The Christmas House: How One Man's Dream Changed the Way ... (ISBN 1577314743)

Touching and Inspiring:
"My father was passionate about Christmas. He believed Christmas was the perfect time to celebrate all the joy that comes with living, and he did his best to spread good cheer...His zeal came from an unlikely place: the polio epidemic of 1934." - Georja Skinner On May 22, 1934, a robust twenty-two-year old college named George Skinner was swimming laps at the Los Angeles City College pool. Reading a book at poolside, his girlfriend Allison realized that an unusual quiet had descended. She looked up from her book and was horrified to discover that George was quickly sinking to the bottom of the pool-spread-eagle, motionless, and eyes wide open. After arriving at the Los Angeles County General Hospital, the doctor immediately recognized George's symptoms: poliomyelitis. In the early 30's many were stricken with polio and, at the time, there was no known cure or prevention for the virus. The only treatment was isolation, rest, time spent in the iron lung, and morphine to relieve the pain. As he lay in the polio ward, George received a dire prognosis. The disease had spread through 80 percent of his body and there was a strong possibility that he would never walk again. Unable to speak, George blinked his eyes in acknowledgement as the doctor relayed the shocking news. Albert, George's talkative happy-go-lucky Dad, was stunned into silence. Because the ward was under quarantine, the hospital staff asked Albert to leave-leaving George alone. Although George was inducted President of the Optimist Society in 1932, he still struggled with the question "Why me?" After all, he thought, I believe in God. I go to church. One minute I'm playing varsity sports, in love with my college sweetheart, and the next I'm paralyzed, on the verge of death. Other troubling thoughts plagued George in the polio ward-ones involving the family he and his father left behind in Canada 14 years ago. He had fond memories of his Mother and his brothers, especially during Christmastime. His Mother had loved Christmas and so had George. Yet, what was supposed to be a "few weeks vacation" turned into a new life in California--*without* his other family members. Why did his Dad avoid questions about the family they left behind? Where were they? Why didn't they write or visit when he needed them the most? Fueled by his fond memories of Christmases past, his fiery optimism, and his desire to repay the many kindnesses and overwhelming support shown by church members, friends, and neighbors, George vowed that he would one day walk again-and that he'd create a spectacular Christmas wonderland for all to enjoy. The Christmas House, written by George's daughter Georja Skinner, chronicles the heart-warming-and sometimes heart-wrenching-account of George's rigorous exercise regimen and arduous recovery, which included enlisting the aid of Eleanor Roosevelt and FDR's private nurse for hydrotherapy. Ms. Skinner lovingly relays George's tireless planning for the Christmas House, the elaborate steps that George and Albert took to bring the vision to life and the outpouring of support from merchants, friends, and the community. In addition, The Christmas House is a poignant story of enormous dedication, creativity, resilience, forgiveness, love, and community spirit. Also tucked within the pages of this touching book is a sweet love story about Georja's parents. Bound with leather and filled with over 100 photographs, various newspaper clippings and journal entries from George's scrapbook, The Christmas House: How One Man's Dream Changed the Way We Celebrate Christmas is a beautiful homage to a man many have credited with launching the holiday decorating tradition still in practice today. An indoor holiday forest, hand-painted scenery, snow shipped in from Utah, floodlights, a magical wishing well, home-made baked goods, and an elaborate sound system-all designed by George-were but a few of the wondrous experiences enjoyed by visitors to the Christmas House. It's fascinating to read how the Skinners transformed a bungalow into the magical Christmas House-and how its presence touched thousands of lives. Volunteers worked tirelessly to bring George's displays into reality. For example, one of George's ideas was to bury tree trunks upside down in holes dug in the backyard. He figured that the twisted roots would resemble leafless branches in the dead of winter. After he was satisfied with his makeshift forest, he painted the exposed roots with white paint and sprinkled metal shavings on the wet paint. You see, in the days of the Great Depression, they didn't have extra money for modern decorative conveniences like glitter. The Christmas House by Georja Skinner is a stirring tribute to her father and his legacy. I cried, I rejoiced, and I marveled as I read about this remarkable man and his father and the community they rallied together at a time when despair and poverty covered America.

