Nativity

A Christmas Tale

By: Joseph Bottum

Narrated by: Brian Troxell

Michael Stuyvesant was dying. A wealthy, courteous, and controlled man, all he wanted was to get to Denver to visit his children for one last Christmas. But sometimes even money, good manners, and a compulsive desire for order are not enough. God, the weather, a gigantic shopping-mall Santa Claus, and a pregnant girl who called herself Cheyenne - "like the city. And a river, too. And a mountain and an Indian tribe. I looked it up" - had other plans for him. "'Michael! Michael, oh my God, Michael! What did you do?' he heard in a shriek behind him as he picked up the fallen weapon. He turned to see Cheyenne’s head poking sideways out the open driver’s-side door. Her elfin face, he thought distractedly - the triangular, fox-like face of an elf who thought he had just killed Santa Claus. And what else would she think? Michael Stuyvesant, a man who prided himself on the calm order of his life, stood with a tire iron in his hand, straddling the body of a titanic Kris Kringle while the fat snowflakes drifted down around him and the chiming, clicking noises of an expensive SUV merged with the screams of a pregnant teenager. 'Oh, shut up,' he said."

The second of Kindle Singles author Joseph Bottum’s trilogy of Christmas short stories - modern takes on the Gifts of the Magi - the 13,000-word "Nativity" follows 2012’s "Wise Guy". And where "Wise Guy" asked what Balthasar, the Wise Man who brought myrrh to Bethlehem, would be like as a clever thief, "Nativity" now re-imagines Melchior, the Wise Man who brought gold, as a wealthy cancer patient adrift in the American Midwest.

©2013 Joseph Bottum (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

A Dying Man, a Drunk and a Pregnant Teen

Michael Stuyvesant, a man dying of cancer is trying his best to get to Denver through a blinding snowstorm, to spend one last Christmas with his grown children. He meets with plenty of obstacles, but remains steadfast in his mission to reach Denver. When his flight is canceled, he gets a four-wheel drive SUV, taking a stranded pregnant young woman, Cheyenne, with him, who is trying to get to her boyfriend who is in a rock band. Along the way, they meet up with a drunken giant of a man, with a flat who is stranded in the snowstorm, and Michael (to Cheyenne’s dismay) tries to help. Despite the man’s curses and a hovering tire tool, Michael DOES help, dragging the intoxicated man into his car. The three make an unlikely trio. The twists and turns of this story, which are not so different than life itself, are at once amusing and sad. What IS different, and should wake us all up, is Michael’s response to the situations that he encounters in this life. The ending is absolutely PERFECT.

Interesting Title

Not exactly sure where the title came from. I listened to the whole book in parts during one day. Glad I didn’t pay for it. It’s fiction alright.

Good, but...

This was a good story and I enjoyed it enough to immediately start it over when it finished.
That said, both times I listened to it, I had to miss some of it because of some of the language used by the Santa Clause character. Even though I took out my earbuds during his portion of the dialog, it didn't really impact the story. I got the gyst of his character right away without having to listen to his garbage.
I'm pretty sure I'll listen to this one over and over, and I'll take out my earbuds each time.

Unexpected

This short story is compelling and causes one to reflect on the nature of privilege.

Emotionally engaging characters. Very well written

It might have something to do with being a middle aged man and being able to easily relate to the main character, but the writing made it easy to ‘suspend reality’ for awhile and lose myself in these peoples lives and begin to care about them I can’t really give a short story a better compliment. Great job 👍

Nativity - a surprise well written

This book was very detailed, you felt like you were seeing and being right there. It is philosophical and yet light. I really enjoyed the book.

Different type of Xmas story

This story is so out of the normal...and that is what makes it so great...a story of how we should treat one another..The narration was spot on. Loved the story

Nativity

I loved this shirt story and really wished it could have gone on a little longer... into a little more detail about the people and how things transpired after the trip. this would make a lovely movie.. in my opinion.

A human acting as Christ would

At first I didn’t get it, but, as scripture says, spiritual things are spiritually discerned.

Disappointment

Very disappointed in the story and the profanity. Not worthy of the title or the season.