THE NAVIGATOR'S LETTER brings to light one of the best untold and dangerous stories of World War II. Releasing on February 10th, Jan Cress Dondi’s book chronicles a moving and heroic story of patriotic duty, familial bonds, brotherhood and love. In her holiday blog post, Jan talks about one of her most cherished gifts, which has touched multiple generations of her family and has become a treasured holiday keepsake.
There’s a saying that goes something like this: In order to see who we are, it’s important to know from where we came. For me, that truth is woven into the pages of a very special gift, My Bookhouse, a collection of nursery rhymes, folk tales and timeless stories from classic literature meant to guide a child through his or her formative years.
For as long as I can remember, I experienced bouts of insomnia (and still do today). When the night was too long, I would wander into the living room and climb into my father’s lap for comfort. An avid reader and storyteller, he often immersed himself in serious books, but he always would set them aside and turn his attention to me. Before taking me back to my room, he would reach for one of the volumes from My Bookhouse. It was not simply words on a page or the colorful illustrations, but for the unhurried moments that made those stories feel like a safe place to land. He read to me from the same pages his mother once read to him.
These are stories I later read with my own daughters --- generations linked by the same worn corners of tales shared with kindness and heart. Those hours with my father opened doors not only to reading, but to his memories, including the ones he carried from World War II. What began as childhood tales grew into treasured conversations --- a chain of love, storytelling and family connections for nearly a century.
It’s no wonder that one of my most cherished gifts is that same six-volume 1921 edition of My Bookhouse, once read and given to me by my father, a holiday keepsake. In its timeworn pages, I’m reminded that who I am is inseparable from where I came and from the generations that turned those same pages. I’m especially grateful for the background that inspired me to write THE NAVIGATOR’S LETTER, which is a way to honor my father’s legacy, including that as a storyteller.
