A heartfelt novel of a Christmas shadowed by loss and regret—and brightened by hope for renewal—from the author of Time Will Tell.

Six-year-old Jack is counting the days to Christmas. But his grandmother is just counting the days until it’s over. For Jill, the holiday comes with painful memories, and she wants only to escape the recent past and its tragedies.
 
She’s moved and started a new life running a food truck in Widmore Bay, a quaint seaside town, in order to flee her agonising history.
 
It’s only for little Jack’s sake that Jill tolerates the tree and decorations. She just wants to spend Christmas with the curtains drawn, reading a book and drinking coffee.
 
This season, she may stumble onto a miracle that restores joy—and hope—in her heart . . .

Published: 21 October 2022 (paperback); 4 November 2022 (e-book)
Pages: 296
Publisher: Bloodhound Books
ISBN: 978-1504081801 (paperback)
ASIN: B0BHXF9S8M (e-book)

Readers’ Recommendations

“A beautiful, poignant read . . . straight from the heart . . . heartbreaking and heart-warming in equal measure. Once I had started reading it I couldn’t put it down . . . beautiful.”—- Amazon reviewer, five stars

“A Wonderful Christmas Story

“After the untimely death of Jill’s adult son Davey, grief sinks its teeth into her marriage and she uproots to north Norfolk with six-year-old grandson Jack Junior, Davey’s son.

“A year on, Jill has settled into a cosy cottage in Widmore Bay, which she’s renting from Mary, her neighbour, Jack Junior is attending the local school, and Jill is running her own food van business, Veggi Bakes and Shakes. But Christmas is looming, and while little Jack is bouncing with excitement, Jill can’t bear the agonising memories that resurface with a season she once loved. In short, she can’t wait for it to be over, but fate has other ideas.

“Whilst I loved the Christmassy feel to this novel, it was the poignancy that powered through it that did it for me. It took me on a roller coaster of emotions: one moment I was laughing, and the next I was welling up. The writing is truly stunning. Eva captures the essence of Christmas beautifully with her intricate descriptions, and the dialogue between the characters is so well executed that it draws you in and makes you feel as if you’re there, in the story. The cast of characters – estranged husband, Jack Senior, level-headed daughter, Molly, recovering addict, Gabby (Jill’s daughter-in-law), and Irish neighbour, Mary, have so much depth that I could see them in my mind’s eye. I must admit, I particularly enjoyed the scenes between Jill and her landlady/friend/childminder Mary. Oh, how I’d love a Mary living next door to me.

“A Gift called Hope is a fun but emotional read. It’s a story about love and loss, grief and coping and hope. Not your usual cosy Christmas story but much, much more.”
– Kelly F., Amazon reviewer, five stars

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