“A delightful, nostalgic throwback to the warmth that could be found on even the coldest days of the wartime holiday shopping season in downtown Pittsburgh. The story of Stella and Hector is at turns as lighthearted and heartwarming as their growing friendship. The surrounding cast of quirky and endearing personalities form a team that’s impossible not to root for as they work to give Pittsburgh the holiday traditions they love. [The author’s] scene-setting and dialogue will have readers feeling they’ve been transported to 1942 where they’re surrounded by laughter, love, and just a touch of good chaos.” — Virginia Montanez, author of Nothing. Everything.
From the Publisher: “It’s Thanksgiving 1942, and Stella West, the first-ever head of holidays for Hanover’s Department Store is left in a bind when her lead window designer runs off days before the grand unveiling of the store’s Christmas windows—a tradition the entire city treasures. Up against the clock, she scrambles to gather together a rag-tag team of store employees to finish the job, including their picky luxury stylist, two flirtatious personal shoppers, a handful of delivery boys, and Stella’s best pal, Hector.
As the group races to complete the store’s twenty-six ‘Home for the Holidays’-themed Christmas windows, Stella is stunned to discover that Hector is newly single and realizes the feelings she’d buried for him long ago may run deeper than she ever imagined. Dodging a baker who’s sweet on her, the store kiss-up who’s after her job, and the store owner who wants an early preview — Stella has more than enough to worry about without her love life adding to the mix. But with the ribbon-cutting approaching (and the news of Hector’s epic bachelor status swirling through the store), Stella realizes that telling him how she feels might be now or never, even if it means risking losing him entirely.”
More info About the Author: Jennifer Joy (née Jennifer Fickley-Baker) is the author of 26 Ways to Come Home for the Holidays: A Christmastime Novella. She was born in Pittsburgh and fell in love with stories before she could read by listening to books on tape.
Jennifer worked as a writer and editor for Disney Parks for 19 years. She earned an MA in Creative Writing from Harvard University in 2022. She lives in Florida with her husband, two children, and golden retriever.
Author Site “Every town has their own cherished holiday tradition. In 26 Ways to Come Home for the Holidays, we journey back to 1942 and follow the character of Stella as she races to save her city’s beloved department store Christmas window unveiling. With time running out, the unexpected news of her best pal Hector’s new single status knocks her off her feet. 26 Ways is a delightful comedic look at the people who bring holiday traditions to life — yesterday, today and tomorrow.” – David Paul Kirkpatrick, former president of Paramount Pictures and former production chief of Walt Disney Studios
What was your inspiration for this book?
Pittsburgh was the inspiration! The city itself and the memories so many of us who grew up there have of going downtown and experiencing the Christmas season, the holiday windows, the lights and so much more. I loved Christmas when I was little and can remember getting so excited when the first lights would go up. That’s when the holiday season started for me.
What can you tell us about the main character in 26 Ways?
Stella West is the main character. It’s her first year in charge of all the holiday décor at one of the major department stores downtown—and her lead designer runs off three days before the big unveiling of their holiday windows. She’s terrified that the city’s favorite holiday tradition is going to fail—and it will be all her fault. She has three days to pull a team together to scramble to get it everything done in time. I really wanted Stella to embody our enthusiasm for the season and Pittsburgh holiday traditions. She also has immigrant parents (and is half Irish and half Ukrainian). Showcasing Pittsburgh’s ethnic diversity was really important to me, as the city’s immigrant culture had such a big influence on so many of our holiday traditions (and foods!).
The story takes place in 1942. How did you recreate the Pittsburgh of the past?
I really relied on research! When you love the city as much as I do, that is a really fun part. I love having a reason to dive into Pittsburgh’s newspaper archives. They provide amazing inspiration. I loved looking through old Horne’s and Kaufmann’s ads from the 1940s. It was so interesting what they promoted as perfect holiday gifts back then, like his-and-her handkerchiefs, fur coats, men’s hats. Seeing what toys were promoted as perfect Christmas gifts was also very interesting—and oh, the prices!
Where can people buy the book?
It’s available now in paperback on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.com.
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