A TRUE STORY: Alma Author Publishes Christmas Book for Children

[private] As one of six children growing up on a small Alma farm in the 1970s, author Janet Defever knew that hard work was part of life. Boys and girls were equally responsible for work in the barns and fields, but household chores fell only to the girls. The disparity made Defever bitter and resentful, but the grievances of an 11-year-old were seldom entertained. She envied her friends in town who were allowed to play sports and join the Girl Scouts, but Mom was clear about the differences: “Those are things for the town kids; we have work to do.”
Defever’s debut children’s book, Second Chance Christmas, is the true story of one Christmas in 1971 and the lesson that unfolded over the following year. Five days before that long-ago Christmas, a request for the girls to do the dishes turned into a knock-down-drag-out fight between sisters—and was overheard by Santa himself. Gifts and candy seemed very unlikely.
Although the story had been with Defever ever since she was 11 years old, it took many years and her experience of telling the story to kids about that same age to get her a few steps closer to sharing it with a wider audience.
“Second Chance Christmas literally began on an elementary school playground,” said Defever. “As a paraprofessional who spent ten years supervising second and third graders on the playground, [I knew that] meaningful conversations were always a part of that job. One year during the Christmas season, I told a group of students about finding a bell from Santa’s sleigh when I was 11 years old. They wanted to hear more, and the story unfolded from there. For about six or seven years, I went to each classroom at Christmastime and told the entire story to students. And then I brought the bell out for them to see. It was magic!”
Upon witnessing the children’s enthusiasm whenever Defever told the story, a friend of the author, who was also a teacher at the school, suggested that she write the story down and make a book out of it.
“I dismissed the idea at first, but my husband and children encouraged me to give it more consideration,” said Defever. “A few months before contacting a publisher, I joined an incredible writing group in Ionia, Michigan. Their collective support of my writing gave me the confidence to actually pursue having this story published. I will always be grateful for this group of talented writers.”
The act of writing about something so personal that happened many years prior took the author on an unexpected trip down memory lane and helped her develop the storyline accurately.
“The process of creating the book definitely took me back to those years,” said Defever. “Many details that I had forgotten came back to me as I thought more deeply about those early years on our family farm. Emotions run pretty strong for me, so it was more about remembering details than remembering emotions as I wrote the story. The barn and milk house on our farm were torn down several years ago, so I had to rely on old photos and my memories to get things just right.”
Getting the story’s deeper message “just right” was important, too. Defever’s childhood experience taught her many important lessons that she believes kids today need to learn as well.
As Defever explains, “My hope is that children will understand the importance of intangible gifts like acceptance and compassion. When someone makes a mistake, we have the opportunity with our words and our actions to either make them feel worse or make them feel better. I have not forgotten how it felt to know that my mistakes had not determined my worth. As much as I loved the gift Santa left for me that year, the real gift was knowing that I was accepted just as I was—mistakes and all.”
While Defever’s telling of Second Chance Christmas has clearly delighted children over the years, the gorgeous illustrations infuse the story with magical charm. Defever found the ideal illustrator in artist Tajin Robles, who gave the story the personal and creative depth it required.
“It was an incredible experience working with Taj on this book!” said Defever. “As this is a true story, the details were very important to me, and Taj was so accommodating. This book is my history, and Taj was able to add in so many personal details—a Christmas ornament I’d made in kindergarten, board games that my grandma kept in the attic, etc. His beautiful artwork brought buildings back to life that no longer exist. He created something permanent that will allow future generations to see what I experienced. Descriptions with words are important, but illustrations are the tapestry that pulls everything together. It was a wonderful collaboration!”
Defever’s story is not merely a singular tale, but a family one, too. And yet, she didn’t initially tell her family that she was writing this personal story, even though they are all very close. As she tells it, she had her reasons.
“I’m a fairly private person and was brought up in a household where humility was the expectation. Anything that seemed remotely like boasting was immediately squashed. The idea of telling anyone I was publishing a book made me so uncomfortable. It still does. My family has been extremely supportive and they are all very happy with how the book turned out.”
Anyone hoping to meet the author and purchase signed copies of her book will have an opportunity on December 9 whenDefever will be reading and signing books at the Alma Public Library during the Come Home to Alma for the Holidays celebration. Readings are scheduled that day from 5 to 7 pm.