A Christmas Promise (original 2009; edition 2010)

Gracie Phipps, a young girl living in the poorer section of London befriends an 8 year old who is wandering the streets searching for her lost donkey. The child fears that her donkey will not find his way home and that she must track him down.

Their adventures take them into the seedier parts of the city but throughout the friendship forged between the two young girls aids them to their unusual conclusion. ( )

A short Novella featuring Charlotte and Thomas Pitt's maid, Gracie.When she was a young girl, Grace attempts to help a another girl unravel a mystery. Thomas would have been proud of her. ( )

Anne Perry does a wonderful job painting a picture of Victorian England. In this Christmas novella, the lower class of England as glimpsed though the characters of Gracie Phipps and Minnie Maude Mudway displays that the true Chrictmas spirit may be found anywhere. The story centers around the death of Minnie's uncle and the disappearance of the uncle's mule, Charlie. Minnie and Gracie search for Charlie, only to involve themselves in the opium trade. I enjoy reading these Christmas novellas to jumpstart my Christmas spirit, the stories are sugary, but always show the true character of man. ( )

enjoyable light quick read ( )

Reading Anne Perry's Christmas novelettes has become a Christmas tradition for me. This book is the seventh such book. For those that don't know, these stories are based on minor characters in the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series or the William Monk series. This one is about Gracie, Thomas and Charlotte's maid. The story is set on the streets of London when Gracie was 13, before she came to the Pitts. Gracie is a street survivor, and she is asked to help an eight year old girl by the name of Minnie Maude Mudway to help her find her uncle's donkey that has been missing since her uncle was killed. It sounds simple enough to Gracie but she finds a whole underworld that she doesn't know exists and her and her little friend are in great danger. Of course this is set right around Christmas in keeping with the theme of these stories. This little book is endearing because Gracie is one of my favourite characters. Gracie shows determination and empathy for those who are even less fortunate than her. It's a heartwarming tale. ( )