| Title | : | A Different Kind of Christmas |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0517162695 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780517162699 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 112 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1988 |
This is the story of Fletcher Randall, a nineteen-year-old from North Carolina whose politically powerful father is a plantation owner, and, of course, a slave owner. The time is 1855, and all Fletcher Randall knows and believes about slavery he's learned from his father.
But Fletcher goes to school up North, and one or two of his Princeton classmates talk about how wrong slavery is until Fletcher begins to think for himself
--and he becomes a traitor to his background, to his family, by conspiring to aid in a mass escape of slaves on the Underground Railroad. His partner in this plan is a black slave by the name of Harpin' John, a man who plays the harmonica so sweetly it could make a grown man cry. Christmas Eve is the secret date set for the escape.
How these two men of such incredibly opposing backgrounds join together to achieve the goal of freedom makes
A Different Kind of Christmas soar with unforgettable inspiration. This is a timeless tale of spiritual regeneration, moral courage, and powerful humanness, meaningful and memorable to readers of all faiths and all ages.
A Different Kind of Christmas Reviews
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"A Different Kind of Christmas" is a short novel about the Underground Railroad and the escape of some Southern slaves during the holiday festivities. Fletcher Randal, the son of a North Carolina plantation owner is attending college at Princeton in 1855. He meets three Quaker students who take him to their home in Philadelphia where he is exposed to their anti-slavery beliefs and the Underground Railroad. His conscience bothers him, and Fletcher vows to help their cause.
The book is written simply so it would be appropriate for middle school students as well as adults. There is quite a bit of important background about the Underground Railroad, the Quakers, and slavery in the first half of the story. Some of it is woven into the story, but Fletcher is shown researching at the college library to learn more about the subject. When Fletcher returns to North Carolina for the Christmas break, he meets the engaging character Harpin' John. Tension builds as they make their plans since there is great danger to both the escaping slaves and the "conductors" of the Underground Railroad.
The book works if the reader thinks of it as an instructive parable or fable, fine for older children. Since the book is marketed to adults, it seems like there should be a bit more soul-searching and character development as Fletcher reaches such a difficult, courageous decision. While Fletcher is following the morally right path, he is also betraying his loving parents, ruining his father's political career, probably losing his inheritance, and risking death. So I would give the book a high rating for the moral message, but a lower rating for the storytelling. -
It's not often I wish that an author had been more long winded or that a book had been longer, but that was certainly the case here. Alex Haley tells the story of the son of a southern plantation owner who while at Princeton has an experience which enlightens him about the evils of slavery. Later as he's returning to the plantation he has much more on his mind then celebrating the Christmas holidays, as he's to meet up with a mysterious person there who shares both his views and a common goal ...which is to plan an escape. 100 pages is not enough for much character development and the ending is pretty much left to presumption. The Underground Railroad is such a interesting topic and anyone who read Roots ( and that should be everyone) knows Haley is a great writer. I wanted this to be so much more ....about 100 pages more !
3 stars -
My first impression on seeing this book was that it was the kind of book that bestselling authors often release during the holidays and that are seen near the registers at bookstores, Hallmark shops, and Wal-Marts. Such books tend to be attractively bound and sized to fit in stockings. In most cases they are short, shallow and saccharin sweet. Having read it, my first impressions were borne out. I suspect that
Alex Haley took advantage of his success when sales of Roots took off and whipped off a holiday book. It’s hard to blame him. Such books probably require little effort and enjoy brisk, albeit brief, sales.
Simply put, this is a Christmas story about the Underground Railway, the network of safe houses and volunteers that worked to assist escaping slaves on their flight to freedom. The protagonist is Fletcher Randall, the southern scion of a slave-owning senator. Fletcher’s family has sent him north to Princeton University to obtain an education and with the assistance of a family of Quakers, he does just that. On learning, apparently for the first time, that slaves are mistreated while in bondage, Fletcher experiences an epiphany, decides that slavery is bad, and throws himself heart and soul into the struggle by volunteering to work for the Underground Railway. What happens after that, well, that’s the story, isn’t it?
If you gather from my tone that I wasn’t very impressed with this book, you would be correct. It isn’t that it is a bad book, it just isn’t a very good one and Haley, who had already exhibited what he could do when he put his mind to it, appears to have just phoned this one in. The book shows little serious research and is liberally sprinkled with anachronisms. For example, a gang of fellow students who don’t like their southern classmate refer to themselves as ‘Rebel-haters’. Considering the story was set in 1855, five years before any southern states rebelled, there is no logical reason for the use of that particular epithet. In addition, Haley used the word redneck on more than one occasion although there is no known use of the word prior to 1891. My biggest complaint, though, is that the story just doesn’t ring true. Fletcher’s conversion from slavery defender to rabid abolitionist seems highly implausible. In addition, the other characters appear more like caricatures than real people.
