To Every Thing There Is A Season [Alistair MacLeod]

Alistair MacLeod (1936–2014)
A Canadian novelist, short story writer, and teacher, Alistair MacLeod is celebrated for his moving portrayals of life on Cape Breton Island.

"To Everything There Is a Season," originally published in Alistair MacLeod’s short story collection As Birds Bring Forth the Sun and Other Stories.

A gentle, reflective story in which an adult narrator looks back on a Christmas of his youth on Cape Breton Island. Through the boy’s shifting perceptions of family, tradition, and growing responsibility, MacLeod quietly explores the moment between childhood and adulthood — that uncertain passage where innocence gives way to understanding.