By John Grisham
Doubleday
Hardcover, Audio Cassette (Unabridged), Audio CD (Unabridged) and Large Print Editions

Luther Krank has a wild idea: skipping Christmas.

No crowds. No shopping. No commercialism.

He and his wife have just sent their daughter off to Peru. What's the point of having holiday parties, decorating the house and celebrating Christmas when it's just the two of them?

Besides, Blair will be back next Christmas. Things can go back to normal then.

Skipping Christmas Excerpt Luther caught himself dreading the drive home. Things were fine until he turned onto Hemlock. Next door, Becker was adding more lights to his shrubs, and, for spite, he was emphasizing the end of his lawn next to Luther's garage. Trogdon had so many lights you couldn't tell if he was adding more, but Luther suspected he was. Across the street, next door to Trogdon, Walt Scheel was decorating more each day. This from a guy who'd hardly hung the first strand a year ago. ©2001 Belfry Holdings Inc. Published with permission from Doubleday

After some heavy convincing of his wife, Nora, the Kranks begin a holiday boycott. They won't buy a tree. They won't put Frosty on the roof, a neighborhood tradition. They won't buy gifts. They'll go on a Caribbean cruise instead, leaving on Christmas day.

As the Kranks slowly announce their plans to friends and neighbors, they quickly become the brunt of Christmas jokes. Carolers show up on their door step trying to convince them to get into the Christmas spirit. The Kranks find signs in their front yard demanding to "Free Frosty" and put him back on the roof.

Policemen show up to sell their annual calendars. Firemen show up to sell their annual fruitcakes. Boy Scouts show up to sell their annual trees.

Luther Krank won't budge. He sticks to his no-Christmas vow and has to be the solid rock to keep Nora dreaming about the Caribbean.

But on Christmas Eve, an unexpected phone call forces them into sudden re-evaluation of their strategy.

Bookworm's Briefing
John Grisham's light-hearted tale is a great way to get into the holiday spirit. What gives this classic plot line a fresh perspective is Grisham's touch of humor and his popular writing style.

In the first chapter alone, you'll be laughing hysterically. Grisham brings out the atmospheres of Christmas that irk you to pieces and, at the same time, make the holidays such a special part of the year.