One of the reasons that I may be particularly harsh in my judgement of this book is that I was reading it concurrently with
Between the World and Me, probably one of the best books written on a black man’s view of the world we live in. Next to
Ta-Nehisi Coates' incredibly profound memoir, A Different Kind of Christmas comes across as almost cartoonish.
FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star - The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire. -
Perfect read for a child learning about the Underground Railroad. It's simply written and would be a great learning tool. This was my first Haley read and I enjoyed it. Not a lot of emotion for such a heavy topic. I wanted to see more emotional turmoil between the characters. As the plot got more engaging and exciting it was too quickly over. Great introductory read but I wanted more details.
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Haley is known, of course, for his Roots saga. He also wrote this little novella about an only child of a plantation and slave owner who is sent for an education at a northern university. He is unlike either the rougish southerners or the brash northerners and requests a room in a different dorm. There he encounters Quakers who introduce him the more integrated society of Philadelphia. As he comes to terms with the inner tumult this provides, he decides to become involved with the Underground Railroad. And an escape of twelve slaves is set for Christmas Eve one his visit home.
Haley has an engaging style of writing that I enjoyed very much. I thought the ending was a bit rushed and the book suffered a bit from its brevity. One must read elsewhere to learn more about the realities of slavery and plantation life. But this could serve well as an introduction to the Underground Railroad. -
This was a small novella about the Underground Railroad and a Christmas Eve slave escape masterminded by the son of a plantation owner and a black slave. It is simply written, and would be great for a middle school audience learning about the Underground RR and how it began. Moral of the story: Plantation owners beware of sending your sons up north for a college education. They might get some funny ideas in their head.
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-- رواية تحكي عن الرقّ و العبوديّة في أمريكا قبل الحرب الأهليّة ، الأحداث تمّت في عام 1855 م .
-- انتهى الرقّ في الشمال و عاش السود أحرارًا كالبيض _ بمساعدة " الكوكرييّن البيض " ، و ما زال أهل الجنوب يستعبدون السود و يُهلكونهم بالتعذيب و العمل الشاقّ .
-- قصّة الرواية تدور حول أنّ شابّ جنوبي من أب ذي منصب هامّ في الدولة " عضو مجلس الشيوخ " ، و عنده ما يقارب المائة عبد يعملون في مزرعته و هو من أكبر أعيان " كارولينا الشماليّة " .
-- يلتقي الابن و هو في دراسته في الشمال بزملاء له كوكريّين يستضيفونه في بيتهم و يجعلونه يشاهد العبيد الهاربين من الجنوب و ما لاقوه من تعذيب ، عندها يعايش الشابّ ضغوط نفسيّة رهيبة يكتشف بعدها وسيلة ناجعة للتواؤم مع ذاته بعد أن طالت حربه الباطنة .
-- أحسن الكاتب في وصف النقلة النفسيّة و الصّراع الذي دار في نفس " فلتشر راندول " .
-- اللي عجبني في " فلتشر " إنّه مخدش قرار إلّا لمّا قعد و قرأ و راح و شاف ، شيء أكثر من رائع لشاب ما زال في العشرين من عمره .
-- الرواية خُطوة من خطوات كثيرة قطعها الأمريكان للتحرّر من العبوديّة .
-- بداياتي مع الأدب الأمريكي بشكل عام . -
مؤلف الجذور وكفى!..رائعة
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سعيدة باكتشاف تلك الرواية لأليكس هيلى كى لا يظل اسمه مرتبطا ب (جذور) فقط.
الرواية تدور أحداثها فى أمريكا أيام استعباد السود و بطلها هو أحد أبناء الموسرين البيض الذى يذهب للدراسة فى بلدة بعيدة عن أهله و يتعرف على بعض الأفراد من الكويكريين . تنمو الصداقة بينهم و يلتقى كذلك مع بعض السود الأحرار و هو ما لم يكن مألوفا فى البلدة التى جاء منها ليبدأ فى التساؤل حول موضوع الرق و الحرية بأكمله. مع تطور الرواية يتغير موقفه تجاه قضية السود ليشترك فى مجموعة من البيض و السود هدفها تهريب العبيد السود و مساعدتهم للحصول على حريتهم.
