A Modern Midlife Christmas Carol
Christmas cheer was dead, to begin with.
The world rests on Eliza’s shoulders. The kids, her husband, work, her elderly mother, and don’t forget her newest friend: perimenopause. It’s too much to carry, but she’s been doing it for years. It’s just what a good wife and mother does, isn’t it?
When another Christmas rolls around, Eliza is drained by all the expectations and logistics of the holiday season. She’s fast approaching her breaking point, but no one around her notices she’s on the edge.
After an incident at her in-laws on Christmas Eve brings things to a boiling point, she finds herself with three unexpected visitors. The spirits of the past, present, and future take her on a journey through her life to shake her out of the rut she’s got into. Their messages leave her with new possibilities: reconnect with her past, reclaim her present, or forge a new future.
And you, the reader, decide which option is best!
Purchase Links
https://books2read.com/u/3kw7gO
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DDHX2854
I've always been a huge fan of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol, not just in book form but also in its many and varied film and TV adaptations. This feel-good Christmas ghost story has a powerful message - one which stays with the reader or viewer long after the last page has been read or the closing credits have finished rolling.
And so it is with Alana Oxford's wonderful modern interpretation of the story. The protagonist in this tale is not a grumpy and miserly old man, but an exhausted, overworked and unappreciated middle-aged woman - someone who represents the experiences of any member of the so-called "sandwich generation". Like Scrooge, Eliza has come to dread Christmas - not because she doesn't believe in it, but because she has lost the ability to enjoy it.
But like Scrooge, one Christmas Eve she receives three ghostly visitations, representing Christmases past, present and future, cleverly presented in ingenious ways. In all three cases what she discovers shocks and surprises her, changing her - and our - perception of her situation for ever.
The book is short enough to read in one sitting. One thing I particularly loved about it is how the author offers three alternative endings, and invites the reader to decide which one is the most likely or most appropriate outcome of the story. I am still trying to make up my mind about it!
Highly recommended.
Alana Oxford is a Michigan author of romcoms, sweet romance, and humorous women's fiction. She wants her stories to bring sunshine and smiles to her readers. She enjoys improv comedy, moody music, everything book related, and has an ongoing love affair with the United Kingdom.
Social Media Links –
https://twitter.com/AlanaOxford
https://instagram.com/AlanaOxford
https://www.facebook.com/AlanaOxford
https://www.tiktok.com/@alanaoxford
Giveaway to Win an ebook of The Gingerbread Christmas Village by Kiley Dunbar (Open to UK & US Only).
Alana Oxford has kindly said that she would like to do an ebook giveaway for another author who writes charming and cozy Christmas books. A Kindle copy of The Gingerbread Christmas Village by Kiley Dunbar, which is a lovely holiday romance featuring a protagonist in her early 60s.
*Terms and Conditions:
UK & US entries welcome. Please click HERE to enter. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Sincere thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour.
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