Two books, two very different takes on Christmas stories

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: Two Distinct Christmas Narratives

Release Date: December 20, 2024

NPR's "Book of the Day" episode delivered a festive double feature of Christmas-themed literature, showcasing two contrasting narratives that cater to different reader preferences. Hosted by Andrew Limbong, the episode delves into Benjamin Stevenson's murder mystery, Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret, and Dolly Parton's heartwarming children's book, Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas. This summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode, complete with notable quotes and timestamps.

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1. Benjamin Stevenson's Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret

Overview

Benjamin Stevenson's Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret presents a twist on traditional Christmas stories by intertwining the holiday spirit with a gripping murder mystery. Unlike typical Christmas tales featuring joyful reunions or festive cheer, this novel introduces readers to a classic detective narrative set against the backdrop of an Australian Christmas, which starkly contrasts the snowy scenes often depicted in Northern Hemisphere stories.

Interview Highlights

Character Introduction and Plot Premise

At [01:27], Stevenson shares his anticipation for the holiday season:

“Away and I can't wait to open presents with my kids, then relax, maybe snuggle up with some nice wine and read my way to a holiday escape.”

He introduces Ernest Cunningham, the protagonist, a reluctant amateur detective with a penchant for solving complex murders. At [01:54], Stevenson elaborates:

“Cause nothing says tis the season like a murder mystery where clues are spelled out in blood.”

Unique Elements and Genre Rules

Ernest Cunningham, voiced by Stevenson, embodies a deep appreciation for golden age murder mysteries, drawing inspiration from legends like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. At [02:32], Ernest explains his transition from fan to sleuth:

“And he keeps finding himself involved with real life murders. And he thinks to himself, well, if I apply the same rules that my favorite fictional detectives apply to these real life murders, maybe I can solve the crime.”

Stevenson emphasizes the importance of adhering to the classic "fair play" rules of mystery writing, ensuring that readers have all the necessary clues without resorting to gimmicks. At [04:23], Ernest outlines these principles:

“Well, it all boils down to the same thing, which is don't cheat. So they're called fair play mysteries for a reason.”

Christmas Integration and Plot Mechanics

The intertwining of Christmas elements with the mystery adds a unique flavor to the narrative. At [05:56], Stevenson discusses the Advent calendar motif:

“The book's 24 chapters and it's got these little pictures which give you one clue per chapter. And then the 24th chapter gives you the killer.”

This structure not only aligns with the festive countdown but also heightens the suspense as readers anticipate the resolution by Christmas Eve.

Personal Touch and Comedy Influence

Stevenson, a stand-up comedian, infuses his writing with comedic elements, enhancing the storytelling experience. At [08:15], Ernest draws parallels between crafting jokes and plotting mysteries:

“So the main thing is that comedy and stand up comedy especially, it's about controlling pace and tension. ... It makes me want to never be boring because I never want to get booed from the audience.”

This blend of humor and suspense differentiates his work within the mystery genre, offering a fresh take that appeals to a broad audience.

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2. Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas

Overview

Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas is a charming children's book that personifies her beloved French bulldog, Billy the Kid. The narrative revolves around Billy's dilemma of choosing between fame or family during the holiday season, encapsulating the essence of Christmas values and familial bonds.

Interview Highlights

Personal Connection to Christmas

At [11:15], Parton expresses her enduring love for the holiday:

“I love Christmas and I love all the Christmas decorations and I always have my house lit up inside and out every Christmas. I'm like a kid when it comes to Christmas.”

Her enthusiasm for the festivities is evident, reflecting in the vibrant descriptions of her home adorned with multiple Christmas trees, even in unconventional spaces like bathrooms.

Inspiration Behind the Book

Parton's inspiration stems from her close relationship with Billy the Kid, her real-life French bulldog. At [12:18], she shares:

“He belongs actually to my manager, Danny Nozel. And since he was a tiny little baby, he just took to me and I took to him. So I just claimed him and I said well, I'm just going to have to be his godmother, so that makes him my God dog.”

The book's narrative is intertwined with her personal experiences and values, emphasizing the importance of family and the joy of being home during the holidays.

