The island of Cape Breton sits on the eastern shore of Canada, part of the Maritime Provinces, poking into the North Atlantic like the thumb of a mitten. It is the home of miners, farmers, fishermen, and master storyteller, Alistair MacLeod. If you wanted an example of superb writing anchored in the rugged history and people of a place, you could not do better than MacLeod’s collection of short stories, Island.
That book contains many gems, but there is one I would like to share with you, To Everything There Is a Season. It tells a tale simply and well, recounting common events while pointing to the magic behind them. And MacLeod does this in the hardest of genres, the Christmas Story, which can easily slide into cliché.
In his reminiscence, MacLeod shows that coming-of-age is not limited to childhood, but continues growing our sensibilities to the gift of life at every stage, even at the end, when we hope we can “leave good things behind.” The beauty of the human spirit shines at every turn; we see it when we look.
It’s a quick read, which, when you reach the end, you’ll realize is a crying shame. Here are links to both the written and audio versions of the story.
Enjoy.
Photo by Chaz McGregor on Unsplash
Deeply moving and touching to the point of tears. Thank you. Merry Christmas, Steve! You are a gift.
Thank you Michael. I find this story so rewarding. I will probably pull it out and read it every year. Hope all is well.