A Sixpenny Christmas

by Katie Flynn

As the worst storm of the century breaks across the North West, sweeping through Snowdonia and across the Mersey to burst upon Liverpool, two women, Molly and Ellen, give birth to girls in a Liverpool maternity hospital. Despite their different backgrounds, they become firm friends. Molly lives on a hill farm in Snowdonia while Ellen is married to Sam O'Mara, a dock worker who is quicker with a punch than a kiss.

After one punch too many, Ellen throws her husband out, and eventually leaves Liverpool to live with Molly in Snowdonia. Ellen and her daughter throw themselves into their new life with enthusiasm, unaware that they are being watched by someone hiding in a ruined cottage higher up the mountain. And as another horrendous storm breaks across the hills, the watcher makes his move.

Genres: Fiction, Christmas, Historical Fiction

432 pages, Hardcover

First published August 23, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Katie Flynn was born in Norwich and attended Norwich High School, where she was extremely happy and extremely undistinguished. Published at the tender age of eight, in Enid Blyton's Sunny Stories, she joined a Writers’ Circle as an adult, publishing short stories, articles, etc; only turning to novels in 1971 because the postal strike cut off her main source of income!
At first she wrote under several different names – Judith Saxton, Judy Turner, Lydia Balmain, Judith Arden – but her Katie Flynn books were a delight to write and proved far more popular than she had dreamed. She has now published nearly ninety novels, twenty-seven of which are Flynns. Her most recent titles are: Lost Days of Summer and Christmas Wishes.

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great family story!

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this book. Easy to read but very hard to put down. Recommended.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought that the main characters were all likeable and found the story easy to read. The only tiny criticism that I would make was the ending. It felt as if the author didn't finish the story, perhaps there will be a sequel?

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

You always know that you can settle down for a nice comfy read with a Katie Flynn book. I would love to know what happens next with these characters!

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t say this is my favourite Katie Flynn novel, but it was still a good read.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming tale of farming life and family mysteries.
When Molly Roberts and Ellen O'Mara give birth on the same day to baby girls their fates are inextricably entwined due to the friendship that sprung up between the me others.
Though their lives are vastly different, Molly in a loving marriage and children and a farm to look after, Ellen with an abusive and vengeful husband who makes her life a misery lives in the city in Liverpool, despite all this the friendship endures over the years until they become technically so close they are all part of one big happy family.
Though Ellen's husband Sam casts a shadow over the lives of everyone when he mistakenly abducts Molly's daughter thinking it is his own girl just to spite Ellen.
Despite this life goes on though there are scars from the past from all of them, with family trials and tribulations to sort through can things end up happily for both families?
Brilliantly written with loveable characters that you can really empathise with this book is a must for a cosy festive read and for lovers of old time dramas.
Well worth reading.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was a page turner! I became fond of every character and felt that I could relate to each one. This book was an eye opener for me, life was hard and we really do not know we are born and yet these characters know no different and never complain. I felt I learnt alot from this Katie Flynn novel. For example, I never had any inkling how much there is to sheep farming-dipping,shearing, lambing and the throwaway comments the young character Nonny makes about 'shouldn't have maggots. . .'- I knew farming is messy but I didn't realise quite how. . .I liked the historical references, it begins post war and throughout the saga we expieriance the introduction of telephones and by the end of the novel the shearing of the sheep is electric. The book tackles several timeless issues that the young and old face: fear of intimacy after abuse,empty nest syndrome, home sickness,domestic violence and dealing with elderly parents.I will definately read more Katie Flynn.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was on the shelf of the holiday house we stayed in and i couldnt resist it, must admit it did seem a bit strange sitting on the beach in norfolk reading a book about christmases in wales. really nice story and kept me interested. havent read a katie flynn book before and will look out for more by her.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not put this book down and wished it was longer. It was so lovely and poignant. So much more than just your average Christmas romance. Lots of nice twists and turns to the story and so much tender love within it. I fell in love with all the characters and hope to read more by Katie Flynn.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read.
" A poignant war-time romance" Daily Express

[Shauna Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book it dealt with some really heavy issues but as usual in the most fantastic way great book

[Linda Leedham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thourally enjoyed this book .one of those I couldn't put down . I needed to know the outcome of the story set at the begining

[Pearl Twigger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading Katie Flynn books

I love reading Katie Flynn books, they always end on a happy note but I did enjoy this one & hope there is a follow on

[Asma Siddiqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://youtu.be/yfH9XpBlxrI

[Eowynselixure_book Love · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided I wanted to read a Christmas book this year. It's not something I usually do, Christmas time is reread time as a rule but I wanted to get into the Christmas spirit.

