Winter Solstice: A Great Pre-Christmas Read

If you're looking for a good read to get you into the Christmas frame of mind, try Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. That is, if you have time during this busy month.

Available at Amazon.com

But even if you don't read it before the holidays, it's a great story any time. It can be considered a "light read," a novel that is simple, yet complex. 

I have read the book many times since it was published in 2000, always as Christmas approaches. I also have read many other books from this bestselling author, including her best known novel, The Shell Seekers.

Winter Solstice is the story of Elfrida Phipps, who retired from the theater and moved from London to a quaint country village to exorcise the pain in her past and find peace in a new place.

But tragedy ensues and Elfrida finds herself in a rambling house in the north of Scotland as the December solstice approaches

There, five very different and intriguing people, ranging in age from the teens to the mid-sixties, are thrown together. Each is confronting very different challenges or losses. 

The Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, represents a time of darkness for some, but for others it represents a time of hope, renewal and rebirth.

As the solstice passes and Christmas approaches, the healing power of love begins to work it's magic.

Credit: zimbio.com
Rosamunde Pilcher is a British author. She was born in 1924.

Pilcher describes the daily rituals of living, and of the healing comforts of domesticity and companionship as few other writers can. If you haven't already this book, do give it a try. It's a great read to get you into the Christmas mood.