Keeping A Christmas Promise | Jo Thomas
I’ve long been a fan of Jo Thomas but I think Keeping A Christmas Promise might just be my favourite of her books.
As ever, with Jo Thomas’ writing, there’s a real danger of becoming completely obsessed by the wonderful descriptions of food that permeate the story. It was such a delight to find recipes from the narrative at the end of the book as an added treat.
The depiction of Iceland is stunning. Jo Thomas places her readers right at the heart of the action through her evocative writing.
Reading about Iceland within the story was every bit as vivid as visiting – from the landscapes to the ponies, the food to the weather, every detail is accurate and compelling.
Nature, friendship and community
I loved the element of Icelandic folklore and tradition threaded through the story, making it really authentic and adding just the right amount of Christmassy aspects to create a total gift of a read.
Also totally engaging is the plot of Keeping A Christmas Promise. Certainly there is romance, but there is so much more too.
There’s grief at the heart of the story, the realisation that life is what we make it and that nature, friendship and community are precious commodities that we need to nurture and appreciate.
A lovely intimacy
Jo Thomas explores with such humanity the friends’ reactions to loss, relationships and their identities in the world that Keeping A Christmas Promise is affecting and emotional.
I thought all the characters, including Iceland itself and the ponies, were wonderful. The confined situation and setting means that as Freya, Joanna and Meg get to know Frankie, Pétur and Knútur so does the reader, giving a lovely intimacy to the story.
But more than that, Jo Thomas ensures the reader get to know themselves better too. Keeping A Christmas Promise is a very special book and the lovely storytelling brought a tear to my eye on more than one occasion.
Something you didn’t know was missing
Keeping A Christmas Promise is not so much a book you read, but rather one you lose yourself in. It’s not until it’s finished that you realise Jo Thomas has helped you find something you didn’t even know was missing from your life.
Keeping A Christmas Promise is filled with hope, healing and happiness and is pure joy in book form. It’s a story we all need in our lives and I adored it.
