‘Christmas Chronicles’ explores legend of Santa

The names are numerous — Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, Pere Noel, Sinterklaas, St. Nick. But do we really know where Santa Claus got his name, or how he became the jolly man we all expect to visit us on Christmas Eve?

In Tim Slover’s book, “The Christmas Chronicles: The Legend of Santa Claus,” the Utah author reveals the “true” story of the beginnings of the man known as Santa Claus.

As documented by Santa’s own historian, the story begins in 1343 when the great plague known as the Black Death comes to the tiny village at the foot of Mount Feldberg in the Black Forest of Germany. A boy named Klaus is adopted by the local woodworker’s craft guild after his parents die of the disease.

A jovial young boy with a great talent for making toys, Klaus grows up with a kind heart and an infectious laugh that endears him to everyone. Seeing how the children of his village are so sad, he makes and delivers toys to them in secret on the night before Christmas. Soon his generosity is known throughout surrounding villages and Klaus begins to make toys for all the children in those towns as well.

Only one problem hinders the kind man’s project, and that's the ability to travel to all the villages in just one night. But Klaus’ problems will soon be solved when he meets the vivacious Anna, her reindeer Dancer and their incredibly fast sleigh — and as they say, history is made!

Klaus marries Anna, and they vow to spend their lives making children happy. But their joyfulness is marred by the presence of a jealous neighbor, Rolf Eckhof, who's determined to stop Klaus, even if it means taking the life of Klaus’ precious wife. But Rolf's no match for the magic that fuels Klaus and Anna’s goodness.

Slover captures the reader’s imagination with this exciting adventure which recounts the “real” life of Santa. Readers can almost feel the crisp bite of the frosty air, the warm spicy goodness of Anna’s cookies, and the lively banter of the eight flying reindeer as Slover weaves a magical tale of holiday joy and spirit.

This enchanting tale also answers many questions, such as how Rudolph (known here as Ranulf) joined the reindeer team, where Santa got his first red suit, and how he manages to deliver all those toys all over the world in one night and never gets stuck in a chimney!

Children and adults will find the story fascinating. Watch for “The Christmas Chronicles: The Legend of Santa Claus” to become a holiday classic.