 2006. 100 pages. [Source: Review copy] [short story collection]First sentence: Everyone called him Blondie. Most didn't know why.Premise/plot: Christmas on Deery Street is a collection of short stories by...

First sentence: Everyone called him Blondie. Most didn't know why.

Premise/plot: Christmas on Deery Street is a collection of short stories by Steven Roberts. This is the third time I've read it, I believe. It features a handful of short stories: "Christmas on Deery Street," "Nanny's Locket," "Magic Socks," "The Angel of Union Station," "Our Star," and "You've Done Enough."

These are holiday-themed short stories almost always focusing on family and friends. 

My thoughts: The stories? How to describe them? They make me feel good. Warm and fuzzy. But not in a cheesy way. I know if I call them heartfelt or sentimental that someone will say, "that's not for me." And that would be a disservice. The stories cover a lot of emotions. There is love and heartache and loss and sadness. There is anger and guilt. There is hope. There is regret. And there is plenty of humor. But above all there is a feeling of genuineness, authenticity, a realness, knowing that these stories are indeed true-to-life and true to the human spirit.

I think I read the collection too quickly this time around. In previous reviews I said I loved all the stories--each and every one. This time around, perhaps because I was rushing it, perhaps because I've been in a reading slump, I found myself loving the first three to four stories and merely 'liking' the remaining. It could be a me thing.

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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