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A Christmas Journey

1 rating: 4.0

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Readers of Anne Perry’s bestselling suspense novels revel in a world that is all their own, sharing the privileged existence of Britain’s wealthy and powerful elite in West End mansions and great country houses. It is also a … see full wiki

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A Christmas Journey by Anne Perry can be Read Anytime of the Year

Jul 14, 2010

by donna_r

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All of Anne Perry’s books are interesting and readable. In particular, her Christmas books are some of my favorites. Most of her books take place in Victorian England and are atmospheric of the time period. The Christmas books are enlightening books to read any time of the year and therefore help maintain the Christmas spirit. Whether you're young or older, you will find a great deal of wisdom in any of the books presented in Anne Perry's "Christmas" series.

In The Christmas Journey, published in 2003, the protagonist, Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould is visiting a friend at his estate for the Christmas holidays. Her children are staying at her home in London while her husband is conducting business overseas. The name of the estate where she is sojourning is Apple Cross. It is the home, as mentioned, of a long-time friend by the name of Omegus Jones.

During a social gathering in the home, Isobel Alvie, another friend of Vespasia’s, displays rude and unbecoming behavior towards another guest by the name of Gwendolen Kilmuir. Unfortunately, this manner of acting does not bode well for Isobel as Gwendolen is found tragically killed, apparently as the result of jumping from an ice-covered bridge. Of course, everyone who was present at the gathering and who is a guest in the house blames the tragedy on Isobel. Isobel is shunned by everyone there except for her one true friend, which is Vespasia.

In order to rectify the situation Omegus and Vespasia devise a plan to have Isobel journey to the Highlands of Scotland in order to notify the victim's mother of her daughter's death. They tell the other guests that they must forgive Isobel if she promises to travel to Scotland with this information. At that time, a woman had little in the way to sustain herself, especially if she was an outcast in her social circle. As a result, both Isobel and Vespasia end up traveling to Scotland to visit the victim’s mother and ultimately find out the cause for the death as well as other valuable lessons about life and friendship.

You can contrast this book with Anne Perry's other Christmas novellas as they all leave you with more clarity with respect to relationships. Althought this book is not my favorite in the series, it's certainly worthy of commendation. Therefore, if you want a good read that leaves you with a better understanding of the human condition, I highly recommend this book. You can read it in a day. Yet, the story will stay with you for a long time. In fact, I suggest you read the entire series. They are short, yet succinct reads with valuable messages.

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