الرواية و إن كانت صغيرة الحجم فإنها عظيمة التأثير خاصة تلك العبارة السرية بين أفراد المجموعة : هل أنت أخى؟ -
إذا لم تسطتع الحكومة حماية حق أقل المواطنين شأناً فى الحياة و الحرية و نشدان السعادة أو استطاعت و لم تفعل ... فينبغى إصلاحها أو تغييرها دون إبطاء
عيد ميلاد جديد تتحرك فى سيكولوجية طالب جامعى يكتشف عن طريق المُثل العليا للدين ومن خلال تجربة ذاتية فريدة طبيعة الرق المنافية للإنسانية و عندها سيكتشف وسيلة للتواؤم مع ذاته بعد أن طالت الحرب الداخلية باطنه بكل ما يحمل .. -
Rating 2.5 stars. Potential, potential, potential that was never realized. That is how I would best describe this book. Alex Haley had 100 pages to create a Christmas story you would never forget and it just did not materialize. This is not a terrible book, but it isn't that good either. I almost felt like Mr. Haley threw this work together at the last minute to satisfy the publishers demand.
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I wanted more details on how the slaves escaped to the Underground Railroad, but I still enjoyed it.
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This is a very quick and simple read. I read it for the book club that I facilitate. One of my group members had suggested this book as our Christmas read, and also because one of her ancestors (Levi Coffin) was mentioned in the book.
The author of this book, Alex Haley, also wrote the book Roots. This book, A Different Kind of Christmas, takes place in 1855 and is narrated by a college student named Fletcher Randall. During his time at Princeton University, Fletcher meets and befriends a trio of Quaker brothers who share their beliefs about the wrongs of slavery with Fletcher, whose own father is a North Carolina senator and slave owner. What follows is Fletcher's inner struggle and conflict with the slave-holding traditions of his Southern family and the anti-slavery beliefs of his new friends. In the end, Fletcher comes to terms with his inner turmoil and makes a decision that will forever change the course of his life.
I gave this book a three star rating because I felt that the story ended a bit abruptly, and also because the book was too short to sufficiently develop the characters. However, the message of the story was an important one, and so I am not regretful of the short amount of time I spent in reading it. -
I checked out this novella yesterday because (1) it was written by Alex Haley, and (2) it was short and thin. Not realizing what I was about to read, I am amazed by the story itself and the excellence in writing.
It's 1855, and young Fletcher, scion of a wealthy NC plantation family with political ties, is befriended by three Quaker brothers. All four men attend a prestigious Northern college in Princeton, NJ. The brothers and Fletcher discuss slavery, each respecting the views and family positions of the others. When Fletcher visits the brothers in their hometown of Philadelphia, he experiences a life-changing event. Fletcher eventually makes hard decisions that form him into the man he was meant to be.
The last paragraph eloquently written, summarizes how each of us, at some point, will have to make hard decisions that do change the course of who we are.
If I were a high school, and, yes, even a college teacher, I would have this as a required reading for my students, hoping they too will recognize the essence of freedom and the human spirit. -
-- رواية تحكي عن الرقّ و العبوديّة في أمريكا قبل الحرب الأهليّة ، الأحداث تمّت في عام 1855 م .
-- انتهى الرقّ في الشمال و عاش السود أحرارًا كالبيض _ بمساعدة " الكوكرييّن البيض " ، و ما زال أهل الجنوب يستعبدون السود و يُهلكونهم بالتعذيب و العمل الشاقّ .
-- قصّة الرواية تدور حول أنّ شابّ جنوبي من أب ذي منصب هامّ في الدولة " عضو مجلس الشيوخ " ، و عنده ما يقارب المائة عبد يعملون في مزرعته و هو من أكبر أعيان " كارولينا الشماليّة " .
-- يلتقي الابن و هو في دراسته في الشمال بزملاء له كوكريّين يستضيفونه في بيتهم و يجعلونه يشاهد العبيد الهاربين من الجنوب و ما لاقوه من تعذيب ، عندها يعايش الشابّ ضغوط نفسيّة رهيبة يكتشف بعدها وسيلة ناجعة للتواؤم مع ذاته بعد أن طالت حربه الباطنة .
-- أحسن الكاتب في وصف النقلة النفسيّة و الصّراع الذي دار في نفس " فلتشر راندول " .
