There have been many versions of Santa Claus’s origin story told throughout time, from the earliest folklore of Father Christmas to modern television holiday specials and animated films. A new spin on the Santa mythos, J.J. Ruscella’s “Kris: The Legend Begins” is a story that reveals heartbreak, hardship, yet persistent hope through the 13-year-old eyes of the boy who would one day become the infamous toy maker adored by children around the world. When his mountain village is beset by plague and burned asunder, Kris’s mother takes him and his seven siblings out into the world to find them new homes.