Sometimes a book knocks your socks off and resonates with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

Susan Breen’s Merry is just that kind of book. It’s inventive, and filled with original characters you’ll come to love, none more than Merry Bingham, a book scout who loves Dickens and Christmas and just wants to find the Christmas joy for herself and her family at a fraught time in her life. And did I mention her dog Leroy talks to her?

When Merry brings her family to London for Christmas it’s at a great cost to her, and things don’t go as this super-organized woman has planned. Hanging over her is a medical test that will change her life, no matter the outcome, and she’s desperate for one more happy holiday before she tells her family about it.

But things, like Life, soon spin out of Merry’s control on so many levels she can’t catch her breath. And then the ghost of Charles Dickens appears, and he’s angry with her!

There is humor here, and great insights into human nature. You’ll learn about the business of book scouting, literature, Dickens, and how London celebrates Christmas. The magical elements are low key and unobtrusive. Best of all, you’ll be moved by Merry and her family, and the true meaning of Christmas.

This is a gem of a book. I’ve just bought copies for several reader friends, because it’s a gift you’ll want to keep giving–it’s that good.