James Lane Allen 
Bride of the Mistletoe 

After an initial burst of literary popularity, Kentucky-born author James Lane Allen took an extended break from publishing. After the span of several years, he returned with the short novel Bride of the Mistletoe, which both reflected and diverged from his earlier work. Though also a romance of sorts, the tale is shot through with myth and steeped in symbolism, adding weight and gravity to what otherwise might be a light diversion.