Cover detail of The Christmas Mouse by Miss Read

The Christmas Mouse by Miss Read

Welcome to Day 12 of #12booksofchristmas! Folks we have made it!!! In case you missed it here are the first 11 days.

First of all, I want to start by saying a massive thank you to all of you who have been reading my reviews, joining in over on Insta, and recommending even more lovely Christmas reads. It's a lot of work to put this all together, but it is the best! I get to read Christmassy books all year and chat about them. What is not to love.

I'm typing this up on Saturday, ready to go to our friends Christmas meal, and it has SNOWED!!!! Our village looked so wonderful this morning. I've done my Christmas shopping, we still have cards to deliver and of course I still need to wrap up my wonderful husband's pressies. I'm almost there. This week will be enjoying the lead up to Christmas, collapsing in front of a film with some chocolates and then joining family for the big day itself.

Wherever you are, I hope you are well, happy and looking forward to the season, whatever that looks like for you. I send you my love. And now, let's get on with the final #12booksofchristmas.

This year I was lucky enough to receive a 12 month subscription to Audible and discovered to my delight that Carole Boyd (aka Linda Snell from The Archers) has been narrating the Miss Read books. Carole Boyd has a wonderful voice and listening to her is like having a very cosy chat with a good friend. I did also, after this read the book as well and it is marvellous. I knew I wanted to include this as my #12booksofchristmas

The Plot

A Christmas Story set in the delightful village of Caxley.
How would you feel if the boy you looked after was so discontented that he ran away, making you feel that you had let him down, when all the time you had been doing your level best to make him happy?
One Christmas Eve a mouse’s appearance in an old widow’s bedroom leads to a chance encounter with a small boy - a meeting that would be remembered by both of them for a long time.
Into this neatly devised plot Miss Read weaves all her customary ‘humour, charm and wisdom’.

My Thoughts

I believe Miss Read has featured on the last 2 lots of #12booksofchristmas and there is a good reason for this. They are wonderfully cosy and for me show the true meaning of Christmas.

The story is told with Miss Read’s customary gentle style and wry humour. It is a slower pace of life, but don’t be fooled that nothing happens. People are kept busy in the gentle preparation of Christmas. Packages are carefully wrapped, Christmas shopping is undertaken via the Caxley bus and food is well-made using recipes handed down through generations. Gone is consumerism and mad Christmas spends of today. Instead Christmas morning breakfast is cornflakes and the little girls receive a collection of carefully thought out gifts that are very much played with. Christmas cards are carefully selected for friends and neighbours.

The story is lovely - a little boy runs away and finds himself in the home of Mrs Berry who reminds her of a mouse in her bedroom. She finds out why he has run away and through this reminds him of the true message of family and Christmas.

This is a gentle, cosy and a truly lovely read. It left me feeling all warm inside. Even better it is a pause on the insanity of Christmas, a reminder to take a breather and be thankful for all the small things.

And with that my loves, I wish you all the very best for the festive period.