-- اللي عجبني في " فلتشر " إنّه مخدش قرار إلّا لمّا قعد و قرأ و راح و شاف ، شيء أكثر من رائع لشاب ما زال في العشرين من عمره .
-- الرواية خُطوة من خطوات كثيرة قطعها الأمريكان للتحرّر من العبوديّة .
-- بدايتي مع الأدب الأمريكي بشكل عام . -
a big THANK YOU to whoever donated this book to the library sale - I was thrilled to buy it and LOVED it! I won't over analyze or scrutinize this story, characters, or writing like many reviews! It goes without saying that Alex Haley's writing was fabulous! Simply Put - its a quick read & fantastic book. Perfect to read this time of year (or any other). Five stars indeed!
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Alex Haley sets this book in the mid 1880s. A white southerner who is attending Princeton. Fletcher starts to hear about the underground railroad. He grew up on a plantation where his family kept slaves. He meets a black slave who along with other people convince Fletcher to help them with the Underground Railroad. His visit back home in North Carolina at Christmas. His goal is to help with the underground railroad. A nice story about helping.
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I've always been drawn to the stories that tell of black struggles. This one was a bit different with the inner struggles of a white boy to save the blacks. He had courage and stood up for his beliefs even if it meant betrayal.
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Another wonderful story from a great Writer.
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Haley dedicates this story, “To the memory of all those whose courage, daring, and self-sacrifice made the Underground Railroad possible.”
It’s almost as if I were leaning over his shoulder as he conducted his family research…So many questions come up when we find the shortest blurbs on what person was where and when. This short story appears to have bubbled up out of a few names and places, and Haley was the fortunate scribe watching it unfold in his imagination. How much of this was anything close to reality? That’s where this story ends and so many others begin…
What might happen if an old-school Southern lad rubbed shoulders with those damned do-gooder Yankees on the hallowed ground of Princeton U? And what if some of their experience starts to rub off on him? Add to that the turbulent period of youth to manhood, and you’ve got yourself the makings of a crisis. How could anyone remain unchanged through an intense trial of spiritual and moral dilemma?
This could easily be a trite made-for-TV movie, as the characters seem very typecast, yet Haley masterfully creates a comfortable discomfort that draws us close enough to consider our own integrity. What ideals do you consider worth fighting for? What ideals would you be willing to die for? Not every author can pull that off so gracefully. -
في عيد ميلادي
من شعاع الشمس
من محيط عيني
على خدود الورد
سقطط دمعاتي
لتغمس الحلات ملحاً
في عيد ميلادي
لا ارى احداً
رائحة الثوم من الحقل
في انفي
وخيوط العنكبوت
على سقفي
وامي مسافره
وزاد الملح في عيني
وزاد الدمع يجري
ومات الورد في بعدك
وزاد الثوم في حقلي
الم تاتي ؟
حتى الغيم سيبعد
ليصل شعاع الشمس
الى وجهي
والسماء صافيه
والطريق مفتوحه
الن تاتي ؟
حتى ان القمر
قد وعدني
بان ينير جميع الطرقات
الى بيتي
في عيد ميلادي
الن تاتي ؟
حتى الريح ستكون ساكنه
والمطر
لن يهطل
بعد ان يغسل الطرقات
والانوار
ساجعلها تتلئلئ
على شرفه منزلي
في عيد ميلادي
اهدي الحب بكثره
الى كثره الناس
عندي
ان وجدوا
فانتي كل الناس
عندي
ان وجدتكي
الن تاتي ؟
في ليل عيد ميلادي
ساخذ حماماً
ساخناً
واقف امام المنزل
والتمس بوجهي
بروده الهواء
وانتظركي
وانتظر يدكي
لتلطف خدي
بدفئها
الن تاتي ؟
حتى الجيران
رايتهم على نوافذهم
وكانهم ينتظرونكي
لا يعرفون ماذا افعل انا
في الشارع
نعيق الضفاضع
وزنين الصراصير
واطارات السيارات تدور
وادور وادور
وادور اليكي
بعقلي
بفكري
بقلبي
الن تاتي ؟
في بعدكي
اتى الغيم وذهب الغيم
وحط سحاباً اسود
على وجهي
ورما بمياهً
روت شقوق الشارع
وخطاً
سارت اليكي
عندما دقت اجراس السماء
بالرعد والبرق
وختبئ القمر
ودخلت انا بعد المطر
واغلقت النافذه مرتجفاً
وجلست في انتظار
ان تاتي !
http://www.samerjaber.blogspot.co.il/... -
Alex Haley’s A Different Kind of Christmas is the first book I read for this year’s Christmas Spirit challenge. This novella set in 1855, follows 19-year old Randall Fletcher, son of a slave-holding plantation owner. While attending college at Princeton, he is befriended by three brothers who happen to be Quakers. Through his interaction with them and visits to their hometown of Philadelphia, he slowly awakens to the evils of slavery. Can Randall partner with a slave to betray his family as he is asked to plan the escape of slaves from his father’s and neighboring plantations on Christmas Eve?