Commitment to Literacy

A significant portion of the interview focuses on Parton's dedication to promoting children's literacy through her Imagination Library program. Motivated by her father's struggles with illiteracy, Parton launched the initiative to provide books to children from birth until they begin school. At [14:31], she reflects:

“I started the program called the imagination library about 30 years ago because of my dad, because he couldn't read and write, and he felt really, really embarrassed and bad about that.”

This initiative has remarkably distributed over 250 million books, fostering a love for reading and education among young learners.

Balancing Fame and Family

In discussing her book, Parton touches upon the universal dilemma of balancing professional commitments with personal life. At [12:51], she relates:

“Billy was on tour and we have to work in order to be able to buy somebody something for Christmas. So even Billy would understand that.”

This theme resonates with many, highlighting the sacrifices and choices individuals make to maintain familial bonds amidst busy schedules.

Future Plans and Personal Priorities

When asked about her plans for Christmas, Parton underscores the importance of family:

“It'll just be special that I'm gonna get to be home with my family and friends. So I'll just be happy that I'm and still had the chance to be home with my family, my husband and my brothers and sisters.”

Her commitment to being present with loved ones serves as a testament to the values depicted in her book.

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Conclusion

NPR's "Book of the Day" masterfully contrasts two distinct Christmas narratives—Benjamin Stevenson's suspense-filled mystery and Dolly Parton's heartfelt children's story. Both books, though vastly different in tone and genre, celebrate the spirit of Christmas in unique ways. Stevenson's Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret appeals to mystery aficionados seeking intellectual engagement, while Parton's Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas offers a warm, family-oriented tale perfect for young readers and holiday enjoyment.

For those interested in exploring these books further, Benjamin Stevenson's mystery novel is the third installment in his series featuring Ernest Cunningham, while Dolly Parton's children's book is a delightful addition to her literary contributions aimed at fostering literacy and joy among children.

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Note: This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections as per NPR's guidelines.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. OK, we've got two very different flavors of Christmas stories for you today. In a bit, we'll hear from the one and only Dolly Parton speaking about her book about a dog who comes home for Christmas. But first, Benjamin Stevenson's book Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret is a murder mystery. There is no cute dog coming home in this book. Instead, it's a very classic detective story with hints and clues along the way. The Now Stevenson's written a number of mysteries, and what I find interesting about writers working primarily within a genre is that they get to know all of its nooks and crannies. And there's a part of this interview with NPR's Aisha Rascoe where Stevenson lays out the rules of a mystery story and breaks apart what makes the genre tick. That's ahead.

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[Benjamin Stevenson]

Away and I can't wait to open presents with my kids, then relax, maybe snuggle up with some nice wine and read my way to a holiday escape.

[Ernest Cunningham]

There are quite a few differences between an Australian Christmas and the stereotypical Northern Hemisphere fare seen in most books and movies. For one thing, we don't get snow down under. What we do get in my specific experience is more murders.

[Benjamin Stevenson]

That's right, he said more murders. Cause nothing says tis the season like a murder mystery where clues are spelled out in blood. The book is by Australian comedian Benjamin Stevenson, and it's called Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret. It's the third in his series involving a reluctant amateur detective, Stevenson. Get us acquainted.

[Ernest Cunningham]

But before the killing starts, or the recounting of the killings, to be more precise, allow me to introduce myself. My name's Ernest Cunningham. I used to be a fan of reading golden Age murder mysteries until I found myself with a haphazard career getting stuck in the middle of real life once.

[Benjamin Stevenson]

This is a part of a series with the main character, Ernest Cunningham, who's got this track record of solving murders. So who is he how did he become this sleuth?

[Ernest Cunningham]

He's a huge fan of golden age murder mysteries, of classic detection fiction. You know, Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirier, he's a huge fan of that. And he keeps finding himself involved with real life murders. And he thinks to himself, well, if I apply the same rules that my favorite fictional detectives apply to these real life murders, maybe I can solve the crime.

[Benjamin Stevenson]

Can you talk about how Ernest ends up in this position where he's investigating a Christmas murder? It came to him because of his ex wife, right?

