Christmas at the Keep: A moving and uplifting festive novella to escape with at Christmas

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There’s quite a large cast, with ten children (including Joey’s niece Sybil) as well as the four mothers, Phoebe and Debby, and a few doctors too, including Joey’s husband. I love all Marcia Willett books and have just been re reading The Christmas Angel for about the fourth time. It does take time when medications are adjusted, two medications have been stopped and three new ones put in their place, little wonder there are a few blips along the way, Gill.

When she told me earlier this year that she had inoperable cancer and that the best she could hope for was to be kept comfortable, her concern was not for her own sufferings, but solely that she’d be able to finish her last book. He’s in the garage right now on one of his projects, no doubt making something or repairing something.She’s the only companion who has ever been able to stand up to her employer, and hopes she won’t overstep the boundaries. When an American publisher bought Marcia’s next book (or maybe it was the one after that, it is now such a long time ago I really can’t remember the finer details) Marcia phoned me to tell me this wonderful news! After recently having well needed cataract surgery at 75 now, I have discovered The Summer House, devoured it and just finished the Sea Garden. I need those these days (not because bad stuff is happening at home)–there’s so much discord in the world I like to escape into them sometimes. I’ve no doubt that the novella by Marcia isn’t as polished as her other books, she must’ve been very ill when she was writing it, so I think we must allow for that.

I’ve just about run out of books by my usual authors to read and in looking for new authors, I found Marcia Willett from reviews on GoodReads.Since the book is intended to be started at any point, there are no dates - but I knew I would find it hard to keep track, and wanted to finish it in a year, so I went through, pencilling in dates for all 365 passages. It’s a book I want to re-read regularly, so I hope I’ll be able to find a copy of it in paperback form to dip into, rather than the more clinical Kindle version; on the other hand I’m immensely grateful for having had the chance to download it free albeit surprised that it took me so long to read it. I’m not sure exactly why Brennan Manning’s writing appeals to me so much, but I find his style very readable, his comments and suggestions highly motivating, and his anecdotes moving even when they relate events or situations which feel entirely foreign. As a young teenager this wasn’t one of my favourites, but when I re-read it as an adult, it shot up in my estimation, and I now count it as one of my top five.