Christmas Story. Lenochka: A Tale

Sophia Markovna Makarova (1834-1888) became one of the first women to engage professionally in writing in Russia. In the 1860s, she successfully edited the popular youth magazine 'Heartfelt Word'. Readers loved her simple stories. They always contained hope for the better, for the idea that there are more good people in the world than bad ones. 'Lenochka' is an adaptation of the story by the German writer Emmy von Roden 'Lenchen Braun' (1883). Roden is well-known to the Russian reader for her tale 'The Stubborn Girl'. 'Lenochka' is a classic Christmas story. In the small heroine's family, there is severe poverty on Christmas Eve, with not enough money even for bread. Therefore, Lenochka takes it upon herself to deliver a Christmas tree from the market to a wealthy neighbor to earn a few coins for sweets. The girl faces not only difficult trials but also unexpected encounters that can change her family's life. The book features four colored illustrations from a pre-revolutionary book published by the St. Petersburg publisher F. A. Bitepazh, created by Peter Wagner, and black-and-white drawings by contemporary artist Irina Lunina. Read it with the whole family!