Book Description

This third book in the “Ella’s America” series of historical fiction takes place in 1884 in a small NY town by Lake Ontario. Ella hears about square dancing at a fall party and likes the American tradition. She desires to start a tradition of her own for her family, but she can’t think of something everyone likes. At a hayride, her friend Bertie tells Ella about her family’s Christmas tradition. Bertie’s family does a nice deed or gives a gift in secret during the holidays. Ella chooses to adopt Bertie’s Christmas tradition, but she doesn’t have an idea for a secret gift. She hopes to do a good deed, but no one will allow her to do new duties like making lye or chopping wood. Her mother gives her a job hanging braided onions strings, but Ella hits her thumb with a hammer. She feels better when Granddad allows her to prepare soap molds and to add dried herbs to special bars. Ella hopes to use these scented soaps for presents, but they don’t seem right for her secret gift. She makes a memory book for Bertie after she learns her friend will move away during the holidays. Unfortunately, since she must give Bertie the book before Christmas, she can’t count this as her secret gift. When an ore miner has an accident, Ella wants to help. She and Bertie collect supplies to help the miner’s family. This project can’t be Ella’s secret gift, either, because it would be no secret if the whole town is involved. Then a classmate plays a joke on her and distracts her from her search. He says he’s sorry, but Ella won’t forgive him. She ignores him at the Christmas program, but bitterness makes her heart heavy. Her sister tells her she must forgive him if she wants to be happy again. Ella agrees and makes peace with him during a snowball battle. Feeling free again, she continues her search for the perfect gift.   Unfortunately, she has not found a worthy idea, and Christmas is only two days away.  What can she do? Her answer comes when a drunken man steals from her and goes to jail. Ella chooses to forgive the man and gives him her secret gift. When Ella’s family later sees how her gift has changed someone’s life, they are eager to follow Ella’s new Christmas idea. Ella dances for joy.