A rich anthology, stylishly packaged and brimming over with heartwarming drama, seasonal merriment, and unexpected thrills. The author, who has been creating original and highly praised collections for thirty years, believes in bringing new energy to the term "old-fashioned.” That is to say, she is a reader’s reader who loves to uncover those stories written in another time that surprise us by their vibrancy, by the way they move us or make us laugh, while also reminding us of our most deeply held values and our ideals. Among the writers included are such familiar classic masters as Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Sarah Orne Jewett, Saki, O. Henry, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The real idea, however, is the crafting of a book that is as unexpected in its roster of authors as it is in its effect on our hearts and spirits.