THE TWELVE DAYS OF RESOLUTE CHRISTMAS – DAY 1From snowy landscapes and glittering hoar frost which comes straight from a Christmas card, to cosy firesides with children reading their new Christmas books and new worlds unfolding through literature, to Christmas tables with a beloved face missing and the loneliness that only comes from being in a crowd, join the authors of Resolute Books as they share some of their stories of Christmas with you and take you through the Twelve Days of Resolute Christmas.Today our author CF Dunn – novels of history, mystery and suspense kicks us off with her reflection. You can buy Claire’s historical novel. Wheel of Fortune, on most online bookstores.Claire says: “My Christmas cake isn’t going to win any prizes for the best decorated. In previous years I’d spend ages getting it just right and the results just about passed muster. The last couple of years, however, has seen a sea-change. In the days before Christmas the kitchen becomes a mass of pots and pans, the air fragrant with spice and zesty oranges and with windows condensing steam. It’s a time for carols and contemplation and I’ve been reflecting on Christmas traditions – specifically the cooking and baking my great-grandmother and grandmother relished at this time of year. I wondered what went through their minds as they stuffed turkeys, chopped suet for the mincemeat, and rolled out pastry. And I thought that probably their concerns were similar to mine. Beyond the immediate needs of getting the timing right and the inevitable last-minute dash to the shop for a forgotten ingredient, they lived through wars, epidemics and shortages much as we are doing now. I wasn’t as aware of such things as I am now, although the threat of the Cold War stalked my vintage childhood. My parents and grandparents kept such fear at bay, wrapping their children in the sights and sounds, warmth and promise of Christmas, insulating us from the harsher realities of life – the strikes, power cuts and winter ‘flu. Perhaps that is why we perpetuate the customs with which we grew up. The world was no more a safer place then as it is now, but we do not remember the threat, only the impression of security. There is certainty in the past gilded as it is by nostalgia.”  #twelvedaysofchristmas #advent #resolutebooks #bookstoread #authorscommunity #winterreads #christmasbooks

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