Cheerful Classics

This charming, timeless classic about a family of five setting out on their annual seaside vacation is “the most uplifting, life-affirming novel I can think of...the beautiful dignity to be found in everyday living has rarely been captured more delicately” (Kazuo Ishiguro). Meet the Stevens...

In Cheerfulness, veteran radio host and author Garrison Keillor reflects on a simple virtue that can help us in this stressful and sometimes gloomy era. Drawing on personal anecdotes from his young adulthood into his 80s, Keillor sheds light on the immense good that can come from a deliberate work ethic and a buoyant demeanor.

Will they find their Christmas miracle before it’s too late? When, Victoria’s grandmother dies right at Christmas, ten-year-old Victoria loses all love for the holiday and all faith in God. Years later, making her way back home to White Pine, Colorado, she reconnects with her large extended family and also with Jason Swindell, a boy she grew up with. Jason has also lost the spirit of Christmas, though for no particular reason. It just sort of left him even though he runs the family’s Christmas tree farm. Together, he and Victoria begin to rediscover the joy of the season. But then a ...

Although the story is over 100 years old, it offers an important truth that is still relevant to the modern listener. Rather than rely on dialogue to advance the plot, noted American Edna Ferber is an exceptional storyteller who delights and entertains the listener with narrative. Her stories featuring strong heroines are as fresh and original today as when they were written.