The orphan Nicholas learns of three girls being sold into slavery by their father. Inspired by Jesus, Nicholas sneaks over at night and throws a bag of gold for dowries through their window. It lands in a stocking. One daughter is wed, but the father keeps wasting gold until Nicholas is down to his last bag of gold. What should he do? Can he save the girl and keep his giving a secret? Almost two thousand years later, St. Nicholas still comes secretly at night, putting surprises in children's stockings.
When her children faced questions about Santa Claus, the author found that the real historical answers were so exciting, inspiring, and fun, she knew all children and their parents would want to know. So, The Secret of St. Nicholas was born. A writer and educator for many years, she currently is a horticultural consultant for the University of Maryland Extension Service and writes an online gardening Q & A for the Baltimore Sun. She and her husband live in W. Friendship, Maryland. They have three grown children, three grandchildren, and a dog that—coincidentally!—looks just like the dog in The Secret of St. Nicholas.
