A Conversation with Anne Marie Ryan about
I work as an editor at a publishing house and have the best job ever, creating books. But I’ve always daydreamed about owning my own bookshop. Christmas by the Book was a way of indulging that fantasy and imagining what my own perfect bookshop would be like. The Stowford Bookshop is a composite of all my favorite bookshops in the world, including The Andover Bookshop in Massachusetts and my local independent bookshop in London. A few years back, I was going through a tough time and out of the blue an old friend sent me a care package with a book she’d found helpful and a tiny hand-knit leprechaun for good luck. It was such a kind, unexpected gesture and it reassured me that I wasn’t alone and I would get through this difficult period. Nora and Simon’s decision, in Christmas by the Book, to give books away anonymously is very much in that same spirit. Your
novel is a love letter to the transformative power of reading. In what ways do you believe books and storytelling can bring a community together?
Bonding with someone over a book you have both loved can be a short-cut to friendship, a hint that you might be kindred spirits. One of my favourite news stories of the past year was about a 50-year-old former pop star named Tony Mortimer who had never read a book until lockdown and became hooked on books. No matter your age or background, books can truly change your life. Especially over the past year and a half, when global travel was impossible, I’ve loved reading stories set in different parts of the world. Books set in other cultures remind us that although the world is a very big place, the themes that affect us all are universal.
Your book also explores that distinct feeling of loneliness on Christmas. Why was writing about mental health important to you? Like Mateo in Christmas by the Book, I remember my first few Christmases in England when I couldn’t afford to travel back to my family in the US and missed them so very much. But even if you have family and friends nearby, you can still feel sad and lonely during the holiday season. I wanted to write about mental health – and, in particular, male mental health—because a close family member suffers from depression and I am so proud of how he has overcome this very serious illness. Mental health is being prioritized and talked about more openly these days, but it can still be extremely difficult for people to ask for help.
Photo © Carla Marker
What inspired Christmas by the Book?
As an American expat living in the UK, what are the differences between American and British Christmas? What is universal? Spending time with family and giving gifts is universal. Food is an important part of Christmas celebrations on both sides of the Atlantic, although what we eat is different. Turkey is the traditional Christmas dinner in the UK, but it always comes with Brussels’ sprouts and lumpy bread sauce. I always give my turkey an American spin, with cranberry sauce and French-Canadian pork stuffing—but with yummy British touches like Yorkshire puddings and pigs in blankets. British Christmas desserts, such as mince pies and Christmas pudding, always feature dried fruit, which I am not a fan of (even though Nora, my heroine, is!). Give me Christmas cookies any day! I’ve fully embraced the very strange British tradition of going to the theatre at Christmastime to see a pantomime. It’s a retelling of a fairy tale with cross-dressing characters, audience participation, slapstick comedy, pop songs and lots of local jokes and topical humour. Sounds bonkers? It is! My family goes every year with several other families and it is always so much fun.
What message do you hope readers take away from your novel? If readers are inspired to share a book with someone— whether it is my own book or another story that has touched them—I will feel very happy. Small gestures of kindness can be powerful.
Do you have a favorite Christmas tradition? While I was growing up, my mother made a new ornament for my sister and me every year. When I got married, she gave me the box of hand-made Christmas ornaments. Decorating the Christmas tree is my favorite holiday tradition, because these ornaments are so unique and were made with such love. Although I’m not crafty myself, I have continued the tradition by buying a new ornament for my own daughters every year.
What are some of your favorite Christmas and holiday books? We have a big box of children’s books that I get down from the attic every Christmas, even though my kids are too old for them now. I’ve got a treasured copy of The Littlest Angel with a letter from Santa still tucked in the pages. I’ve included a lot of my favorite Christmas books in Christmas by the Book, but one that’s not in there is Little Women. I grew up not far from Concord, MA, where it is set, and I love the snowy scene when the March family selflessly donates their Christmas breakfast to less fortunate neighbors. As a theatre-lover, I also adore the fact that the March girls put on their own show as Christmas entertainment. But I don’t just love the classics—a brief stint as a Harlequin editor gave me a lasting love of a good Christmas romance!
What are some of your favorite books about books? Matilda—the ultimate story about books transforming someone’s life! The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society— as someone who has worked as a ghostwriter, I can identify with a heroine who wants to retire her pseudonym!
What’s next for you? I’m nearly finished writing a book about a chef who is down on her luck and sets up a community kitchen, which helps her rediscover her appetite for life and love. Food—like books—brings people together.
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Discussion Questions
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1. Christmas by the Book opens at The Stowford Bookshop. What were your first impressions? Did it remind you of any bookstores you have visited?
2. Nora and Simon are struggling financially at the start of the story, but when a man comes in and buys a book they’ve never been able to sell, it gives Simon an idea. Why does the couple decide to start the anonymous book deliveries? What six books would you choose to give away? 3. There are a number of great characters in this story, including Sam, Olwyn, Will and Mateo. Discuss some of their backstories, and whether you connected with any in particular. 4. David Langdon is a complicated character in the book. How does he change, and how does the village’s perception of him shift? 5. The magical spirit of the holidays is an important theme in Christmas by the Book. What part does Christmas play in the story, and why is it an important time of year for Nora and Simon?
6. What did you think of the fictional village of Stowford? In what ways do you think the story would have been different if it took place in a metropolitan city like London? 7. Discuss the role of community in this story. In what ways are Nora and Simon able to use social media to bring people together? How does it change the dynamic of Stowford? 8. Discuss how the residents of the village come together at the Stowford Bookshop Christmas party. What comes to light that evening, and how does it end up impacting the fate of the business? 9. At its heart, Christmas by the Book is a story about how books can bring us hope. How do the book deliveries connect with the recipients? What books have brought you comfort? 10. What were your thoughts about the ending, and what do you think is in store for Nora, Simon and the bookshop?
Playlist All I Want for Christmas is You
Merry Christmas Everybody
Last Christmas
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Fairytale of New York
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Step into Christmas
Adestes Fideles
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Little Drummer Boy
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Mariah Carey
Wham
The Pogues and Kristy McColl
Elton John
Wizzard
Bing Crosby & David Bowie
Slade
Nat King Cole
Elvis Presley
Celine Dion
Bing Crosby
Johnny Cash
Ultimate Ginger Cookie Recipe
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2 1⁄₄ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1⁄₂ teaspoons ground cloves 1⁄₂ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1⁄₂ teaspoon ground ginger 1⁄₄ teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed 1⁄₄ cup vegetable oil 1⁄₃ cup unsulfured molasses 1 extra-large egg, at room temperature
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined. Scoop the dough with 2 spoons or a small ice cream scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1 3/₄-inch ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers. Press both sides of each cookie in granulated sugar and place them on the
Recipe from Ina Garten, FoodNetwork.com 2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home, All Rights Reserved Foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/ultimateginger-cookie-recipe-1917558
sheet pans. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.