While there are no surprises in the book, I did enjoy how Haley weaved in historical facts about the Friends/Quakers and the operation of the Underground Railroad into the story. A nice uplifting read for the holidays. -
Wow, Fletcher is the son of a plantation owner but he is attending college in the north. He meets Quakers for the first time and slowly but surely he begins to believe that slavery is wrong. He is taking an ethics class which furthers his belief that slavery is wrong. Fletcher becomes so upset over how slaves are treated that he volunteers to help the Underground Railroad. On a visit to his parents' plantation for Christmas, Fletcher has to use his cunning and courage to execute a plan of assisting twelve slaves to escape north. This was a profound story and fast read with much historical detail that I did not know before.
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I read this in college too but I enjoyed reading it again. I could easily identify with the main character and I loved the Quaker family described in this book. It is a great story about helping someone "see the light" and what approach is the most likely way to encourage someone to change his/her worldview. The story lacks detailed information about Fletcher's transformation and the ending leaves a lot to the imagination but this is a super quick read that leaves you with something to think about after the last page.
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A plantation boy has his trials with anti-southern discrimination at Princeton,* is shocked to see blacks walking around free, and meets Quakers who will introduce him to the Underground Railroad. These are solid basics foretelling a great tale, and the first half is just right. A good slice of pre-Civil War history as well.
Seems rushed at the end. Haley was either under pressure to finish or simply fumbled when plot details at the climactic ending seem simply omitted.
*Question: Would they have called an NC boy a "rebel" in 1850? -
A Different Kind of Christmas by Alex Haley
1855, time of slavery and underground railroad.
Fletcher has been granted a move on campus and he meets other religious groups of people and talks to them to understand about their lifestyle.
He attends President Lincoln's address about freeing the slaves and he knows he will be the master of the plantation in time.
Love details to make it a special day for everyone.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device). -
I loved the concept and the actual message behind this book. I was a little confused and skeptical about the actual intentions of Fletcher Randall at first, but by the end of the book I was pretty moved. This story just shows that no matter how you were raised, if you think that something isn't right, then it isn't. Even though his father was one of the most well known and well paid plantation owners in his state, that didn't stop him from doing exactly what he felt was right. I admire his braveness and his humility. Glad that I read it.
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ولكن مهما كان ألم الحاضر فى قلبه واهتزاز المستقبل فى عينيه"
فقد ادرك انه قد نجح فى ان يعيش مع نفسه ،
عندما نجح الا يعيش لنفسه "
بهذه الكلمات ينُهي الكاتب اليكس هيلي رائعته عيد ميلاد جديد برأيي أفضل ما تعرضت له ها هنا هو قدره القضايا والمبادئ في استقطاب اعدائها ليصيروا حلفاء مناصرين ليسوا فقط مناصرين لها وانما مدافعين عنها بارواحهم مثلما حدث هنا مع فلتشر حينما تحول من اكبر حلفاء الرق والعبوديه وكارهي السود حد الاشمئزاز من مصافحتهم او الاقتراب منهم الي مدافع عنهم بل وان شئت قل مضحيا بثروته وبمستقبله كوريث لاكبر مزارع الجنوب في سبيل تهريب مجموعه منهم وتخليصهم من الرق . -
Whereas I LOVED Roots and the generational approach to telling the tale of slavery, I'm not sure I'm suggesting everyone rush out to read this novella. If you're not going to commit yourself to reading Haley's masterpiece, I suppose this might suffice it, but this short tale of a young plantation owner's son realizing his disgust with slavery didn't grab me the way Roots did. Maybe because this was told more from the white perspective? Dunno. Very easy read, though, and a nice story.
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A good, quick read about a wealthy only son of a state representative/plantation owner father who is attending Princeton in the years preceding the Civil War. After he befriends some Quaker "friends" and visits Philadelphia and meets free blacks, he questions his whole world view. His courage is remarkable, although I would have liked more information about his thought processes, and some of Haley's details seems anachronistic... (Was there really baseball in 1855?)
