THE TWELVE TOPSY-TURVY VERY MESSY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
James Patterson, Tad Safran
Little Brown and Company
October 3, 2022
288 pages
Normally I am not a fan of James Patterson. In fact, I have read only one book of his. It was a long time ago and I decided then that his books are not my type of books. But, I usually like to read one Christmasy type of book every December. This one looked interesting and had a great title so it became my choice.
The writing style caught me immediately. It was tongue-in-cheek, sometimes subtle. Always conversational.
Our characters are a family of three: a widower and his two children. The father has decided that since his beloved wife has passed away, they would no longer celebrate Christmas. There would not even be mention of it. Predictably, we know that this would all change.
The basic premise is that an unknown benefactor (word used loosely) is sending the family gifts from the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. It all starts with a Partridge in a Pear Tree. The reader can guess where this goes next. Needless to say, the family is not overly happy as their house fills up.
Somehow the family manages to survive the Twelve Days of Christmas.
It’s a cute story, sometimes even laugh-out-loud funny. And, some might consider it sappy and corny. But, it is also a story that suspends reality and has the ability to renew the magic of Christmas.
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