A Christmas Memory (Tale Blazers) Paperback – January 1, 1990

Lovely Christmas gifts!

Winter, 1956“It’s always the same: a morning arrives in November, and my friend, as though officially inaugurating the Christmas time of year that exhilarates her imagination and fuels the blaze of her heart, announces: “It’s fruitcake weather! Fetch our buggy. Help me find my hat.”The person to whom she is speaking is myself. I am seven; she is sixty-something. We are cousins, very distant ones, and we have lived together—well, as long as I can remember.”And so, another shoestring adventure begins for Buddy, our narrator, his cousin Sook Falk, and Queenie, their little rat terrier, as off they scoot to gather windfall pecans - the first ingredient for dozens of fruitcakes that will be sent far and wide. But creating such a prize-winning confection requires many elements, whiskey being the most expensive and difficult to procure. Our band of bakers has saved every penny all year, and despite alcohol being considered sinful, they know just where to secure a bottle. After all, it isn’t fruitcake without a nip of the good stuff.“If you please, Mr. Haha, we’d like a quart of your finest whiskey.” His eyes tilt more. Would you believe it? Haha is smiling! Laughing, too. “Which one of you is a drinkin’ man?”“It’s for making fruitcakes, Mr. Haha. Cooking.”This sobers him. He frowns. “That’s no way to waste good whiskey.”Capote writes with the pen of a poet, and this touching short tale is a timely reminder that our fondest Christmas moments aren’t dependent on flashy falderal or glitzy goodies, but come from time spent with those we love who love us in return.

Hard to believe this same man wrote In Cold Blood. Not really though, character is character. No matter how many problems he had,he retained his and passed the other, more inspirational characters to us in his stories.This, the Christmas Memory story is a subtle description of a friendship that defies both age and gender and any other arbitrary categorization and speaks only of love, integrity, loyalty and tenderness.I remember a movie version of it on TV, one time, with Geraldine Page, I think, from 1960 something or maybe 1970. I just fell in love with its sweetness, simplicity and odd but true characters.

Capote did a nice job on this book which was later turned into movi, twice. It is a true story of Truman when he was a little boy and his relationship with an old aunt. The highlight of the story is the making of the Christmas cakes. "It's Christmas cake weatha" calls out the aunt to Truman as they go out picking up walnuts and then all of the other ingredients that are needed for all of the cakes. She has saved all year in order to get the few dollars that she needs to buy everything. She gives them all away every year to people. lovely story

Whatever associations come to mind when you think of Truman Capote--the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's," the innovative journaistic novel "In Cold Blood," about the causes and aftermath of a terrible crime in a small midwestern town, or perhaps the stunning, famous photo of the boy genius already admired by his fellow workers at the NEW YORKER--don't miss out on A CHRISTMAS MEMORY. This is not simply a small aside in Capote's bibliography ; it's a key to all the rest.What's more, you can read it without a single wince. So can your kids. So can your smug brother-in-law, who hasn't approved of an American writer since Henry James.This is a simple tale of a young boy, Buddy, and his much older female cousin, whom he calls "My Friend." They live together as cast-offs in a couple of back rooms in a worn-out Southern homestead where they are almost totally ignored--and that suits them just fine. Yes, they would appreciate a little more ready cash to finance their major operation--making numerous fruitcakes for everyone from the mailman to Mrs. Roosevelt. But their rich creative imaginations and their love fo reach other provide most of what they need for a joyous life: ripe pecans, a jar of wildly brewed liquor, a generous recipe, a couple of home-made kites, and a huge Christmas tree paid for with determination, high standards, and conviction that they who seek shall find.If you haven't read A CHRISTMAS MEMORY, treat yourself now. And then, if you've been a really good girl or boy,see the film version starring the glorious Geraldine Page and show it to your kids or your parents--or Mrs. Roosevelt.

Almost 20 years ago, I first saw the film made from this story. It was late one winter night and I couldn't sleep. I turned on the television and found a story with a play type of format. The film had been on for who knows how long, but no matter, I was intrigued by the characters very quickly. The television guide had no listing for what I had seen. I almost felt as if it was a story meant for me alone. After it was over, it haunted me for quite some time, and it took some library research to find out the title and that it was written by Truman Capote. Since then, I've read this story many times, and always enjoy each and every page.This is such a heart warming tale and the simplicity in which it's written is truly brilliant. It's told through the words of a seven year old boy and relates his memories of Miss Sook Faulk, and the Christmas tradition that they shared during the Great Depression years. The story is autobiographical, and the boy is Truman Capote.Miss Faulk was Truman's elderly cousin, but she always called him "Buddy." This was in memory of another Buddy who died long ago when she was a girl. Miss Faulk remained a child herself in many ways. The story centers around their Christmas tradition of making fruitcakes for the people that they admired and loved.This book can be read to or by all ages. The story endures because the love between the characters is so real, and the delight that they have in sharing with others is what we all want Christmas to be.