The Legend of Holly Claus
(2004, Ages 9 and Up)
12/18/15
When it comes to Christmas stories, I’m not afraid to admit that I am a bit old-fashioned. Whether they be the classic TV specials of yesteryear—like the animated Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Frosty the Snowman—or the century-old legends—like ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, A Christmas Carol, and my personal favorite, The Nutcracker—the tales I love best around the holidays are the ones that not only share the festiveness of the Christmas tradition, but relate that all-powerful mantra, the “true meaning of Christmas”, in ways that are both humbling and universal. Plus, just like good old Charlie Brown, I also have a tendency to feel some depression by today’s commercialism of Christmas.
All of which leads me to this month’s topic: I can’t recall the circumstances of how I found this book, but I’ve always been glad that I did. It’s only about ten years old, and yet its characters, its artwork, and its message, easily make it feel timeless. To celebrate such a joyful occasion, I’d like to talk about one of my all-time favorite Christmas novels.
This story begins with a sort of reversal on a cherished tradition: As the special holiday draws near, children from all over the world write letters to Santa Claus filled with wishes that they would like granted and gifts they would like to receive. But then, one poor little boy named Christopher decides to write a letter of a very different kind to Santa; rather than asking him for some gift, Christopher presents him with a question that no mortal has ever asked: “What do you wish for Christmas, Santa?” And it is this boy’s letter that marks a new beginning for Santa Claus—better known in his realm as Nicholas—for it makes him realize that what he would truly love more than anything . . . is a child of his own. This in turn marks a new beginning for the Land of the Immortals, a place in which “Love Conquers Time,” and over which the wise and kind Nicholas reigns as king, alongside his queen, Viviana. Unfortunately, Herrikhan, an evil sorcerer banished by the universe itself, places a curse upon Holly, the new-born princess, which imprisons her heart in ice, and permanently locks the gates to the Land of the Immortals. So now, with the exception of Nicholas for his annual Christmas delivery, no Immortal can leave the kingdom, nor can the deceased mortals who have earned immortality enter. It ultimately falls on Holly herself to foil Herrikhan’s plans. Traveling to early 20th century New York as a young woman, and upon seeing for herself just how much in need it is of the warmth and compassion the city has long-since lost—especially toward its children, both rich and poor—Holly strives to find a way to bring joy back into the people’s lives and thereby use the strength and courage that joy gives her to defeat Herrikhan and keep the spirit and wonder of Christmas alive for all the people of the world who need it most.
To begin with, both the cover art by Ryan herself and the accompanying illustrations of Laurel Long are just breath-taking, combining elegant realism with whimsical fancy. There is a separate page at the beginning of the book listing the location of every picture within, each one a work of art in and of itself, with such gorgeous pencil-shaded detail that they appear more like portraits of real people than fictional illustrations. One of my favorite pictures is on page 113, depicting Holly’s bedroom. The chandelier and the canopy of her bed are lined with ice crystals and the numerous leaves of silvery trees cover the entire ceiling as if the room is within a forest. Her toys, dolls and wooden soldiers and stuffed animals lay strewn about the floor or bursting out of the toy chest, all but forgotten. With Tundra, her wolf guardian, and Lexy the fox, watching intently from below—Holly stands upon a stack of books so as to reach her enchanted telescope through which she can see far off into the mortal world.
This is one Christmas story that I believe is truly original. Ryan breathes new life into both the legend and the man that is Santa Clause. Once known as St. Nicholas during his mortal life on earth, once that life ended, he was crowned the king of the Land of Forever by the elders of the universe for his selfless acts of generosity. While this title literally and figuratively gives him vast power over both humans and a wide array of magical creatures, he is still someone who would gladly offer a knee for a child to climb onto for a story before bedtime. And speaking of children, just as the legends say, Nicholas always has a special place in his heart for the young as, not only are they and their antics just so adorable, but their faith in dreams and magic has a power all its own for which he has the utmost respect and love:
“‘Of course, [Molly] did throw that doll down the well, You Highness,’ said a calm voice from the corner.
Nicholas glanced over to the speaker, a pure white wolf who lay, apparently asleep, on the thick, soft rug. ‘Of course she did,’ he agreed. ‘Banged her on the head first and then tossed her in.’
‘And the funeral, sire. She made the neighbor children pay to come.’
Nicholas laughed harder. ‘Did she? That’s my little Molly! Bless her soul.’ He thought for a moment. ‘It sounds as though we’ve lost Stella, though, Terra.’
‘Yes, Your Majesty,’ said the wolf quietly. She knew that it always hurt him when they stop believing.
