Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters [First Edition]

New York: Scholastic Inc., 1994. [1994] First Edition, tall hardcover and dustjacket, beautifully illustrated by John Thompson, 68 pages. Condition: Hardcover is Fine; dustjacket has price clipped on flap (probably once a gift book), else Fine. Free of the smells of smoke from a cigarette or cigar smoker. Kept in temperature-controlled room by a book collector. In gift-giving condition (great any time of the year). This is the story of Christmastime on a plantation in Virginia, in 1859. In the Big House, there is food and warm hospitality, and light and color - elegance and beauty at every turn. There's also talk of John Brown's raid, slave (enslaved) people, uprisings, secession, and war. In the enslaved Quarters nearby, there is no such grandeur for the families who live in cramped one-room cabins with dirt floors. Some slaves who were sold away are reunited with those they love, if only for a day. Their songs and stories are filled with the hope that somehow they will be free one day. In fascinating and moving text, the authors compare and contrast how Christmas was celebrated in the big plantation house and the slave quarters during the period just before the Civil War. Here is a story that brings to life the holiday, recipes, poems, and songs. A wonderful first edition book to treasure. Note: We are a well-established, well-respected, ethical book dealer in business since 1991. We describe the condition of our books thoroughly and honestly, so you'll know exactly what you will be receiving when you order. We ship promptly. . First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. Illus. by John Thompson.