Here's a package of stories – two short and four novella length tales – that will sparkle under anyone's Christmas tree. The description above gives you all the hints you need, so I won't go any further with the stories' details. I'll just tell you what I loved about the whole group.
First, the variety of plot and voice and emotion. I went from laughing out loud to wiping away tears, reading these stories, with plenty of stops in between. From an old man's memories of Christmases past to a child's attempts to grasp the sudden trouble that besets his family, from old griefs to the possibilities of new romance, the tales cover a wide range of human experience. All are very real, with characters the author portrays so skillfully that we can't help believing in them. And – as anyone who's read Jenny Twist's other books will expect – there's a generous sprinkling of magic too.
Second, the gentle aura of hope that glows from all the stories. There's nothing cloying or sappy about these people and the situations they find themselves in; in fact, the visions we're given here are of the real human condition. The author acknowledges the frequently uncomfortable relationships among family members and the certainties of old age and death. But what conquers, finally, is not bitterness or defeat, but the spirit of Christmas – peace, good will, and a striving toward love.
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Top reviews from other countries
Harriet Steel author of the Inspector de Silva Mysteries
Charming
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 7, 2018