Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT #Christmas #Shortstories Silent Night by @WendyClarke99 #fridayreads

Today’s team review is from Jenny R

Jenny has been reading Silent Night by Wendy Clarke

Short Stories

4 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Full of short stories which are easy to read, each and every one of them well written.  The theme is Christmas and includes the stress, fun, excitement and endearing moments that all come with the festive period. I am sure that we are all able to relate to the situations in every composition that Wendy Clarke writes about in this book.

It made a delightful change to be able to pick up a book and read a whole story in 10-20 minutes. This is a book that you are able to fit in with household chores, coffee breaks at work, on the daily commute or simply when you have a little free time.

Every festive tale in the book is different. They range from endearing, sad, funny and inspiring.  It is such a marvellous idea to write a book with a variety of short stories.

I recommend this book completely

‘Silent Night’ is a collection of thirteen Christmas stories by Wendy Clarke, a regular writer of fiction for national magazines.

All of these stories have previously been published in either ‘The People’s Friend’ or ‘Take a Break Fiction Feast’. If you like stories with emotional depth and a satisfying ending, then this collection is for you.

Wendy Clarke is a full time writer of women’s fiction. She started writing when the primary school she taught in closed down and after completing two creative writing courses, began writing short fiction for magazines. Since then, she has sold over a hundred short stories and her work regularly appears in national women’s magazines such as The People’s Friend, Take a Break Fiction Feast and Woman’s Weekly. She has also written serials and a number of non-fiction magazine articles.

Wendy lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex and when not writing is usually dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!

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Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT #Christmas #shortstories Silent Night by @WendyClarke99

Today’s team review is from Liz, she blogs here https://lizannelloyd.wordpress.com/

Liz has been reading Silent Night by Wendy Clarke

As a teenager I loved staying with my Gran in Scotland so that I could read her People’s Friend Annual.  The stories had a feel-good theme which made me look forward to being one of the young women in the tales.  A few years ago, my mother was passing on copies of the magazine and I discovered the stories had moved with the times.  Nowadays they deal with single parents, caring grandparents and the problems of divorce.  So, I had an inkling that Wendy Clarke’s book of Christmas stories which have already been published in the People’s Friend and Women’s Weekly would be a rewarding experience.

There are 13 stories of which two take us back to the twentieth century.  The characters are children, young couples, middle-aged men and women stuck in their ways and old people with sad stories but wisdom to pass on.  Some try to recreate happy Christmas gatherings from the past while others try to escape the traditions and family problems of a conventional day.

Bella’s Christmas, “On my Own,” particularly appeals to me personally and promises a change in her future life, while “Project Christmas”, “A Christmas Present called Abbie,” and “A Song for Christmas,” are heartening accounts of how young men come to terms with looking after a family they love at Christmas.

“Cancelling Christmas,” and “Together for Christmas,” reminded me that friendship is worth celebrating at this time and “Finding Santa,” shows how strangers will rally round to make Christmas special when disaster strikes.

“Christmas Strike” is a lesson for us all about making assumptions about others while “The Greatest Gift” is a touching story about love, although I did feel that Lindsay was almost too perfect, in her happiness to receive only a small gift from her partner.

The two historical stories are sad and moving but perhaps the most unusual is “The Memory Purse” where Tracy’s attempt to give all the residents of a Retirement Village what they wish for, results in a surprise gift for her personally.  This lovely book would make an excellent present or a relaxing read for yourself over the festive season.

‘Silent Night’ is a collection of thirteen Christmas stories by Wendy Clarke, a regular writer of fiction for national magazines.

All of these stories have previously been published in either ‘The People’s Friend’ or ‘Take a Break Fiction Feast’. If you like stories with emotional depth and a satisfying ending, then this collection is for you.

Wendy Clarke is a full time writer of women’s fiction. She started writing when the primary school she taught in closed down and after completing two creative writing courses, began writing short fiction for magazines. Since then, she has sold over a hundred short stories and her work regularly appears in national women’s magazines such as The People’s Friend, Take a Break Fiction Feast and Woman’s Weekly. She has also written serials and a number of non-fiction magazine articles.

Wendy lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex and when not writing is usually dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!

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Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT #Christmas #ShortStories Silent Night by @WendyClarke99

Today’s team review is from Jenny, she blog here http://jennyworstall.wordpress.com

Jenny has been reading Silent Night by Wendy Clarke

My review:

I have long been an admirer of Wendy Clarke’s short stories; she writes with great delicacy about the deep emotional truths found at the heart of seemingly everyday lives.

Christmas is a time of heightened emotion and this collection explores themes of loneliness, loss and love, all with the constant thread of the real meaning of Christmas running through.

In ‘Finding Santa’ we sympathise with a family stranded at Gatwick Airport as the festive season starts and in ‘All I Want for Christmas’ we feel for the new step-father desperately searching the shops for the elusive must-have-toy late on Christmas Eve.

The most original story of the collection in my opinion is ‘Silent Night’, but my favourite is ‘Christmas Strike’, for its humour and for the tenderness of its resolution.

So, enjoy this wonderful collection, with a mince pie and a cup of tea at your elbow!

WARNING: keep a tissue at the ready too, as Wendy Clarke really knows how to pull at the heart-strings.

‘Silent Night’ is a collection of thirteen Christmas stories by Wendy Clarke, a regular writer of fiction for national magazines.

All of these stories have previously been published in either ‘The People’s Friend’ or ‘Take a Break Fiction Feast’. If you like stories with emotional depth and a satisfying ending, then this collection is for you.

Wendy Clarke is a full time writer of women’s fiction. She started writing when the primary school she taught in closed down and after completing two creative writing courses, began writing short fiction for magazines. Since then, she has sold over a hundred short stories and her work regularly appears in national women’s magazines such as The People’s Friend, Take a Break Fiction Feast and Woman’s Weekly. She has also written serials and a number of non-fiction magazine articles.

Wendy lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex and when not writing is usually dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!

Goodreads | AmazonUk | AmazonUS | Twitter