For almost seventy years, people the world over have fallen in love with Frank Capra’s classic Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life. But few of those fans know that Capra’s film was based on a short story by author Philip Van Doren Stern, which came to Stern in a dream one night. Unable at first to find a publisher for his evocative tale about a man named George Pratt who ponders suicide until he receives an opportunity to see what the world would be like without him, Stern ultimately published the story in a small pamphlet and sent it out as his 1943 Christmas card. One of those 200 cards found its way into the hands of Frank Capra, who shared it with Jimmy Stewart, and the film that resulted became the holiday tradition we cherish today. Now fans of It’s a Wonderful Life, or anyone who loves the spirit of Christmas, can own the story that started it all in an elegant, illustrated edition that’s perfect for holiday giving. It includes an Afterword by Stern’s daughter, Marguerite Stern Robinson, that tells the story of how her father’s Christmas card became the movie beloved by generations of people around the world.

For a short story that you can read in about 15 minutes, it was very powerful and impactful. It was interesting to compare the source material to the Hollywood movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. You can clearly see the similarities and differences. The movie is a Christmas staple in my holiday movie-watching season. I watch every single year as part of my old Christmas movie weekend, always the weekend before Christmas. I’m glad that I finally read the original story that inspired the timeless, iconic movie that the world loves.