The slow unwrapping of Christmas in the winter dawn

Lee has always considered his home to be in the Cotswolds, even when he left to walk across Europe, his heart still remained there. Village Christmas is a collection of essays and other writing about his favourite moments at home in the valley of Slad, and of other times in his life. He has fond memories of time long past, of cold winters and frozen ponds, carol singing and warm breath causing clouds as they walked.

The germs of spring stand on the brink of stillness, life loaded but as yet unfired

It is split into four sections one for each season with some of the seasonal delights and other wide ranging subjects like living in wartime Chelsea, the Lakes, country rituals and those moments as the seasons turn slowly on. It is a beautifully written book, with warm lyrical prose, so much so that you don’t feel that you are reading it, rather that you are immersed in his world and place. The way that he captures times long past in intimate detail makes you capture your breath. This is the first Lee book that I have read, but I have recently been recommended The Cider with Rosie trilogy. On the strength of this, I will definitely be reading them next year. ( )

I’ll be honest, there are a few duds in this collection of essays; and the use of seasons as a theme is tenuous at best.

But when an essay hits the mark, it really hits the mark, and there are many essays that do so. And without a doubt, Lee is at his best when writing about the Slad valley and surrounding area. ( )

This book just did not turn out to be what I thought it was. The title and the way the book was sectioned by season led me to think this was going to be more seasonally based.
The first few essays about Christmas were excellent and I enjoyed a few of the essays about spring but most of the essays were not seasonal in theme. ( )