Two books, two very different takes on Christmas stories

NPR's Book of the Day

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Books, Arts

4.2 • 671 Ratings

🗓️ 20 December 2024

⏱️ 18 minutes

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Summary

Two books take dramatically different approaches to the Christmas story. First, in Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret, reluctant detective Ernest Cunningham finds himself in the middle of another murder mystery. His ex-wife's partner has been killed and every suspect is a master of the art of deception. The book is the third installment of comedian Benjamin Stevenson's Ernest Cunningham mysteries series. In today's episode, Stevenson joins NPR's Ayesha Rascoe for a discussion that touches on the essential rules of the genre, the fun of writing to the holiday theme, and the commonalities between his comedy and writing practices. We then hear from Dolly Parton about her new picture book, Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas. She speaks with NPR's Michel Martin about her real-life French bulldog, the inspiration for her children's literacy program, and her annual Christmas traditions.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. Okay, we've got two very different
0:06.8	flavors of Christmas stories for you today. In a bit, we'll hear from the one and only
0:11.4	Dolly Parton speaking about her book, about a dog who comes home for Christmas. But first,
0:17.3	Benjamin Stevenson's book, Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret, is a murder mystery.
0:22.6	There is no cute dog coming home in this book.
0:25.3	Instead, it's a very classic detective story with hints and clues along the way.
0:30.4	Now, Stevenson's written a number of mysteries, and what I find interesting about writers
0:34.0	working primarily within a genre is that they get to know all of its nooks
0:38.9	and crannies. And there's a part of this interview with Empire's Aisha Roscoe where
0:42.7	Stevenson lays out the rules of a mystery story and breaks apart what makes the genre tick.
0:49.7	That's ahead. In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life. Distant wars, murky
0:57.5	conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show, Sources and Methods. NPR reporters on
1:03.5	the ground bring you stories of real people helping you understand why distant events matter
1:08.5	here at home. Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or
1:12.7	wherever you get your podcasts. Christmas is about two weeks away and I can't wait to open
1:19.8	presents with my kids, then relax, maybe snuggle up with some nice wine and read my way to a holiday escape.
1:30.0	There are quite a few differences between an Australian Christmas
1:32.9	and the stereotypical Northern Hemisphere Fair seen in most books and movies.
1:37.5	For one thing, we don't get snow down under.
1:40.3	What we do get, in my specific experience, is more murders.
1:44.5	That's right, he said more murders, because nothing says tis the season like a murder mystery where clues are spelled out in blood.
1:53.9	The book is by Australian comedian Benjamin Stevenson, and it's called Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret.
	...

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