[Ernest Cunningham]

Yeah. So she rings him up. Her name is Erin. She's woken up in the morning covered in her partner's blood, and she's upstairs in the house and her partner has been found downstairs, murdered in the kitchen. And so she calls Ernest because Ernest is really good at solving impossible crimes. So he comes in to try and help her get out of prison. Now, her partner is running this kind of gala Christmas charity ball which features an internationally famous magician as the headline act. So Ernest deduces that all of his suspects are going to be backstage at the theater involved in the magic show. Magicians, hypnotists, illusionists, mentalists, magicians, assistants, you know, it's all the things that he doesn't believe should fit in a fair play mystery, because he's a skeptic. And the question is, well, how do you find a killer when every single person you're interviewing is literally paid in the art of deception? They're professional tricksters.

[Benjamin Stevenson]

And you talk a lot about the rules of classic mysteries. Can you talk a bit about these rules? Just. Just some of them, you know.

[Ernest Cunningham]

Yeah. Well, it all boils down to the same thing, which is don't cheat. So they're called fair play mysteries for a reason. So the rules, they're things like you can't have surprise identical twins. Nothing supernatural can be involved in the crime. So aliens or ghosts, you know, it's not considered fair. And then for this book, which is a Christmas special, obviously there's kind of unspoken rules to Christmas narratives as well. So one of my personal rules is that the detective must learn the true meaning of Christmas. And so he does throughout this book.

[Benjamin Stevenson]

Why mix the murder and the Christmas?

[Ernest Cunningham]

Well, I think that's what's so great about Christmas mysteries is it's supposed to be kind of joyous and happy and then something really dark happens, like a murder, really. In every detective novel, the detective wants to solve the crime, to kind of set the world right, to do justice. But in a Christmas special, you've got to solve the crime by Christmas morning. So I love that kind of level of extra festive suspense that you get with this little Christmas ticking clock. But also my books, they have a lot of those classic golden age detective style clues in them. Anagrams, numerical ciphers, there's little puzzles in them. And if I have a theme such as Christmas to, then they're really kind of fun to work with. So some of the clues that, like the victim writes the word Christmas on his kitchen floor, his own blood, or, you know, there's an Advent calendar, there's a secret Santa, all of these things are clues in the novel. So I get to create puzzles out of sort of Christmas standards.

[Benjamin Stevenson]

You know, I love that you set this up kind of like an Advent calendar, but then there's an actual Advent calendar that the murder victim has and that becomes a plot in the book, right?

[Ernest Cunningham]

Yeah. The book's 24 chapters and it's got these little pictures which give you one clue per chapter. And then the 24th chapter gives you the killer. We're into December already, so you have to kind of binge eat the chocolates for the first couple of days. But if you read a chapter a day, you solve the murder on Christmas Eve is the kind of idea behind the book. But yeah, that's one of the clues. So one of the victims loves Advent calendars and he opens his Advent calendar religiously and the day he dies, he opens the wrong door. And that is one of the clues.

[Benjamin Stevenson]

In the book and it's an important clue. You mentioned that you're a standup comedian and you perform with your brother James, and you are an identical twin and there are a set of identical twin sisters in this book. How did your experience as a twin influence how you wrote that relationship. Relationship between the twins in the book?

[Ernest Cunningham]

It was really fun to do because it's something that I've put off doing because as I said before, one of the rules of fair play mysteries is that you're not allowed to have identical twins in it. And in real life, I am breaking that rule. So I feel like a bit of a charlatan.

[Benjamin Stevenson]

So you're break.

[Dolly Parton]

Yeah.

[Benjamin Stevenson]

You're breaking the rules. Yeah.

[Ernest Cunningham]

And the reason the rule exists is so that if they switch at the end, it's not seen as fair because they switch places and you had no chance of knowing it was coming.

[Dolly Parton]

So.

[Ernest Cunningham]

So in chapter two of this book, Ernest outright says, okay, there's identical twins, but to make it fair, I'm going to tell you they're going to switch Places now and then when they do, it will be fair. But I kind of put in all of James, my brother and I's relationship. And, you know, we tried switching places at high school. One time he couldn't get his driver's license photo accepted by the dmv. So we used each other's photos and so I was on his license. You know those kind of shenanigans.

