Archive for November 15th, 2010

Maggie Storm is really fed up her life. Her husband Dave only ever speaks to her when he wants a cup of tea or the sitting room to be hoovered, and her son Dean isn’t the model child either. She works as a cleaner for families who make her feel worthless, and she doesn’t know why she puts up with it. When she meets Daryl by chance at a neighbour’s house, Maggie gets a glimpse of what it could be like to be loved properly, but something is holding her back. Maggie made a New Year’s Resolution to hold back on what she wants and what she thinks, and she doesn’t want to break it just yet.

Decorator Ella Moore gets a commission at Ethan and Francesca’s home, and is sick of being treated like a lacky by Francesca. Ethan on the other hand is more than affection to Ella, and she doesn’t feel entirely happy about it. She’s recently got out of a relationship with Lawrence and his 2 children, so she isn’t ready to dive into anything new just yet. Are either Ella or Maggie ever going to pursue the happiness that both of them deserve? Or are the promises they’ve made themselves too hard to break?

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This book was brought to my attention by Cathy Kelly when she posted it on Facebook last week, and I thought it was such a good idea, especially at this time of year I wanted to bring it to your attention. In aid of The Jack & Jill Foundation, a selection of Irish personalities have written some short stories based around the idea of Christmas. Authors include Cathy Kelly, Maeve Binchy, Niall Quinn and Eddie Hobbs. So if you fancy helping a charity and having a bit of festive read, look out for a copy of There’s No Place Like Home At Christmas.

“In aid of The Jack & Jill Foundation. A collection of new Christmas stories written by well known Irish personalities including Maeve Binchy, Niall Quinn, Cathy Kelly, Eddie Hobbs, Patrick Hickey and Judi Curtin. Describing the true meaning of Christmas, this collection of nearly 30 stories is varied and colourful and will warm the very cockles of your heart. This book will help raise funds for The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation, who provide home nursing care and respite to the families of precious children with brain damage who require intensive care in the place they call home. The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation (www.jackandjill.ie) was set up in 1997 by Jonathan Irwin and his wife MaryAnn O’Brien (MD of Lily O’Brien’s) to help young children in Ireland who are born with or develop brain damage and who suffer severe intellectual and physical developmental delay as a result. They decided to set up Jack & Jill based on their own experience with their son Jack whose short life showed them the ideal way in which little children can be nursed at home. From their experience evolved the Jack & Jill model of home nursing and respite care that supports 320 families in Ireland today and has helped over 1,200 children and their families since 1997.”