This book has nothing to do with Christmas. It features Christmas of course but only as a mention, a time of year.

It's really about two women who give birth at the same time, in the same hospital during a storm. It goes on to tell of these two women's great friendship and the differences of their two lives and that of their children.

Ellen lives in Liverpool and Molly in the wilds of Snowdonia, when Molly has a serious accident, Ellen and her daughter Lana go to help out on Molly's family's farm. Here Ellen's drunkard husband catches up with them and during another terrible thunderstorm, makes his move.

This story dragged, not because it wasn't interesting but because for the most part it was fairly mundane. Interspersed there is misfortune and accident but at several points I found myself wondering what there was left to tell? The story just went on and on and I was impatient for it to end.

Granted this wasn't helped by the massive pile of books waiting for me to read but I also think that this story was a very much tick all the boxes story. A coming of age tale sprinkled with really unfortunate accidents, friendship, kidnap, friends to lovers and mysteries.

What really puzzled me is that everyone was married off at the end which seemed really old fashioned and unnecessary.

But for all this I did thoroughly enjoy reading it because it was very atmospheric and descriptive. I suspect I will miss it for awhile now it's done.

[Alex Hutchinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Katie Flynn has an accomplished prose style, and I admire the clarity with which she tells a story. This one was clearly set out and paced, and it felt like a text book example of what a book from this genre should be. However, for me that was the problem; I wanted to feel more for it. There are moments in this book where dramatic events happen, (without spoiling anything) there are life and death situations, and the book itself opens with a scene in which something important happens (under the cover of darkness due to a power cut caused by the worst storm in history) that influences the course of the characters lives. The only problem is that I felt that all the excitement of these situations had been drained from them. Katie Flynn had thought up situations that could have had me gasping with surprise, but instead they left me emotionally flat. I don't think this is entirely due to my bias in favour of melodrama (although I admit that it might be in part), I think that some of the reactions from the characters to life-changing events were unrealistically low-key. I like a gentle read, but this was rather too gentle.

[Veronica-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A proper family novel. Full of the angst of life on a farm, a friendship between two woman whose babies were born on the same day and the long term friendship that was formed from it and included both families. I loved the drama and the everyday life as it was explained and could easily picture the very descriptive scenery as described. Wonderful journey to take and look forward to reading more of this authors work. Highly recommended.

[LAURA JONES · Rating 5 out of 5]

really like katie flynn books this is a sweet easy read a liverpool mum who has to throw her violent husband and a welsh sheep farmers wife both give birth to daughters the same time in hospital and this book focuses on their friendship and the children they raise it is a good book full of scenarios and quite good unexpected twists well written

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the review I wrote for the last Christmas book I read - this book was pretty much the same!

This was just a nice read. It didn't really pull me in and I found that I didn't really care too much what happened. I could have put it aside and not been fussed. But it was an easy and comfortable read - good for these crazy times.

[Kevin Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Sixpenny Christmas is a story of hardship but also a tale of love, hope and expectation. Not my usual read, but an enjoyable change.

[Louise Potterton · Rating 4 out of 5]

easy to read!

[lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it

Always love a good read from Kate Flynn. Wonderful story line could not put the book down ..
Can't wait to read the next one

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it from start to finish. Shall definitely be read more books written by Katie Flynn.

[KeRRy BECK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

I really enjoyed reading this book. Loved the characters and the farms sounded lovely. With a twist at the end of the book.
You were wrong molly !

[Lauren Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but I thought the ending was a bit too rushed for my liking.. over than that, a gorgeous Christmas read set in Snowdonia and Liverpool.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters were interesting with diverse backgrounds. A lot of terrible tragedies and didn't find it all that festive. But an okay read.

[Sylviaqueenie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read

[Genevieve Holmes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just really dull. Especially once Sam had died. There was no dramatic drive.

[Naomi Bowen]

Set in post-war Wales, this is a beautifully written story with realistic characters. The story spans quite a few years, so we get to see babies grow up and become characters in their own right. It may require dedication from some readers, but I personally liked it. It's not just a cosy little story about family, it also has quite a nasty character with evil intentions *dramatic music* and a secret that could change a lot. Give it a try!

[Hilda · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good story line in general, but felt it lacked depth and substance, some parts were left unfinished, and felt two characters were soon written out, but could have been brought back in at the end and find out what happened to then!