What makes a Christmas tree attractive? Where do Himalayan Persians, beagles, and hamsters fit into the Christmas scheme? How do pleasant, well-intentioned seasonal gestures such as decorating the house, baking cookies, sending Christmas cards, purchasing gifts, giving parties, and going to events become stress-inducing obligations? In Have Yourself a Hamster Little Christmas, author Sarah Shell Teague presents a collection of essays that describes the ups and downs of what can be a most hectic holiday season.

From the activity at Grand Central Station in Manhattan, in the solitude of...

What makes a Christmas tree attractive? Where do Himalayan Persians, beagles, and hamsters fit into the Christmas scheme? How do pleasant, well-intentioned seasonal gestures such as decorating the house, baking cookies, sending Christmas cards, purchasing gifts, giving parties, and going to events become stress-inducing obligations? In Have Yourself a Hamster Little Christmas, author Sarah Shell Teague presents a collection of essays that describes the ups and downs of what can be a most hectic holiday season.

From the activity at Grand Central Station in Manhattan, in the solitude of...