It was acknowledged that in 1851 that it was Charles Dickens who had invented Christmas with all the magic and the emotion the festival brings. For his wife however it was not the same. She was an excellent hostess, an exemplary wife and mother but she did not enjoy the season the way she had in Christmass’s past. Eight children and heavily pregnant she was drained out.
A chance encounter with a cook in her kitchen brought a transformation, taking Catherine back to important stages in her life - when she was a young woman being wooed by Charles and even further back to her very happy childhood with her parents.
The story that shows the true spirit of Christmas comes when one opens one’s heart to love and giving to others - and not just materially but also of oneself. Catherine got true happiness from this so that Christmas became meaningful, rather than a description from a book.
One notable point however was that Charles and Catherine’s history was not idyllic and despite this being her tenth pregnancy, the marriage was on shaky ground. The couple separated. This is not reflected in the story in any way.
Sent by Shadow Mountain Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.
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