Caroline Kennedy's new book bound by memories, spirit of the season

Lately, every day is Christmas for Caroline Kennedy.

The attorney, author and daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy is in Chicago and the suburbs this week promoting her new book, "A Family Christmas," an anthology of prose, poetry, song lyrics and other works relating to the spirit of the holiday.

"I've been celebrating Christmas for a solid year now," Kennedy said in a telephone interview.

Along with many of her favorite Christmas tales and poems, Kennedy has sprinkled "A Family Christmas" with her own childhood memories.

The front cover boasts an angel, painted by her mother, former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, in 1963.

There is a letter that 5-year-old Caroline wrote to Santa Claus, and memories of how Kennedy and her younger brother John starred in their own pageants, decorated cards and illustrated Bible verses at Christmastime.

Kennedy refers to her childhood home as "the last bastion of the Victorian era," where Jackie filled her children's Christmas stockings with walnuts -- a practice that frustrated young Caroline and John who were looking for more modern stocking stuffers.

"We said, 'Isn't this going too far?'" Kennedy said, laughing at the memory.

The book also recounts how President Kennedy helped his daughter call Santa at the North Pole -- via the White House operator.

"The fact that he (Santa) had the same soft Southern accent common to many White House workers of the day escaped me completely," Kennedy wrote.

Kennedy started her book last year.

"I thought 'there is nothing new about Christmas,' but then I started looking around, and there was just more and more," she said.

Kennedy selected each entry in the book, including works she loved as a youngster. She gathered material from many sources -- the Library of Congress, Mount Vernon, the USO and even Macy's department store archives.

"People were really helpful," Kennedy said. "There are a lot of 'Christmas people' out there."

Authors such as Laura Ingalls Wilder, E.B. White, Charles Dickens, Robert Frost, Garrison Keillor and Truman Capote -- a favorite of Kennedy's mother -- are included in the book.

There is also a bit of history about the holiday, including how the Puritans in Massachusetts banned Christmas celebration for a time in 1659.

"A Family Christmas" was compiled to bring generations together -- to explore the meaning of the holiday, Kennedy said.

"I look for subjects that will allow families to read together, and different generations to share that love of reading," she said.

"This book is a testament to the power of the spirit of Christmas -- historical traditions, family aspects, religious aspects -- we are all sort of participating in this (holiday) in different ways."

Today, Kennedy, 50, and her husband Edwin Schlossberg have three children -- Rose, 19, Tatiana, 17, and John. 14.

"My children really enjoy Christmas," Kennedy said. "We'll put up our tree early, and we have Hanukkah, too" -- in reference to Schlossberg's Jewish faith.

Kennedy's next holiday project is to make "A Great Cake," an original cake recipe from Martha Washington, the wife of President George Washington.

The recipe, which is included in "A Family Christmas," calls for, among other things, 40 eggs and 4 pounds of butter.

Kennedy said she has enlisted the help of homemaking icon Martha Stewart and will tape an episode of television's "Martha" with Stewart.

As Christmas approaches, Kennedy said she finds that the holiday is comforting to many people.

"The world is a scary place. Things are difficult. We are at war. There are always challenges. But Christmas reassures us -- it always comes around no matter what is happening," Kennedy said.

"It's a time to let people know you love them, and to teach kids that the world really is a hopeful place."

Book-signing events for Caroline Kennedy's "A Family Christmas"

• 7 p.m. today at Borders Books and Music, 830 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago. (312) 573-0564.

• 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Book Stall, 811 Elm St., Winnetka. (847) 446-8880. Note: The Book Stall is asking those attending to donate a gently used or new book for children ages 3-18.

• 7 p.m. Wednesday at Barnes and Noble, 55 Old Orchard Center, Skokie. (847) 676-2230.

• 11 a.m. Thursday at Anderson's Bookshop, 123 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville. (630) 355-2665.