‘But Molly, now; she’ll be with us a long time,’ said Nicholas brightly. ‘Maybe she’s one of the ones who will last forever.’ He reached for the next letter, but his mind lingered on Molly. How he would mourn the day she stopped writing to him. But no, he scolded himself, he would have the pleasure of watching her story unfold. And besides, that’s how it had to be. [. . .]
[. . .] Nicholas, burrowed in his chair, read letter after letter. Many of them made him smile; a few made him laugh out loud; but each one was precious to him, for it told him the story of a child he knew and loved. Kostya was trying to be considerate of others and a new butterfly net would help; Astrid was certain she could be good if only she had a set of paints; Santiago admitted that he had behaved terribly about the cat, but regretted it and wanted some soldiers, please; Elena and Concetta were bent on becoming pirates, so they needed some books on the subject; Silas planned to go west as soon as possible and would require a small wagon. On and on it went, thousands of children, each alive to possibility and dreams. (Pg. 16-17)
Holly, as she grows up, proves to be just as kind and noble as her legendary father, striving to help all she meets however she can, from teaching a cockeyed reindeer to fly, to using her newfound ability to form perfect dolls with only her hands in almost no time flat. But she finds herself hindered by Herrikhan’s curse, not only by the very nature of it, as she must always stay in cold areas to keep her heart alive, but by the other repercussions it brings on, such as many people in the kingdom being afraid of Holly, believing that her presence will bring another visit from Herrikhan. This, in fact, exemplifies one of the main messages of the story: how fear alone is capable of crippling, if not destroying, dreams and life. When she, at long last, makes it to New York City, she finds population divided by age as well as class, and, consequently, by distress and confusion. For instance, Holly invites some rich but timid children to play with her in the snow before being stopped by their stern governess:
“‘[Miss Bellows’] sharp eyes took in [Holly’s] disheveled appearance. [. . .] “And under whose authority have you invited the children in my care to go skating with ruffians?’
‘Under my own,’ said Holly steadily.
‘I’m afraid, Miss Claus, or whoever you are, that is insufficient. The children of Dr. Louis Braunfels do not proceed in such a disordered fashion. And they most certainly do not skate in the kind of low company you obviously find attractive.’
‘What do you mean by ‘low company’?’ asked Holly, honestly curious.
Miss Bellows turned redder than ever. ‘The common, squalid characters who frequent the lake, that’s what I mean by low company, Miss Claus.’
‘Ah,’ said Holly, staring at Miss Bellows’s face. ‘That’s what you mean,’ she repeated absently.
‘And now I bid you good day!’ snapped Miss Bellows.
Holly tilted her head questioningly. She seemed to be thinking about something far different than the topic at hand. She looked into Miss Bellows’s small blue eyes for a moment, until the governess dropped her gaze. The children watched, openmouthed, for Miss Bellows appeared, suddenly, not to know what to do. She was twisting her handkerchief in the strangest fashion.
‘What are you afraid of?’ said Holly softly.
‘The children,’ gulped Miss Bellows.
‘Why?” asked Holly.
‘Because they hate me.’
‘No. They are frightened of you, but they don’t hate you. They will love you if you love them.’ Holly looked intently into Miss Bellows’s eyes and then transferred Evelyn’s hand from her own to the governess’s.
Miss Bellows swallowed visibly. Evelyn, staring at her governess’s fearful face, suddenly felt a rush of compassion for Miss Bellows.” (Pg. 262-263)
But there is no way my words alone could ever do this Christmas masterpiece justice. Ryan does not simply give readers a little village in the middle of the North Pole, teaming with elves and reindeer. Here is a place that only five living mortals have witnessed—and then only the fringes of it—encircled in magical jewel-like glaciers and where silver snowflakes swirl in the air like ballet dancers, where the spirit of Christmas is a way of life, as far away and yet not so far away as a dream, but every bit as enchanting. In this way, though Holly Claus is primarily Christmas-themed, it has something for every lover of fantasy. Holly serves as the bridge that reconnects humanity with the love of childhood and the power of faith. In fact (though I don’t know if this practice is still in effect today), this book and its heroine have become so popular that back in 2005, the United States Post Office officially recognized Holly’s home as an address—complete with its own zip code of 90209-1225—to which children can write letters to Holly and the Claus family; and Ryan actually answers those letters as Holly herself! Ryan combines pure wonder with rich detail and compelling characters and narrative to create a delight for both the eye and the imagination in honor of the most joyous of holidays.
CREDITS:
All images, audio, and links belong to their respective owners; no copyright infringement is intended.
All book excerpts are from The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan (2004 paperback edition; published by HarperTrophy).
MAIN THEME:
“The Call” – Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund
All of which leads me to this month’s topic: I can’t recall the circumstances of how I found this book, but I’ve always been glad that I did. It’s only about ten years old, and yet its characters, its artwork, and its message, easily make it feel timeless. To celebrate such a joyful occasion, I’d like to talk about one of my all-time favorite Christmas novels.