[Benjamin Stevenson]

When you are writing a mystery with all of these kind of plot twists and things like that, do you see any parallels to like crafting a joke, to like plotting a murder mystery twist?

[Ernest Cunningham]

100%, absolutely. And I think that's kind of what benefits my writing or makes my mysteries unique and in my own voice is that I use all of the tools from stand up comedy to build the mysteries. So things like the rule of threes, which in comedy is that you've got to mention something three times before you pay it off with a punchline. I mean, that's exactly the same as drip feeding a clue through a novel. A classic joke structure might be a pullback and reveal where you say something and then you reveal it to mean something else. And that again works really well for crime clues. But the main thing is that comedy and stand up comedy especially, it's about controlling pace and tension. You're putting tension in the room and then when you're breaking the tension, you get rewarded with a laugh. And what you're doing is you're setting things up and then surprising people. You're trying to set it and break it every kind of 15 to 60 seconds. When I'm controlling it in a novel, I'm trying to set it and break it every 50 pages. So I kind of need larger kind of tensions also just in terms of pace, comedy, it's so important to never lose the pace because people can just yell out, you suck, get off. And nobody can yell, you suck, get off. At me while they're reading my book. But I try to imagine when I'm writing like a heckler behind me in my office yelling at me the same way they would in a comedy club. And it makes me want to never be boring because I never want to get booed from the audience.

[Benjamin Stevenson]

That's Benjamin Stevenson, his latest murder mystery. Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret is out now. Thanks for joining us.

[Ernest Cunningham]

Thank you for having me.

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[Andrew Limbong]

This next interview is partly about Dolly Parton's new book, billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas, inspired by Parton's dog, but it's also about Parton's commitment to literacy. In this interview with NPR's Michelle Martin, she talks about the influence her father had on her as a man who was one of the smartest people she knew and yet he couldn't read. Here's the interview.

[Michelle Martin]

It is no secret that superstar Dolly Parton does it all. But in her long list of accomplishments, one mission stands out, and that is Dolly's commitment to promote children's literacy around the world. Dolly also loves Christmas and her French bulldog named Billy the Kid. Inspired by both, Dolly now brings us Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas. It's a new children's book in which her canine sidekick has to decide between fame or family this holiday season. And Dolly Parton is with us now. Welcome. Thank you so much for joining us.

[Dolly Parton]

Well, thank you. And a very early Merry Christmas to you.

[Michelle Martin]

I appreciate that. So I read someplace that you put a Christmas tree in every of your home in Tennessee. Is that true?

[Dolly Parton]

It's true. They're not always big ones, but they're little ones, medium ones or whatever. But there's always some sort of little tree. Even in my bathrooms I have little trees and, you know, just cute little things. But I love Christmas and I love all the Christmas decorations and I always have my house lit up inside and out every Christmas. I'm like a kid when it comes to Christmas.

[Michelle Martin]

What is it about the holiday that you love so much?

[Dolly Parton]

Oh, I just love all the festivities. I turn on my Christmas lights the night of Thanksgiving. I just love family, friends, all the gatherings and all the wonderful food that goes along with it as well. So what's not to love about Christmas? And I like the presents. I like to get them and I like to give them.

[Michelle Martin]

Well, yes, exactly. So Billy the Kid is your real life God dog, I understand, who lives in Nashville and has a following on Instagram for people who know about that. So tell us about him. How did he come into your life?

[Dolly Parton]

Well, he belongs actually to my manager, Danny Nozel. And since he was a tiny little baby, he just took to me and I took to him. So I just claimed him and I said well, I'm just going to have to be his godmother, so that makes him my God dog.

[Michelle Martin]

Exactly, exactly.

[Dolly Parton]

And he thinks of me as his dolly mama. And so I just enjoy Billy and I enjoy Christmas. So why not do a Christmas book on Billy the Kid?

[Michelle Martin]

How did the idea come to you, though? Was it when you were doing one of your kind of fun things together? I was just kind of wondering how the idea came to you.

