Little Christmas, Newly Discovered Classic Written by Carroll Gardens Native Son

A couple of days before Christmas last year I went up to BookCourt to look for a Christmas story written by Frank McCourt. Unfortunately that book was unavailable but as I waited for them to check, I happened to notice a slender book on the counter near the register. It was called Little Christmas and, as I flipped through the pages, the following words jumped out at me: St. Lucy cookies, St. Mary Star of the Sea, struffoli, crab sauce. This looked like my kind of book and I immediately decided to make it a gift to myself.

Little Christmas is a magical Christmas memoir by Vito Gentile, a Carroll Gardens native. Mr. Gentile is also a poet and playwright who taught dramatic writing at NYU for several years. Most of Mr. Gentile’s lovely memories in Little Christmas are from the 1950’s but he ties the whole book up like a Christmas present with a day of experiences which take place on Little Christmas, January 6th, in modern-day London. The whole book is interspersed with stirring Christmas-themed poems which Mr. Gentile has written over the years.

Mr. Gentile so beautifully conveys his love of family, tradition, and the true meaning of Christmas. I read the whole book in two sittings but I know that I will want to re-read it every Christmas. The writing is so moving, his delightful family members so real, his memories so vivid that I laughed out loud and shed more than one “memory-tear.” One of my favorite parts, other than the stuffoli parts, of course, is when a young Mr. Gentile and his little brother Joey meet their father as he returned home from his job on the waterfront in the hope of convincing him to buy a Christmas tree early in the season. The ensuing scenes are both funny and heartwarming.

Little Christmas makes a perfect read whether you are an old-time Carroll Gardens resident who longs to be transported back to the good old days even just for a little while or a newcomer who would like to learn about the traditions and true character of long-ago Carroll Gardens. I am so glad I happened upon this enchanting book; I just loved it and I think you will enjoy it, too.

Little Christmas is available at Amazon.com