With Christmas just a few weeks away, I think the timing is just right for stories set or centered on the most joyous time of the year...at least for most.
The Beautiful Little Things is a story of an Irish family who just lost their mother, were horribly divided during their grief and brought themselves to their first Christmas without her.
We don't normally try to associate sadness with the Christmas holidays but this is actually the truth for some people and don't get taken aback by the theme of this book because beneath all the coldness is the warmth of love of one very important thing this season - family.
Traditions
The book starts with a Christmas celebration in the Moore household in Ireland. The children Joanna, Romy and Matt have all grown up and are living their lives quite far from home. However, they make it a point to always be together in their parents' home during the Christmas season where they keep good old traditions alive.
That year though, was different. Despite them coming home with their own heavy baggage, they left with a much heavier load to carry which was their mother's terminal illness. They did try to keep it together even if they went back to their lives after the celebration but nothing could ever prepare them for what came next.
Drifting Apart
When their mother's condition reached its end, the siblings were brought back together again. Brought together in an event of utter sadness, the time also brought with it the worst sides of the siblings. What happened during their mother's funeral tore the family apart and with their father also too distraught to keep the family together, they all eventually fell apart.
Home for Christmas
Like how the story started, the Moore siblings without even planning it, came back to their home in Ireland for Christmastime. They used to be welcomed by smiles and warm embraces, but this time it was just as gloomy as when they last saw each other.
Desperate to honour their mother's memory, Romy convinced her family to relive their family traditions following what the note that their mother left behind. Considering they still haven't made ammends, it was obviously very difficult to force themselves into the traditions built around love and happiness.
In conclusion...
The only two things I didn't like very much were the use of the word "albeit" way too often and the lengthy parts where I just dissociated with the story - there was half a chapter just about building a gingerbread house and another treading on a cooking scenario.
It is also worth noting that the story shifts into three POVs: Joanna, Rory and a third person. There were no labels of which POV a section or a chapter was but it was too obvious that I didn't have a difficult time identify who's POV was it.
I have never read any book (as far as I can recall) about Irish Christmas traditions and I was very amused by the Moore family traditions. It had a lot of similarities with what I am used to, but its uniqueness is also very lovely.
This book didn't really make a very strong mark on me but it was really good while it lasted. It's sad, it's heartwarming, a tear-dropper at times...emotions that a lot of us feel during the Christmas season even if we don't fully relate to what they're going through.
I think this would be perfect to those who recently lost their loved ones or are truly missing someone for the holidays.
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