Claudine Burroughs lives an empty life. She is like a strangr to her openly ambitious husband and she dreads the society parties, balls, and teas of her wealthy, socially prominent friends. The only joy she has is in her volunteer work at a women's clinic for poor women which her husband sees as a poor use of her time and he seems to be always on the verge of forbidding her to continue to work there. At a holiday party, Claudine meets the poet Dai Tregarron and she is horrified when an hour later he is accused of beating and killing a young prostitute who had been smuggled into the party. Claudine believes in Tregarrron's innocence and believes that the upper class has closed ranks to protect the guilty party and she sets out to discover the truth. This poignant Christmas tale is at once uplifting and heartbreaking. A diverse host of characters and an intricate plot will keep you turning pages. At a lavish party of genteel, well-to-do guests, a less than savory poet has been invited, and also a young woman of dubious background. A disagreement leads to a fight with tragic results. Now, the plot becomes secondary to the character studies that the author depicts. As Claudine becomes compelled to seek the truth of the matter, she realizes that while the truth may indeed set someone free, it will change forever the lives of innocent people, perhaps smearing their reputations in the process. The author does a masterful job of depicting the correctness of the times as well as the personalities of the characters. At what cost does one achieve happiness? And once thrown away, to please others but not yourself, can happiness ever come within one’s grasp again? These are some of the interesting topics the characters find themselves addressing. If there is a complaint about this tale, it’s that some story threads are not answered and we as readers are left hanging.
What do You think about A Christmas Hope (2013)?
i always enjoy reading about the side stories of the characters in the main books by ms. perry.
—caligirl94174
I love Anne Perry's Christmas short stories! They are perfect for the holiday mood.
—lulu976
Anne Perry always writes a Christmas novel and this one is strong, like the others.
—s_sohoni
