ANOTHER CHRISTMAS CAROL

A wealthy woman confronts her past, present, and future in this modern take on A Christmas Carol.

Ellie Printh is a rich, powerful woman whose life is one of strict control over her successful career and enterprises. She is lonely, bitter, and incapable of sympathizing with those who work for her or owe her money. Not even her humble start in life or a serious medical condition that led to a heart transplant seven years ago have mellowed her ice-cold disposition. Then, one Christmas Eve, the ghost of the woman whose heart she inherited calls on Ellie to announce that she will be visited by three spirits. They will guide Ellie through important moments in her life to show her it’s not too late to change her ways. Ellie, who knows full well where this is going, braces herself for the inevitable affecting, tearful moments, but she is convinced that the evening will not end with a change of heart. Derr’s novel offers a fun premise that reframes Dickens’ A Christmas Carol as not only based on a true story, but also one that repeats every Christmas Eve when a chosen soul is given a chance at redemption. This holiday tale features a deftly deployed omniscient narrator: “If there was some parallel with her and A Christmas Carol, it seemed a foregone conclusion that she was the Scrooge role.” The story’s appeal lies in the familiar comfort readers often derive from similar tales told since Dickens’ classic was first published and from beloved holiday films like It’s a Wonderful Life. This particular version of Dickens’ work—much like the original—showcases redemption, generosity, charity, and the ills of workforce exploitation, but with a focus on the foster-care system as a force for good and on the principle of found families. And just like the original, Derr’s story bypasses any conversation about society’s systemic oppression with regard to poverty, exploring individual accountability and responsibility instead.

Fans of Dickens and It’s a Wonderful Life will find much to love here.