Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for Dec. 8–14

This week, we get into the holiday spirit by unwrapping the backstory of a much-loved Christmas poem and delight in the creative rendition of a familiar carol.

Classics

‘Twas the Night: The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem’ By Pamela McColl

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of “Twas the Night before Christmas,” and Pamela McColl is here to help us celebrate. Ms. McColl spent over a decade putting together this lavish collection of commentary, quotations, paintings, and illustrations of this renowned poem, and the result is this beautiful homage to the author Clement Moore and to writers like Washington Irving, to American history and art, and of course, to St. Nicholas. A holiday gift the entire family will enjoy.