The Christmas House - A review by March of Dimes, David Rose, Archivist:
The Christmas House by Georja Skinner New World Library In the literature that celebrates the tradition of Christmas, Clement C. Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas" and Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" stand out as enduring classics. Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales, while perhaps not as popular, continues the literary tradition of reflecting on the cultural meaning of Christmas through the eyes of the individuals who celebrate the season. Georja Skinner's The Christmas House is a worthy successor to these perennial classics, not because it is fictional (it is not), but because it plausibly explains the origin of a very common American tradition - house decoration during the Christmas season. However, this remarkable story is far from a dry exercise in social history, for in its unobtrusive lesson about the meaning of Christmas we find both the recovery of the origin of a tradition and the reconstruction of a family's history through the historical marginalia of a personal archive. The Christmas House is at once a search for roots, an inducement to preserve history and memory, and the fascinating re-telling of one man's struggle with a devastating disease - poliomyelitis. The story is a simple one, simply and directly told, and that is its great strength. The author's father, George Skinner, separated from his family in Canada and resettling in California with his father Albert, contracted polio at age 22 in the epidemic that struck Los Angeles in 1934. George was hospitalized, confined at times to an iron lung that enabled him to breathe, and, greatly weakened and disabled, released to re-join his father at their Boyle Heights home in 1936. He had spent over one year recovering in the Los Angeles General Hospital. Disheartened but yet undaunted by this traumatic experience, he hit on the holiday expedient of decorating the façade and chimney of their home with Christmas decorations in such profusion that the resulting spectacle would serve as a grand "thank you" to their neighbors for their many kindnesses and tokens of support during his convalescence. It was the Great Depression, and neighbors banded together for mutual support. The young George Skinner had no material riches to give back in return, but the delight he generated with his "Christmas house" idea sparked the imagination of his neighbors and energized the people of Los Angeles as the news media focused on the unusual spectacle of Santa Claus, snowflakes, and icicles at 919 Mathews Street. In 1938, over 100,000 visitors witnessed an even grander display at their home, though a house fire proved to be an unfortunate setback. George Skinner's determination and artistry propelled him into a successful career in broadcasting, and the author traces the Christmas house's subtle influence through her father's subsequent career, marriage, family reconciliations, and many holiday seasons. The uniqueness of this story turns on George Skinner's experience with polio and his exceptional resolve to overcome its aftereffects. In that, it is reminiscent of the experience of Franklin Roosevelt, whom George and many others with polio upheld as a role model of colossal importance. George's experience nearly killed him, and his convalescence was long and arduous. Not much was known about polio in 1934, and the Los Angeles epidemic was unusual in many ways, primarily for the extraordinary outbreak of what first appeared to be polio among the nurses and attendants at Los Angeles General Hospital, but now believed to have been chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Among 2,500 confirmed cases of polio, of which George's was one, nearly 300 nurses were also affected by CFS. In later years - the 1940s and 1950s - the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (now the March of Dimes) dispatched specialized medical teams to communities throughout the nation for epidemic relief and paid for the hospitalization and aftercare treatment of those affected by polio. In 1934, however, George Skinner had only his father Albert, a tool and die maker, to rely on after his hospitalization, and these were very hard times. Albert and George together built and rigged up many devices of their own making - an outdoor gym and stationary bicycle - to provide an opportunity for physical therapy. Before their residence became "the Christmas house," their modest home was in actuality a makeshift polio rehabilitation center. First, the regime of physical therapy; then, the therapeutic and artistic breakthrough of the Christmas house; these were George Skinner's personal triumphs and re-inventions of himself, and what makes this story all the more captivating are the many photographs and documents that illustrate every episode. One of the prerequisites of writing history is the keeping of archives. Most of us pay scant attention to the repositories of records, i.e., archives, that form a common and critically important part of higher education, government, and community life. At the same time, most of us do keep personal records of many sorts: photographs, scrapbooks, correspondence, and family memorabilia are typical. In The Christmas House, the profusion of illustrations enriches the story tremendously, and this is an integral part of the story itself. George Skinner's childhood, hospitalization, post-polio experience, and adult life are all captured in photographs; and the inclusion of telegrams, clippings, press releases, Christmas cards, and souvenirs also serves to impart a photo verite quality to this story proving, as author Georja Skinner phrases it, that her father and grandfather were "consummate pack rats." In other words, they were incipient archivists. She describes the experience of discovering a personal scrapbook of clippings and photos that her father had kept as "going through a time warp." This is a common experience. What is uncommon is the author's transformation of family history into a luminous biographical memoir. The Christmas House is a testament to love of family, personal fortitude against adversity, and recapturing the past. Without an overbearing religious message, it is a book about the Christmas tradition, a perfect antidote to the hyper-commercialization of Christmas that Americans commonly witness. If anything, its message is "preserve your memories," and it will serve to raise our historical awareness about polio and disability and about a unique moment in American history when a young man in Los Angeles transformed his personal misfortune into a popular holiday tradition. August 17, 2005 / David Rose / March of Dimes Archives

A wonderful, honest and heartwarming true story:
As an avid reader, I am always looking for books which are well written and interesting to read. This book met all of my requirements for a great read. Ms. Skinner presents a moving family story because she includes 'secrets' which many families try to deny or avoid discussing. Including the 'secrets' makes us see the individuals as human being with flaws who managed to succeed and help start a tradition which we all enjoy in the present day. The enjoyment which I received from reading this book far exceeded the price of the book.

Now I know what I'm getting folks for Christmas!:
A charming, heart-warming, inspirational story. The world needs more stories like this - now more than ever. The world also needs more people like George Skinner, the man behind the Christmas House and Georja Skinner, the woman and gifted storyteller behind this book. I wholeheartedly recommend THE CHRISTMAS HOUSE.

A great read, a great gift, highly recommended:
Wow, this is a great book. I find many books on Christmas to be formulaic marketing exploits on the good will and memories most of us have for the holiday season, not the Christmas House. This is a true story of a remarkable man, George Skinner, who in LA during the 1930's transformed Polio and the complex morass we all call our families to bring joy and holiday spirit to literally millions and invent the modern tradition of Christmas decoration for homes with his creation of the first "Christmas House". It even ends with a romance, if it weren't true it might seem too good. The book is beautifully bound like a fine heirloom family photo album and reads like one if only the rest of us could write as well Georja Skinner, the books author and the daughter of George Skinner. This is a wonderful gift for those who love to decorate for the holidays, could use a dose of optimistic courage, or just want to read a delightful story of the capacity of the human spirit improve and inspire. After all, isn't that what Christmas is about?