The Art of Living in Season

'What can I give him?' Growing up in her native Provence, in southern France, Sylvie Vanhoozer learned about the traditional Provençal crèche. These nativity scenes were peopled by santons-'little saints'-each bringing their unique gifts to the baby Jesus. As her own life took her around the world, to England, Scotland, and the United States, she kept up the tradition of her native crèche in her own home, adding to it souvenirs from each new place where she found herself. In The Art of Living in Season, Vanhoozer invites readers to join this communion of little saints and to follow them not only at Christmas but throughout the whole year. Each chapter introduces a new santon and opens up another aspect of our annual pilgrimage toward Christ. Structured as weekly reflections and illustrated with Vanhoozer's own botanical illustrations, this book invites us to follow Christ in our own places and seasons of life, beginning by keeping in step with the rhythms of nature and the church calendar. The Art of Living in Season is a companion for everyday saints who wonder how they can follow Jesus-and what they can give him-wherever, whenever, and whoever they are.

Sylvie Vanhoozer is a writer, botanical artist, and everyday saint from Provence, France. She lives in Libertyville, Illinois, with her husband, Kevin. They have two grown daughters.