This story begins with a sort of reversal on a cherished tradition: As the special holiday draws near, children from all over the world write letters to Santa Claus filled with wishes that they would like granted and gifts they would like to receive. But then, one poor little boy named Christopher decides to write a letter of a very different kind to Santa; rather than asking him for some gift, Christopher presents him with a question that no mortal has ever asked: “What do you wish for Christmas, Santa?” And it is this boy’s letter that marks a new beginning for Santa Claus—better known in his realm as Nicholas—for it makes him realize that what he would truly love more than anything . . . is a child of his own. This in turn marks a new beginning for the Land of the Immortals, a place in which “Love Conquers Time,” and over which the wise and kind Nicholas reigns as king, alongside his queen, Viviana. Unfortunately, Herrikhan, an evil sorcerer banished by the universe itself, places a curse upon Holly, the new-born princess, which imprisons her heart in ice, and permanently locks the gates to the Land of the Immortals. So now, with the exception of Nicholas for his annual Christmas delivery, no Immortal can leave the kingdom, nor can the deceased mortals who have earned immortality enter. It ultimately falls on Holly herself to foil Herrikhan’s plans. Traveling to early 20th century New York as a young woman, and upon seeing for herself just how much in need it is of the warmth and compassion the city has long-since lost—especially toward its children, both rich and poor—Holly strives to find a way to bring joy back into the people’s lives and thereby use the strength and courage that joy gives her to defeat Herrikhan and keep the spirit and wonder of Christmas alive for all the people of the world who need it most.
To begin with, both the cover art by Ryan herself and the accompanying illustrations of Laurel Long are just breath-taking, combining elegant realism with whimsical fancy. There is a separate page at the beginning of the book listing the location of every picture within, each one a work of art in and of itself, with such gorgeous pencil-shaded detail that they appear more like portraits of real people than fictional illustrations. One of my favorite pictures is on page 113, depicting Holly’s bedroom. The chandelier and the canopy of her bed are lined with ice crystals and the numerous leaves of silvery trees cover the entire ceiling as if the room is within a forest. Her toys, dolls and wooden soldiers and stuffed animals lay strewn about the floor or bursting out of the toy chest, all but forgotten. With Tundra, her wolf guardian, and Lexy the fox, watching intently from below—Holly stands upon a stack of books so as to reach her enchanted telescope through which she can see far off into the mortal world.
This is one Christmas story that I believe is truly original. Ryan breathes new life into both the legend and the man that is Santa Clause. Once known as St. Nicholas during his mortal life on earth, once that life ended, he was crowned the king of the Land of Forever by the elders of the universe for his selfless acts of generosity. While this title literally and figuratively gives him vast power over both humans and a wide array of magical creatures, he is still someone who would gladly offer a knee for a child to climb onto for a story before bedtime. And speaking of children, just as the legends say, Nicholas always has a special place in his heart for the young as, not only are they and their antics just so adorable, but their faith in dreams and magic has a power all its own for which he has the utmost respect and love:
“‘Of course, [Molly] did throw that doll down the well, You Highness,’ said a calm voice from the corner.
Nicholas glanced over to the speaker, a pure white wolf who lay, apparently asleep, on the thick, soft rug. ‘Of course she did,’ he agreed. ‘Banged her on the head first and then tossed her in.’
‘And the funeral, sire. She made the neighbor children pay to come.’
Nicholas laughed harder. ‘Did she? That’s my little Molly! Bless her soul.’ He thought for a moment. ‘It sounds as though we’ve lost Stella, though, Terra.’
‘Yes, Your Majesty,’ said the wolf quietly. She knew that it always hurt him when they stop believing.
‘But Molly, now; she’ll be with us a long time,’ said Nicholas brightly. ‘Maybe she’s one of the ones who will last forever.’ He reached for the next letter, but his mind lingered on Molly. How he would mourn the day she stopped writing to him. But no, he scolded himself, he would have the pleasure of watching her story unfold. And besides, that’s how it had to be. [. . .]
