Frederick Post
A grandmother’s Christmas memories inspire novel!

A few years ago at Christmastime, while in LaVale visiting his grandmother, Anna Snyder, John Snyder began asking her about her childhood and what it was like growing up in the early part of the century in her hometown of Meyersdale, Pa.  As they sat at the kitchen table, the elder Snyder told her grandson about one Christmas, in particular, that was the most memorable.

Mr. Snyder was so intrigued by the tale, that after the visit, he drove from LaVale to Meyersdale with his wife and his two daughters to visit the small western Pennsylvania town where his grandmother grew up and his father was born.

The town remained much as Mr. Snyder remembered it from his childhood visits to see his great-grandmother, Elda Beal.  When he arrived at the address of his grandmother’s memories, he discovered that the house was gone and the lot vacant.  As he stood there in the snow, he tried to visualize his grandmother’s house as he replayed her story in his head.  On the drive back to his home in Annapolis, he couldn’t stop thinking about the story.  As he drove, the idea occurred to him that the story could be the basis for an interesting Christmas book.

Over the next few years, Mr. Snyder wrote and rewrote different versions of the story, adding to it and elaborating to make it more appealing.  The end result is a 168-page book entitled “The Golden Ring” that Mr. Snyder recently had published.

The story is set in 1918 in Meyersdale, Pa., but a significant part of the story takes place in Brunswick where the main character’s father, who is an engineer on the B&O Railroad, gets stranded in a snow  storm.  The story takes the reader back to a time when life was simpler.  “The Golden Ring’ is a touching Christmas story about giving, faith, love and loss.  It is a story that has family appeal,” said Mr. Snyder.

There are so many fascinating stories that can be told by older generations about what life was like back than,” he said.  “We need to get these stories out so we can pass them along to our children.  That was one of the reasons I wrote this book,” said the author.

The book is being released on a limited basis this Christmas, with plans for national distribution next year.  The book, which sells for $15.95, is available at Borders Books and Music as well as Christian and independent book stores, Amazon.com, or visiting the book’s Web site at www.thegoldenring.com.

To order by mail, send a check made payable to The Snyder Group Inc., for $15.95 per book (Maryland residents must add 5 percent sales tax).  Shipping and handling is $4.00 for up to three books.  For each additional book over three, add $1.20 each to the $4 shipping and handling fee.  Phone orders can be made by calling 410-721-4447.

The author will be signing copies of his book at Borders Book and Music in Frederick for 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18.

Mr. Snyder’s 90-year –old grandmother passed away on Nov. 22, just days after he delivered a finished copy of the book to her.  He resides in Gambrills with his wife and family.