Jenny Overton (1) (1942–2017)

Loved re-reading this book from my long ago childhood. Beautifully written, it tells the story of Annaple, who has a decidedly romantic view of marriage and is not interested in the more pragmatic Francis' attempts to woo her. Loosely based on the '12 days of Christmas' song, Francis swings into action, helped by Annaple's brothers and sister who would be happy for her to leave home (they all like Francis) as her cooking is awful and she bosses them dreadfully. As Francis' romantic gestures become more fanciful, Annaple gets sniffier and the whole town follows the wooing with interest.

Daily life, Christmas traditions and the fickleness of emotions make this a really enjoyable read, especially for 9-12 year olds.… (mais)