I am a staunch Christmas-season-doesn't-start-until-after-Thanksgiving believer, but that didn't stop me from pulling this book from the shelf for a revisit. I realized that even with the holiday theme, it is a timely pick due to our upcoming Veterans Day celebration.
Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon is a fictionalized account of one of the many Christmas truces reported by veterans of World War I. It is a "small moment" story, as told by a grandfather to his grandchildren, remembering that Christmas Eve night in the trenches with the German army just yards away. This retelling credits the Germans for starting this unexpected event by singing a carol, which was answered by the British lads singing their own. The Germans then proffered a Christmas tree accompanied by a white flag. A festivity of sorts ensued, Germans and Brits exchanging gifts and playing games, before returning to their trenches at dawn, back to the uncertainty of war.
Some may be surprised to know that many of our elementary students are drawn to nonfiction books about World Wars I and II. I'm not sure how much they understand the complexities of battle, the politics of war, the aftereffects of participating in the fighting. Stories like Christmas in the Trenches may serve to bring a bit of humanity to what can otherwise seem like a distant past. It at least speaks to our better nature--the one that would rather not fight at all.
It's Monday, and I'm glad I pulled this book at random from my shelves at home. What are you reading lately?
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