Many of my lovely Random Readers know I am a bit of a misery when it comes to Christmas. I loathe the commercialisation of it all, the mad orgy of spending and the tacky ads on the telly. My favourite part of the festive season is Carols from Kings on Christmas Eve and sitting in the warm and watching it and feeling happy. Much better than Christmas Day which I always found a bit of a let down and, as a child, boring.
OK just call me the Grinch. I don't mind.
I also dislike books that are full of Christmas Cheer when everyone is happy and people fall in love and everyone sits and sings carols and everyone is so....well need I go on? No.
BUT I have just read a book by Millie Johnson - I wish it could be Christmas every Day which has a snowbound setting, food, wine, cheer, love and sentiment and I sat down last week and read it through and simply loved it. My inner grinch was banished and I wallowed. I am not quite sure why.
All a bit Agatha Christie'ish as six people all end up stranded by a snowstorm in an old pub in a village called Figgy Hollow.
Bridget had arranged to meet her husband to finalise their divorce which had been dragged out by their mutual acrimony. Luke leaves behind his pregnant partner to sign the papers so they can both get on with their lives.
Mary is driving her workaholic boss Jack to a meeting which is cancelled at the last minute and they, too, have to seek shelter. She is the cliche - a PA in love with her boss and she had been hoping that being with him would finally make him notice her.
Charlie and Robin were on their way to a luxury hotel in Scotland for a very special Christmas when they end up joining their fellow travellers in Figgy Hollow.
The mysterious inn is well stocked with Christmas food and drink. The only entertainment they have is a radio with a local DJ playing old records, there is no wifi and no phone signal.
So these six disparate travellers all get together and make a Happy Christmas for themselves and the results, which I predicted - wrongly, will come as a surprise to everyone. It is sentimental and warm hearted and I normally circle round this in a book, especially if it is overdone. I checked my dictionary and the definition of sentiment given was "expressing, appealing to, or being moved by sensitive or tender emotions, such as love, nostalgia, or pity".
All of these are evident in this book but they are leavened by understanding, common sense and also wit. This book is funny as well as being touching and the narrative takes us along and I could not put the book down until I had read it.
I discovered Millie's books a couple of years ago. How? Found one in a charity shop and took it home and if anybody gets cross that this purchase took away from supporting the author's work, I should tell you now that I enjoyed it so much I worked my way through all of her books over a period of six months. And bought and paid for them all too. I was pleased to do so.
Figgy Bottom is a place of joy, sadness and coming to terms with life and it is a difficult place to find or return to as our protagonists discover. Where has it gone?
I am going to give you a clue. Think Brigadoon.
Go on look it up...