[. . .] Nicholas, burrowed in his chair, read letter after letter. Many of them made him smile; a few made him laugh out loud; but each one was precious to him, for it told him the story of a child he knew and loved. Kostya was trying to be considerate of others and a new butterfly net would help; Astrid was certain she could be good if only she had a set of paints; Santiago admitted that he had behaved terribly about the cat, but regretted it and wanted some soldiers, please; Elena and Concetta were bent on becoming pirates, so they needed some books on the subject; Silas planned to go west as soon as possible and would require a small wagon. On and on it went, thousands of children, each alive to possibility and dreams. (Pg. 16-17)
Holly, as she grows up, proves to be just as kind and noble as her legendary father, striving to help all she meets however she can, from teaching a cockeyed reindeer to fly, to using her newfound ability to form perfect dolls with only her hands in almost no time flat. But she finds herself hindered by Herrikhan’s curse, not only by the very nature of it, as she must always stay in cold areas to keep her heart alive, but by the other repercussions it brings on, such as many people in the kingdom being afraid of Holly, believing that her presence will bring another visit from Herrikhan. This, in fact, exemplifies one of the main messages of the story: how fear alone is capable of crippling, if not destroying, dreams and life. When she, at long last, makes it to New York City, she finds population divided by age as well as class, and, consequently, by distress and confusion. For instance, Holly invites some rich but timid children to play with her in the snow before being stopped by their stern governess:
“‘[Miss Bellows’] sharp eyes took in [Holly’s] disheveled appearance. [. . .] “And under whose authority have you invited the children in my care to go skating with ruffians?’
‘Under my own,’ said Holly steadily.
‘I’m afraid, Miss Claus, or whoever you are, that is insufficient. The children of Dr. Louis Braunfels do not proceed in such a disordered fashion. And they most certainly do not skate in the kind of low company you obviously find attractive.’
‘What do you mean by ‘low company’?’ asked Holly, honestly curious.
Miss Bellows turned redder than ever. ‘The common, squalid characters who frequent the lake, that’s what I mean by low company, Miss Claus.’
‘Ah,’ said Holly, staring at Miss Bellows’s face. ‘That’s what you mean,’ she repeated absently.
‘And now I bid you good day!’ snapped Miss Bellows.
Holly tilted her head questioningly. She seemed to be thinking about something far different than the topic at hand. She looked into Miss Bellows’s small blue eyes for a moment, until the governess dropped her gaze. The children watched, openmouthed, for Miss Bellows appeared, suddenly, not to know what to do. She was twisting her handkerchief in the strangest fashion.
‘What are you afraid of?’ said Holly softly.
‘The children,’ gulped Miss Bellows.
‘Why?” asked Holly.
‘Because they hate me.’
‘No. They are frightened of you, but they don’t hate you. They will love you if you love them.’ Holly looked intently into Miss Bellows’s eyes and then transferred Evelyn’s hand from her own to the governess’s.
Miss Bellows swallowed visibly. Evelyn, staring at her governess’s fearful face, suddenly felt a rush of compassion for Miss Bellows.” (Pg. 262-263)
But there is no way my words alone could ever do this Christmas masterpiece justice. Ryan does not simply give readers a little village in the middle of the North Pole, teaming with elves and reindeer. Here is a place that only five living mortals have witnessed—and then only the fringes of it—encircled in magical jewel-like glaciers and where silver snowflakes swirl in the air like ballet dancers, where the spirit of Christmas is a way of life, as far away and yet not so far away as a dream, but every bit as enchanting. In this way, though Holly Claus is primarily Christmas-themed, it has something for every lover of fantasy. Holly serves as the bridge that reconnects humanity with the love of childhood and the power of faith. In fact (though I don’t know if this practice is still in effect today), this book and its heroine have become so popular that back in 2005, the United States Post Office officially recognized Holly’s home as an address—complete with its own zip code of 90209-1225—to which children can write letters to Holly and the Claus family; and Ryan actually answers those letters as Holly herself! Ryan combines pure wonder with rich detail and compelling characters and narrative to create a delight for both the eye and the imagination in honor of the most joyous of holidays.
CREDITS:
All images, audio, and links belong to their respective owners; no copyright infringement is intended.
All book excerpts are from The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan (2004 paperback edition; published by HarperTrophy).
MAIN THEME:
“The Call” – Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund
EPISODE SONGS:
“Saturnalia Peace” - The Curellis
“Saturnalia Peace” - The Curellis
“So Softly Falls the Snow” - Thomas Wayne King
“Winter Magic” - Thomas Wayne King
Download the full 15-minute episode here!
Brittney Ryan on Wikipedia
Brittney Ryan's Facebook Page
The Legend of Holly Claus on Goodreads
The Legend of Holly Claus on Common Sense Media
Buy The Legend of Holly Claus at Barnes & Noble
Buy The Legend of Holly Claus on Amazon
Buy The Legend of Holly Claus on EBay
^^ Back to Books, Graphic Novels, and Other Works of Literature
Brittney Ryan on Wikipedia
Brittney Ryan's Facebook Page
The Legend of Holly Claus on Goodreads
The Legend of Holly Claus on Common Sense Media
Buy The Legend of Holly Claus at Barnes & Noble
Buy The Legend of Holly Claus on Amazon
Buy The Legend of Holly Claus on EBay
^^ Back to Books, Graphic Novels, and Other Works of Literature