Winter's Wishfall | Ceri Houlbrook
"i like to think i would have come to the decision on my own. that i'd been bold enough, determined enough, to not need a push. but truth be told i did need the push. and it came in the form of three letters."
Ellie, the main
character, is going through a crisis: losing her job, her relationship and her
home just before Christmas. As an archivist, she is used to order, but her life
has become chaos. After moving in with her brother and his daughter, she
receives a mysterious job offer on an
isolated Scottish island, which seems like a chance to escape from her problems
and find herself.
This new job includes translating and archiving letters to
Santa, in an office set within the caves on this island. I loved finding out
what the letters said and found many of them rather touching. Ellie though, finds
it very hard to do this job without getting emotionally involved and wanting to
act upon some of the requests – which is a big no-no and causes some strife. I
was a bit muddled on would what actually
happened to the letters that made the shortlist, or rather what happened for
the writers. It felt like that part was sort of skipped over. (Or did I miss
it?) Perhaps that’s just part of the magic of the island and remains a mystery.
While on the
island, Ellie lives with her employers. Clementine, an eccentric baker, who is so
exuberant and downright jolly, adds
warmth and lightness, her baked goods literally coming to life on the pages.
Her twin brother, Cole, could not have been more different – he is reserved and serious, sometimes too
serious and a stickler for the rules. Clem became a real friend to Ellie,
but she also gradually warmed to Cole, as he did to her. The romance was nice,
though I didn’t buy it completely and could have honestly been fine even
without its inclusion. The old uncle Joe was such a character as well, as was Cole's son Alex, and the way
the other archivist, Aiden, settled into life there was realistic – as he slowly
acclimatized to a slower, more isolated life (though he could definitely never
live off the grid permanently).
What is wonderful
in this novel is the Christmas atmosphere. Although the events cover a whole year,
the feeling of celebration and coziness oozes off every page. The magic of the
book is in the details, creating the perfect winter story for those looking for
a light and atmospheric read, which adds to the season, but is not overly cliched
Christmas themed read (though they are fun when you’re in the mood). There was some family drama, that wasn't too deep, but did add substance to the story.
The charming
cover, the atmosphere of the Scottish island and the magic of the details make
it a good choice for a cozy evening. However, the lack of dynamism and
predictability leave the story feeling like something essential is missing. It
felt like reading a magical middle grade for grownups. There wasn’t much depth
to the world, aside from the atmosphere I keep praising.
Part romance, part life change, part magical realism. It’s a
book where I wasn’t sure if the elements would pull together, but I’m so glad I
gave it a chance. Because it really worked.
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