The Woodcutter's Christmas

A Vermont Christmas tree farmer learns a valuable lesson on a visit to New York City in this touching holiday story featuring stunning photographs.

“A modern holiday story set apart from the sentimental pack by Brad Kessler’s fine prose and Dona Ann McAdams’s beautiful black-and-white photos.” —Publishers Weekly

For one family in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood, the Christmas season begins with the arrival of the Woodcutter and his Christmas tree stand. Forweeks, twinkling electric lights and the scent of balsam hang over their corner of the street, and a cheerful yet mysterious stranger watches over his stock from a folding chair. Then, on Christmas Eve, he packs up and heads home to Vermont. But one winter, he does not return.

Several years later, a Vermont vacation brings the family past the Woodcutter’s home. When they pay him a visit, he shares the haunting yet heartwarming story of why he never came back to New York City . . .

Featuring elegant black-and-white photographs by award-winning photographer Dona Ann McAdams, The Woodcutter’s Christmas takes readers on a reflective journey from the gritty streets of Manhattan to the serene woodlands of Vermont. This is a story of love, family, and Christmas—and how one man discovered what truly matters most.

“Kessler’s soulful prose will instantly capture your heart with its simple and beautiful message.” —Times Union

“Readers seeking a book to become their personal family classic may say eureka when they read this charmer.” —Rocky Mountain News

“[The Woodcutter’s Christmas]could capture the collective imagination and become a timeless classic as O. Henry’s ‘Gift of the Magi’ or ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens.” —The Record