THE REAL SANTA CLAUS!

By Caroline Clemmons

Santa Claus resting on December 26

I hope you’re sitting with your feet up, content as you savor memories of your Christmas celebration. This month, several of us have brought you ways Christmas was celebrated. Because I love this time of year, I thought I’d give you a review of the book THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SANTA CLAUS, as told to Jeff Guinn. Although it isn’t specific to west of the Mississippi River, this book review fits our theme.

 I added this paragraph to those of Jeff Guinn:

Saint Nicholas was born circa 280 in Patara, Lycia, an area that is part of present-day Turkey. He lost both of his parents as a young man and reportedly used his inheritance to help the poor and sick. A devout Christian, he later served as bishop of Myra, a city that is now called Demre.

Bishop and later Saint Nicholas of Myra

I was relieved to learn the Santa Claus/Saint Nicholas tradition was not a marketing ploy concocted by Madison Avenue. While Bishop Nicholas, he really did go about giving gifts. Okay, he didn’t crawl down the chimney. Homes didn’t have actual chimneys as we know them back then. Many just had a hole in the roof. Not too cozy in bad weather.

Saint Nicholas’ first known gifts were to the daughters of a very poor man. They couldn’t marry without a dowry, but their father had none to offer. The father was considering selling the girls into prostitution. Taking pity on the girls, Saint Nicholas either (1) tossed bags of gold through the window (the poor didn’t have glass in their windows) or (2) put the coins in the stockings the girls left drying by the fire each night. Thus, the girls were able to marry (and, hopefully, each got a second pair of stockings).

Saint Nicholas was an actual person who went around giving to the poor and helping all those he could. In other words, he did what we’re all supposed to do. 

• Remarkable that he did what he could in a time when the poor were looked down upon.
• Remarkable that doing what was right created so much notoriety and controversy and gave him a permanent place in history.
• Remarkable that we continue his legacy by giving to those we love and, hopefully, to those in need.

Several sources report his death as December 6, 343. Over the years, stories of his miracles and his work for the poor spread. Saint Nicholas became known as the protector of children and sailors and was associated with gift-giving.

Whether you call him Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, thanks for continuing his legacy.

THE DOCTOR'S BAG

A book interesting to western readers and extremely helpful for any western historical writer is that of Dr. Keith Souter, an English physician who writes westerns as Clay Moore (in homage to Clayton Moore, who played the Lone Ranger). Keith’s book, THE DOCTOR’S BAG: MEDICINE AND SURGERY OF YESTERYEAR, is primarily aimed at writers and readers who are interested in the American Southwest.

Disclaimer: The book is not intended as a medical textbook for modern treatment of illness and injury. Instead, THE DOCTOR’S BAG explains past treatments for various common problems. As writers and readers of western historical novels, this is information we can find helpful. He covers everything from snakebite to hanging.

Who was the best doctor in the Old West? How did the doc remove an arrow? Could silk really stop a bullet? What was the “Germ theory”? The answers to all these questions and more can be found in THE DOCTOR’S BAG.

The book begins with a reminiscence of Gunsmoke. My family seldom missed seeing the show on television. However, I didn’t realize it had first been a radio show. Doc Adams is used as an example of the stereotypical Old West doctor. By the way, I didn’t realize Doc Adams had a dark past, but he had killed a man in a duel, fled west, and changed his name.

I admit I’ve used the book to research particular treatments rather than reading it cover to cover but it is interesting enough to sit down and read for pleasure. The table of contents clearly lists the ailments with possible treatments. This is helpful when a writer needs quick access to a remedy. We turn to Google, but the information there is not always trustworthy and often offers contradictory information. THE DOCTOR’S BAG is a factual reference, often with illustrations, with easy to understand explanations.

THE DOCTOR’S BAG is available for free in KU or in print from Amazon:

 https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Bag-Medicine-Surgery-Yesteryear-ebook/dp/B0160Q21XG/

Dr. Keith Souter

Dr. Souter was born in St. Andrews, Scotland, and attended the University of Dundee. He lives in West Yorkshire in England with his wife Rachel within arrow-shot of the ruins of a medieval castle. He is a prolific author in four genres—westerns, crime, historical, and YA. He also pens a weekly health column. He writes crime as Keith Moray and non-fiction as himself.

Dr. Souter is a member of Western Fictioneers, an online group to which many western and western romance authors belong. We exchange information and generally chat about subjects of interest to those who write in these genres. This is an io group open to all writers willing to post only topics of interest to writers—no politics, etc. He is also a member of Western Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers Association, and the Medical Journalists Association. To learn more about him, check out his website at https://www.keithsouter.co.uk. His blog is at https://moreontherange.blogspot.co.uk   

My next release, now up for pre-order, is AN AGENT FOR JUDITH, Pinkerton Matchmaker’s Series, book #79. 

Judith McAdams vows to rescue her brother, even if she has to become a Pinkerton agent and enter a marriage of convenience with Peyton Knight. Their mission takes them to Northern New Mexico and pits them against a crooked lawman and a greedy rancher who doesn’t mind killing those who oppose him. 

Pre-order now for June 19 release at https://mybook.to/Judith