(Note: A Snow Garden will be published
on the 5th November. I got a free advanced proof copy from work.)

The book features
seven stories (‘A Faraway Smell of Lemon’, ‘The Marriage Manual’, ‘Christmas
Day at the Airport’, ‘The Boxing Day Ball’, ‘A Snow Garden’, ‘I’ll Be Home for
Christmas’, and ‘Trees’). They span in time from the week before Christmas
until New Years’ Eve (with one brief jump back to the 1960s). We visit a wide
range of memorable characters across the festive season – a middle-aged women
reeling from a break up – a twelve-year-old boy who wants a dress for Christmas
– a father trying to patch things up with his sons after a divorce – a new pop
star not quite coping with his fame – an old man with regrets – and even a brief
appearance of Harold and Maureen from Harold
Fry. Each story is subtly linked to the other stories in the collection;
characters crop up as passer-by’s in other stories, or a song or a Christmas
card will tie them together. I loved this aspect of the book. It’s like Love
Actually in book form – but a bit deeper and even better.