During the 1930's, J.B. Lippincott released a series of small books in addition to Grace's regularly published novels. They were called "Pamphlets" in Lippincott's promotional brochures, but the inside cover of "The Best Birthday" lists the others as "Twelve Short Stories". These little treasures are just 4 3/4 inches wide x 6 1/4 inches tall! Some can be found in hardback with dust jackets and others are simply paper.
Their color varies from edition to edition. Often the paper editions are found without the stiff cover. The jackets for a few are illustrated, while other jackets simply bear their title.
While difficult to locate in their first editions, the stories have been reprinted over the years in various collections for GLH readers to enjoy. Check out The Honeymoon House, The Short Stories of Grace Livingston Hill, or Christian Endeavor Stories to find them.
The 1932 Pamphlets
Beggarman • Her Wedding Garment
The House Across The Hedge • The Story of The Lost Star
The 1935 Pamphlets
The Handmaid of The Lord • Life Out of Death • The Old Guard • The Strange God
The 1938 Pamphlets
The Divided Battle • Dwelling • The Lost Message • The Minister's Son
The Best Birthday
(A Christmas Entertainment for Children)
1938
The Best Birthday was a Christmas play written by Grace for the Sunday School she began at Leiper Church in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
From the Foreword: "One Christmas we decided that in place of the usual common-place Christmas tree, and the usual "pieces" recited and sung in honor of Christmas, it would be well to have something that would fix in all our minds the real meaning of Christmas, making plain the prophecies concerning Christ's coming and their fulfillment, and making God's plan of salvation the central thought...It grew as we began to practice it, and as other girls and boys came into it.
...So, for three successive Christmases we have given this story of "The Best Birthday" over again, with the same young actors taking the parts. The actual given names of our young people are used in the text...And we, the young people and I who have been giving it, send greetings and glad Christmas wishes to all who shall care to use it hearafter." —Grace Livingston Hill
1994 • Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. / Living Books Paperback Series #98
This paperback includes the title story, Aunt Crete's Emancipation (first published as a hardback in 1911) and Beggarman (first published in 1932), one of the "pamphlets" in the series of twelve short story booklets.
1992 • Amereon House (publishing division of Amereon Ltd.)
A new edition was reprinted in 2012.
Volume 1 contains the same titles as Living Books Paperback Series #92 "The Honeymoon House". Volume 2 contains the same short stories as Living Books Paperback Series #93 "Katherine's Yesterday".
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1895 • Lothrop Publishing Company
This short story collection, whose long title is "Katharine's Yesterday and Other Christian Endeavor Stories", is one of Grace's earliest published in book form. She wrote for numerous Christian publications in her early career and this volume collects stories written for Christian Endeavor's weekly publication.
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1994 • Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. / Living Books Paperback Series #99
This paperback includes the title story Lone Point (originally titled Lone Point: A Summer Outing and published as a hardback in 1897) and The Esselstynes, Grace's first book which was originally published in 1877.
1949 • J. B. Lippincott Co. / Harper & Row
1991 • Tyndale House Publishers / Living Books Paperback Series #64
This collection of short stories was published after Grace's death by her daughters and includes her first book, The Esselstynes. Most of the stories were written for Christian magazines or newspapers.
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1916 • The Congregational Christmas Offering Committee.
This short story was published as a paper pamphlet and came with a beautiful full-color, fold-out, die-cut bank. This is an unusual example of Grace's work used to promote a missionary campaign. The bank was to be filled with a Christmas Offering. We're happy that someone kept the bank as a keepsake, but hope they turned in their offering, too.
The text inside the front cover of the pamphlet tells about the campaign:
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1994 • Tyndale House Publishers / Living Books Paperback Series #100
In addition to the title story, The Forgotten Friend, this paperback includes two more individual stories, a Christmas play, and two five-chapter stories from the 1895 book, Katherine's Yesterday.
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1984 • Robert L. Munce Publishing Co. / Living Books Paperback Series #92
Most of the stories in this collection were published individually by J.B. Lippincott Co. in the 1930's as "pamphlets". These small-sized books each contained one story and sold for as little as 50 cents."My Brother's Keeper" originally appeared as "For Whom Christ Died" in "Katherine's Yesterday" published by D. Lothrop Company in 1895.
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1984 • Tyndale House / Cameo Series #1
All of these stories originally appeared in "Katherine's Yesterday" published in 1895 by D. Lothrop Company. This hardback edition was published in 1984 by Tyndale House and was incorrectly listed as one of Grace's original books in Robert Munce's biography. • Cameo Series #1 / ISBN 0-8423-3846-2. It was combined with Tyndale House's 1984 paperback edition of "Katherine's Yesterday" and republished as the Living Books Paperback Series "Katherine's Yesterday" #93.
- The Love Gift (Originally titled The Minister's Bonnet)
- "My Brother's Keeper" (Originally titled "For Whom Christ Died")
- "Living Epistles"
- The Unknown God
- Under the Window
1994 •Tyndale House Publishers / Living Books Paperback Series #97
In addition to The Parkerstown Delegate (first published as a hardback in 1892), this paperback also includes two early books, A Chautauqua Idyl (first published as a hardback in 1887) and A Little Servant (first published as a hardback in 1890).
1976 • The American Reprint Company
This book's pages are exact copies of the 1930's "pamphlets" or small short story books published by J.B. Lippincott.
- Beggarman
- The Story of the Lost Star
- Her Wedding Garment
- The House Across the Hedge
Before she became famous as a novelist, Grace Livingston Hill wrote short stories for many publications. Over the years, many of these stories have been collected and published in book form. The earliest of these, "Katherine's Yesterday", was one of the first Grace Livingston Hill books ever published.
