Christmas is a time to get together...
Kate Thompson used to love Christmas. But that was before her husband went away with the army and didn't come home. Now she can hardly stand the festive season.
But Kate knows there is more to life than this, and her son Jack needs a Christmas to remember. What she needs is a Christmas miracle, and if there isn't one on its way, she'll just have to make her own.
So begins Kate's advent countdown to the best Christmas ever. She has it all planned out, but you can't plan for the unexpected, and when her life starts to unravel can her friends and the community around her help her save Christmas for all of them...?
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Many thanks to Orion via NetGalley for my copy of 25 Days 'til Christmas to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
Oh Poppy Alexander what a gorgeous book you have written and one that will very much touch every reader who takes the opportunity to read this wonderful story. 25 Days 'til Christmas is full of Christmas spirit, charm and fun but above all else it has such an important message that will affect you deeply and remind you of the true meaning of Christmas. A meaning that can be very much forgotten at this time of year amidst the mad rush to get everything prepared and all the presents and extras bought on time. This is a timely reminder that Christmas is not an easy time for everyone and this can be for a variety of reasons and with the two main characters Kate and Daniel the author has certainly put an emphasis on this aspect of Christmas.
This didn't come across as a story of doom and gloom given the situation Kate and Daniel find themselves in. Instead the further we delve into the book it becomes a story of positivity, friendship, love and of helping others when we see signs of vulnerability or loss. When we see someone struggling at a time of year when there is so much excess and people go totally overboard it was just so lovely and heart-warming to see a story stripped back to basics. It forgoes all the extras that to be honest are really not needed and goes back to the simple things of years gone by that people remember from their childhoods. In doing so it gives the reader food for thought as to how they should approach Christmas and how we should always remember how lucky we are and to treasure every memory both old and the new ones to come.
I haven't finished all my Christmas reading yet but I'm going to go out on a limb and say 25 Days 'til Christmas is my favourite Christmas read of 2018. I just don't think there is any story that will beat it, simply for the vibe and feelings mixed up in a timely story and for the characters that really are not all perfect. They are struggling with emotions and real life situations and although at times my heart broke at what I was reading and it may seem strange to say this but I am glad life wasn't all plain sailing for them because I don't think it is for anybody in real life. Quite often Christmas books are all sweetness and light with such an emphasis on romance and all the food and presents and excitement of Christmas.
Here as Kate and Daniel share their story and subsequent journey with us I found everything to be so realistic, so true to life and I could identify with every aspect of their experiences. Yes we all enjoy a light and fluffy read at this time of year but Poppy Alexander has achieved a fantastic balance between exploring more serious issues and also experiencing the fun aspects of Christmas. Without question Kate and Daniel have really found a place in my heart and I truly think 25 days 'til Christmas is a book I would return to time and time again every year in the run up to the festive period.
Kate is a single mother, although not by choice, raising her young son Jack alone. For four years now since the loss of her soldier husband Tom in Afghanistan she is merely existing, battling through each day to have enough money to provide the basics for herself and Jack. They live in a cramped apartment above a laundrette and Kate works at a local department store Portman Brothers. She is on the basic wage and as Christmas is fast approaching she is dreading trying to get enough money together to provide Jack with a Christmas that he deserves.
Each year she is forced to be the Christmas Girl who stands outside the store in all weathers selling the Christmas trees. There is no way she can get out of it as her boss Mr.Wilkins has a hold over her and the threat of losing her job, given she is on a rolling contract, keeps her going when things get extremely tough. Mr. Wilkins was a complete creep of a character and his demands on Kate were unnecessary and unlawful. I really wished she had the courage to stand up to him and to get other co-workers and the powers-that-be to see what was going on and do something about it. He was sinister and cruel and I hoped it got the comeuppance he very much deserved.
