Zeb is a young mountain boy who is caught alone in a sudden snowstorm. He ends up taking refuge at a cabin his grandfather had helped to build many years before. The old woman living there shelters Zeb, who has a badly swollen ankle, while they are snowbound. To pass the time she offers to tell him the Christmas story. Such is the simple premise of "One Wintry Night," but Ruth Bell Graham tells about much more than the story of the nativity of Jesus.

I find it meaningful that before the story begins we read the first eleven verses of the gospel according to Luke. These are, of course, essentially the same versus that Linus recites in "A Charlie Brown Christmas," which certainly makes it one of the most recognizable Bible verses for young children. It ends with the declaration of the angel of the birth of a savior, and it is ultimately that aspect which Graham is trying to explain. After all, the whole point of the recitation by Linus was to explain to Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about, and this proves to be Graham's goal as well.

Consequently, the old woman in this story begins the tale with the creation of the universe, and she spends more time talking about the story of Adam and Eve than the story of Jesus, which is told from the perspective of a boy named Aaron and his little sister Anna. Zeb is used to underscore the lesson by asking questions that set up each part of the old woman's narrative.

Richard Jesse Watson provides the illustrations, which are beautiful but sort of unnecessary to the story being told (I actually found myself ignoring them the first time through the book simply because I was caught up in the story Graham was telling; but they are some nice illustrations here). The story has in-text citations for scriptural references, including one from the book of Micah, which is usually a good sign. "One Wintry Night" does a nice job of putting the Christmas story in a larger scriptural context, which should certainly be appealing to some parents looking for something along these lines for their children.

This book shows the Bible to be one story...the story of a loving God saving a fallen people. It's a GREAT perspective. The illustrations are beautiful, and the story very well written. I read this to my kids every Christmas, one chapter per night...They're always begging for more! It's wonderful for Christmas, but the story is so much more than just a Christmas story! Highly Recommended!

I was first drawn to One Wintry Night by the illustrations, which are amazing. Realistic pictures give a younger child a lot to look at while you are reading the story. Once I started reading the story I was in awe. Mrs. Graham retells the story of the bible in a simple but captivating way. It is easy to see the paralells that occur in the bible - the way God looked for someone to save His people repeatedly - ending with our saviour. The book intertwines the importance of not only the birth of Christ, but his crucifiction and resurrection. Mrs. Graham also writes wonderful cliffhangers from one chapter to the next which had my five year old begging to read more. This is definitely a book I will read over and over again and will recommend to my friends (or buy it for them!) This is a great way to help introduce a young child to God's character, the bible, and christianity.

This book lead me to an internal peace that I cannot describe. My son was a runaway and I had not seen him in 4 months when I purchased this book. Reading it gave me strength and hope and the peace that only our Lord can give. I continue to recommend this book to others facing tough teen agers and to mention stories in the book that helped me through a most difficult time.

The peace which came as a result of reading this book has brought me to a higher level in my relationship with God.

I have had this book in my library for years and it is a great source of encouragment. Mrs. Graham's insightful way of sharing her heart with others fans the flame of hope. This "my" book to give to other whose children are "in the far country."

I found the book to be a very encouraging word in a time of need when my teenage son had turned his back on the Lord. Ruth's words were helpful and insightful. It was a nice reminder that others have gone through the same or similar thing and come out the other side victorious in the Lord.

Children are a blessing from the Lord, but raising them hasnever been easy! Parents -- at whatever stage in their role -- needwisdom from above and wisdom from those who have gone before.

In this new book, collected from her earlier works, Edith Schaeffer shares her unique and thought-provoking insights into raising children and maintaining a healthy home.

Through the years thousands of young people have entered Edith's life at L'Abri Fellowship, sitting at her table, tasting her meals, crying on her shoulder, and listening to her tell of the wonders of answered prayer. Edith brings wisdom garnered from hearing the heart-stories of young seekers and applies it to a biblical pattern of parenting.

Gentleness, patience, being an example, living in the moment, fostering creativity, making use of teachable moments -- all of Edith's advice, highlighted with anecdotes from her life, encourages parents to reflect God's kindness and love.

"This is a classic -- to be prized" -- The Discerning Reader

WHAT AN EXCELLENT BOOK!! I HAVE GIVEN THIS BOOK TO MY MOM AND SISTER FOR CHRISTMAS, LAST YEAR, AND THEN TO OTHER WOMEN WHO HELPED ME WITH MY WEDDING, INCLUDING MY MOTHER IN LAW.
I HAVE RECOMMENDED IT TO OTHER YOUNG WOMEN WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH FINDING THE BALANCE BETWEEN WHAT THE WORLD EXPECTS OF WOMEN AND WHAT YOU'VE BEEN TAUGHT AT CHURCH. THE WORLD EXPECTS YOU TO WORK AND THE CHURCH EXPECTS YOU TO STAY AT HOME WITH YOUR CHILDREN. GIGI HELPS WOMEN FIND THAT BALANCE IN BETWEEN WITH GODLY INSIGHT.

A MUST READ!!!!

This is a great collection of devotionals, mostly written by Gigi Graham Tchividjian with some poetry included by her mother, Ruth Bell Graham. This is a great book to use as a devotional to spend time with. Each chapter is centered around a hymn. It is well worth noting that there is a companion CD with instrumental versions of the hymns also available. It carries the same title as this book and is by Jeff Johnson, Brian Dunning & John Fitzpatrick. The CD is a great companion piece to this book and this book is a great companion piece to the CD. Both are highly recomended.

The fourteen devotionals based on familiar hymns make this a book which appeals to many readers. Each topic brings memories of one's own experiences to the surface. This is a delightful gift book for friends or for one's own use. It is an inspiration for devotionals being prepared for study meetings, circles, or simply one's personal use.