Product Description

It's almost Christmas. But for Ali the season of good cheer is the anniversary of her baby's death. As she stands at her son's grave, she is poignantly aware of how dramatically her life has changed. Determined to stand on her own two feet, and get through Christmas alone, Ali turns down her ex-husband's unexpected invitation to spend the holiday with him and his father, only to give in to her best friend's cajoling to share the festive season with her. The only trouble is, it means having to be nice to Sarah's awful husband, Trevor. Sarah may be a saint for putting up with Trevor, but Ali is no such thing, and as his cranky behaviour escalates, she takes it upon herself, in an extraordinary act of daring impetuosity, to play God with her friend's incomprehensible marriage. But Ali's meddling has consequences even she could not have foreseen . . .

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #373806 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 560 pages

About the Author
With an insatiable appetite for other people's business, Erica James will readily strike up conversation with strangers in the hope of unearthing a useful gem for her writing. She finds it the best way to write authentic characters for her novels, although her two grown-up sons claim they will never recover from a childhood spent in a perpetual state of embarrassment at their mother's compulsion. The author of thirteen bestselling novels, including Gardens of Delight which won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award, and her recent Sunday Times top ten bestseller, Its the Little Things, Erica now divides her time between Cheshire and Lake Como in Italy, where she now strikes up conversation with unsuspecting Italians.

Customer Reviews

A deep insight into grief and relationships
I couldn't put this book down once I had turned the first few pages. The grief of Ali and Elliott is haunting, deep and feels real to the reader. Each character develops and changes both physically and psychologically, and the reader is taken with them.
The other couple Sarah and Trevor are fascinating to show how a dull marriage continues....in this case because of guilt. Erica James has clearly studied the Anglican faith to bring Trevor to life. And the grief of the parents when a child leaves for university was very well portrayed. Great book! Definitely recommended

Relationships tested to the limit........
Although frustrated by Ali's decision, her faith in her friend and lover proves right as this wonderful story unfolds and takes us through some powerful and testing relationships. A delightful weekend read filling me with a range of emotions as each character grapples with their own problems and challenges. They are all likeable and believable and felt rewarded when their respective predicaments were overcome or resolved. Interesting and thought provoking comments on faith and some healthy arguments for and against. Loved the character, Leo, too. Looking forward to more Erica James.

Brilliant.Couldn't put it down!!
This was unputdownable. Real characters,real life situations, I was desperate to discover the outcome of the character's lives. The author obviously has a huge knowledge of the Anglican faith and I found this very thought provoking. I was lucky my boss didn't catch me reading it at work. Only regret is I didn't save it for a holiday when I could have read all day.