It's clear from the outset that Kate is struggling both personally and professionally but still she soldiers on for the sake of Jack. She is buried deep under the weight of grief and responsibilities. She feels she exists in a state of poverty and fatigue and joy is very much absent. Yes that's exactly what her daily life is like she is very much on the bread line and constantly stressing and worrying about where she will find the money to feed the electricity meter not to mention how to buy a simple cup of coffee. As an extra means of earning some money Kate crafts jewellery but this really doesn't bring in much and the opportunities are few and far between.
Seema is a fellow mum at the school Jack attends and I thought she was an amazing supporting character. She could see that Kate found life difficult yet she didn't want to embarrass her by stepping on her toes and offering some form of help that may needed to be paid back and in doing so she may have damaged the little bit of pride that Kate had left. Together the pair come up with a fantastic idea to make the run up to Christmas and the day itself special for Jack. The plan is to be called Jack and Kate's Christmas Miracle and it is similar to an Advent calendar. Each day in the countdown to Christmas Kate and Jack will do something special. It needn’t be large or extravagant but something simple and affect which will try and help bring the Christmas sparkle back into their lives.
Kate knows she will never ever forget Tom but he would not want her to be living the way she is. What follows is a glorious, magical journey that evokes strong feelings within the reader as the mother and son embark on experiences they will never forget. That's not to say everything is plain sailing for them and things are a bed of roses. No the author keeps throwing endless challenges at Kate and really she is put through the mill time and time again.
I did think the storyline surrounding Jack and his school was so wrong on the schools part, I myself am a teacher and if we carried on the way the teachers and authorities did in this book then we wouldn't be long left in our jobs. The way in which Jack was dealt with and the manner in which Kate was treated was unjust, unfair and unnecessary and I would hope this wouldn't happen in real life. Of course Kate wavers but to everybody else she puts on a brave face and soldiers on. She battles with her feelings that she is a major failure as a mum but really with regard to all aspects of her life, I felt now was the time to stand up for herself, to not take any more crap from anybody and to say what she feels regardless of the consequences. Who knows if she adapted this new attitude good things may come her way both on a romantic and professional front?
As for Daniel he is a lost soul similar to Kate although his loss is more recent as it's only ten months on from the death of his beloved sister Zoe from heart problems. Zoe had special needs but was full of warmth and wit and Daniel misses her terribly. He is all alone in the world as his parents are gone too. Now his anchor, his reason for keeping going, the person whose every need he tended too has left him he doesn't know what to do with himself. As he passes to work as a chartered surveyor he encounters the Christmas Tree girl. He hasn't the courage to speak to her but he can see the sadness behind her eyes and he feels a kinship with her. Daniel feels frozen at a point in time since Zoe's death. He can't imagine moving forwards nor does he want to and the loneliness consumes him a little more each day.
Volunteering on a crisis helpline at every available opportunity makes him think he is doing his bit for society that he can help people. But really Daniel is the one who is crying out for help, for friendship, for acceptance and love. As a tentative friendship is struck between Daniel and Kate, the reader can see a softening almost like a melting of hearts which slowly become open and ready to accept help, support and advice. Daniel finds a focus and his caring and kind nature emerges as he sees Kate is similar to him and maybe they can help each other. It was such a joy to see how things developed the more the story progressed. Nothing was far fetched or rushed or too over the top. Instead Daniel performs little acts of charity when it comes to helping Kate complete her Christmas challenge. It was so just lovely to witness this unfold and in the process one hoped some happiness could be found for one and all. That's not to say there were plenty of traumas, upset and angst in the later quarter of the book. It was full of tension and at one point my heart really was in my mouth and I had my fingers crossed that a certain thing did not come to fruition.
25 Days 'til Christmas is simply a book you must read this Christmas. Get it as a gift for somebody or even give yourself a treat. It reminds us all of the true meaning of Christmas. It has such a lovely refreshing meaning and sentiment behind it and it will bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye. There is something for everybody in this book and I was so glad I happened across it because I would have been gutted to let such a wonderful, magical feel good book slip through my fingers. Hopefully there is much more like this to come from Poppy Alexander in the future.
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