Friday, July 19, 2013

Review - Ruth's First Christmas Tree

Title: Ruth’s First Christmas Tree
Author: Elly Griffith’s
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (November 12th 2012 )
Format: Online Short Story; Pgs 25
Genre: Fiction
Source: Online / Download
Series: Ruth Galloway #4.5

When a good idea goes nowhere. That was my first thought when I finished this very short story. Ruth is determined to give her young daughter Kate a traditional holiday, but things are not quite working out. The tree that she has picked out has disappeared with the vendor, her babysitter is suddenly unavailable, her to-do list is growing and nothing is quite falling into place.

One of the things that I did like about this story was Cathbad’s reciting of traditional Christmas symbols and where their roots came from. Like all of Elly Griffiths’' books, there is a history lesson for anyone that is willing to take the time to digest what is being taught.

The story ends on a bit of a dangler. A missing piece of wood, from the henge timbers, is missing from the museum display and Ruth stumbles upon it in a most unlikely place.

I am not sure if this is a lead up to another book or just an idea that never materialize, but for a quick read and a Christmas feel, it is good. I just wish that it had gone somewhere.

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