[Dolly Parton]

The books are based on either a song that I've written of children's songs, or this one is a song that I wrote called I'm Coming Home for Christmas. And so I thought, well, that would be perfect to talk about family and friends and wanting to be home during the holidays. And Billy's a star now. He became that in his first book. So it just seemed to be right for him to actually have to make a decision whether he's going to go home for Christmas or stay on tour. Gets a big offer for the Barker Fellow center to perform there. In the book, there's much story in between, but he eventually winds up getting to be home at Christmas.

[Michelle Martin]

After all, there are lots of people who face that dilemma. And is there a moment when that was particularly painful or difficult for you?

[Dolly Parton]

Oh, absolutely. Many times through the years, that little hum always wants me to go home for the holidays. And to my knowledge, I've never missed a Christmas. I try to set it up beforehand, no matter what kind of offers we get. Whether I'm working Vegas or back in the day, when I did do that, or even on tour, I always say, I'm not going to be working for Christmas. I want to be home for Christmas. And that's kind of what this was about. Billy was on tour and we have to work in order to be able to buy somebody something for Christmas. So even Billy would understand that. But, yes, I totally relate to that. And I try to incorporate in the books that we write parts of myself and my own feelings about things.

[Michelle Martin]

As I said earlier, that really stands out is your commitment to children's literacy. And I just wondered if you could remind us where that comes from.

[Dolly Parton]

Well, I started the program called the imagination library about 30 years ago because of my dad, because he couldn't read and write, and he felt really, really embarrassed and bad about that. Tried to kind of keep it a secret, so to speak. But Daddy was so smart, and I always wondered what all he might have been had he had an education. But I think he was what he wanted to be. Our daddy, you know, married to my mama, you know, simple mountain country farmer. But Daddy was really bright. And I used to always go to Daddy for information and for advice about things, even my own business. As I started to grow, Daddy was. Had great input. So I thought, I'm going to do something great, and I'm going to involve my daddy in it. I'm going to start this little program where children get a book from the time they're born once a month until they start kindergarten. That way they can learn to read. They can kind of. They get their little book with their little name on it. It gives them a great interest in that to think, oh, when they get big enough to know that that's theirs, they're going to get somebody to help them read. So I thought, well, this would be a great little thing in our home area. But it went over a couple of counties, and before you know it, it was all over Tennessee. And now we've given away 250 million books since we started. So I'm very proud. And my dad got to live long enough to see it doing great. And I involved him in it, asked his advice and kind of. And he felt real good about that, and that made me feel real good.

[Michelle Martin]

Did he ever learn to read?

[Dolly Parton]

I don't think so. Not to any degree. But, you know, he could make out. I think he, you know, he would know our names on site and all that, but he's a smart guy, so I think it's true. It's very crippling to people because then I think after they're grown, they believe that they can't learn it because it seems like it's too big of a deal somehow, or they just don't have the time to go learn something. You got a family to feed. You got to do what you got to do. But we just knew it, like I say, early on. And I think Mama would say certain things now, don't bother your daddy with that. You come to me with that sort of thing.

[Michelle Martin]

Wow, that's amazing. Well, thank you so much for talking with us. Before we let you go, what are you up to this Christmas? I know you said it's a priority. You make it a point to be home for Christmas with family and friends. Anything special happening this Christmas that you can share?

[Dolly Parton]

It'll just be special that I'm gonna get to be home with my family and friends. So I'll just be happy that I'm and still had the chance to be home with my family, my husband and my brothers and sisters.

[Michelle Martin]

That is Dolly Parton, her new children's book is Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas. Dolly Parton, thank you so much for talking with us. And Merry Christmas to you.

[Dolly Parton]

And Merry Christmas to you. I'm coming Home for Christmas.

[Andrew Limbong]

And that's it for for this week on NPR's Book of the Day. If you want more, you can sign up for our [e-mail] Newsletter Books I'm Andrew Limbong. The podcast is produced by Danica Panetta and Chloe Weiner and edited by Megan Sullivan. Our founding editor is Petra Maher. The show elements for this week were produced and edited by Karen Miller Medson, Todd Muntz, Mark Navin, Sarah Handel, Jordan Marie Smith, Elena Torick, Melissa Gray, Adriana Gallardo and Anna Pettis. Beth Donovan is our managing editor. Thanks for listening.

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