“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.
From the Publisher: "In this “smart, irreverent secret history” (Stewart O’Nan) Sewickley set novel by highly praised Pittsburgh native author Anna Read more
New York, NY — The Community of Literary Magazines & Presses (CLMP), the national nonprofit organization that for 58 years Read more
From the Publisher: "Imagine that you are a child who was born in a large family, and during your childhood, Read more
From Mt. Lebanon Magazine by way of Facebook: "On February 18, the Mt. Lebanon Public Library Board of Trustees passed Read more
Littsburgh's founder Rachel Ekstrom Courage (now a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author!) recently stopped by KDKA to Read more
"The Drue Heinz Literature Prize recognizes and supports writers of short fiction and makes their work available to readers around Read more
"Applications are now open for Read Local Eat Local 2025! This is event is on Saturday, September 6, from 11 Read more
PITTSBURGH, PA – It’s time to book your spot! Registration for the 2025 Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books is officially Read more
From the Publisher: "The Mackenzies and the Flahertys, two of the founding families of Port Kenneth, TN, have been feuding Read more
"The Northern Appalachia Review welcomes submissions of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction written about, representing, or engaging with the experience of Read more
But this too is true: stories can save us The writer Tim O’Brien calls storytelling an essential human activity. "The Read more
"'Where do you end and I begin?' is the question which haunts Shaheen Dil’s remarkable memoir-in-poems. Dil’s journey is at Read more
"A poignant memoir exploring small town baseball as a lens into what’s right and wrong with modern America—written by an Read more
City of Asylum Pittsburgh and International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) collaborate to present 30+ free,transformational events over 4 days Read more
"From New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict and Courtney Sheinmel comes a historical adventure about a young girl plucked Read more
From the Publisher: "It’s Anny’ s first day of middle school and, after years of being homeschooled, her first day Read more
"A light snow fell on January 30, 2005, a typical cold Pittsburgh winter morning. Inside Calvary, the congregation had gathered Read more
We are so excited to help spread the word about the excellent Woolly Bear Books and Gifts in Carnegie, PA Read more
"If you have considered applying to the CBWR, or have applied in the past and not been selected, this remote, Read more
We're happy to share that Pittsburgh's International Poetry forum is sharing their latest events and performances on YouTube, where you Read more
