First published 2024
Danny Pellegrino opens his collection with the kind of holiday disasters that make families question their sanity. He recounts Christmas pageants derailed by off-script monologues, gift exchanges that send relatives to emergency rooms, and marathon sessions of Hallmark movies that become emotional battlegrounds. Each story pulls from his own festive memories, where merriment collides with complete mayhem. Pellegrino positions himself as a guide through these seasonal catastrophes, drawing readers into moments when holiday traditions spiral into beautiful chaos. The stories blend genuine warmth with sharp humor, capturing how families navigate the gap between holiday expectations and messy reality. His tales reveal the strange magic that emerges from dysfunction, showing how the most unhinged celebrations often create the most treasured memories.
Genres: family, contemporary, comedy, holiday
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, humor
272 pages · Paperback · Sourcebooks