It's Christmas Eve 722, and Kristoph, a young orphan boy, is accompanying the missionary priest Boniface through the German countryside. They are hurrying to reach the next village by nightfall when they come upon a group of people in the forest worshiping an oak tree and preparing to sacrifice the son of the village chieftain. To prove that the oak is powerless and that there is only One True God, Boniface miraculously fells the giant tree with a single ax stroke. In its place stands an evergreen. Calling it "the tree of the Christ Child," he instructs the men to mend their lives and take the tree home where it will shelter "loving gifts and lights of kindness." Now rescued, the son of the village chieftain invites Boniface and Kristoph to share Christmas with his family ...around another evergreen that Kristoph cuts down for their own celebration.

 

There are 32 pages in this book. This book was published 2015 by Paraclete Press .

Malcolm Rose was a lecturer in chemistry at the Open University. Now he is a full-time writer. Malcolm is the author of Kingfisher's 'TRACES: Luke Harding, Forensic Investigator' series for Kingfisher fiction, and has also written many books for Scholastic's 'Point Crime' series. In all these novels, forensic science is a key feature. Dave Hill graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1983. He has illustrated comic books for 2000 AD, Judge Dredd Megazine, Crisis, Manga Entertainment and Caliber Press USA, and worked as a concept artist in the video games industry. Dave became freelance in 2005. Claudia Cangilla McAdam is the author of many books. She frequently combines her undergraduate degree in English with her master's degree in Theology to craft stories that reveal character, explore the virtues, and build faith. A Christmas tree lover her whole life, she enjoys trekking with her extended family into the Colorado Rocky Mountains each year on the day after Thanksgiving to cut down fresh evergreens to take home and decorate, and to honor as the settings for "loving gifts and lights of kindness," as St. Boniface would say. Dave Hill is also the illustrator of Hildegard's Gift. He lives in Scotland.