Mitford stories are always great fun. I always feel just happy after
finishing one and I’ve looked forward to a quiet afternoon to read this book
for a time.

This time around, it’s October and Father Tim has come across a dilapidated
old plaster nativity scene that the antiques store owner has brought back
from England with him. He’s bored with retirement and his book of essays is
not going well. The crèche reminds him of his childhood Christmases and, on
the spur of the moment, he decides to buy it and fix it up for Cynthia as a
Christmas gift. The book is the story of how he goes about it, how the
townsfolk help and hinder him and how he keeps the secret from Cynthia.

It’s a good story though perhaps not as tight as some others she has
written. It could have been either a well-written short story with some of
the extras cut out or a more developed novel with a bit more tension and
detail but on the whole I enjoyed it. It’s always fun to go back to Mitford,
visit some of the old haunts and find out what everyone is doing lately. She
does hint of the next book and where that one may take place too.