With three possible futures for Eliza this quick read allows readers to decide which path they believe is best. It's a quick and enjoyable read that leaves you wondering—would you want to know what your future holds?
A Modern Midlife Christmas Carol by Alana Oxford
Genres: Christmas, Contemporary Romance, Womens Fiction

Christmas cheer was dead, to begin with.

The world rests on Eliza’s shoulders. The kids, her husband, work, her elderly mother and don’t forget her newest friend, perimenopause. It’s too much to carry, but she’s been doing it for years. It’s just what a good wife and mother does, isn’t it?

When another Christmas rolls around, Eliza is drained by all the expectations and logistics of the holiday season. She’s fast approaching her breaking point, only no one around her notices she’s on the edge.

After an incident at her in-law’s on Christmas Eve brings things to a boiling point, she finds herself with three unexpected visitors. The spirits of the past, present, and future take her on a journey through her life to shake her out of the rut she’s gotten into. Their messages leave her with new possibilities: reconnect with her past, reclaim her present, or forge a new future, and you, the reader, decide which option is best!

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Review

In this story, Eliza, her husband Jacob, and their two teenagers typically spend Christmas with Eliza’s widowed mother. However, this year, Jacob insists on taking the family to his brother Edward and sister-in-law Dymond’s house for the holiday—a five-hour trip that only Jacob is excited about.

The story is narrated by Eliza, a midlife wife and mother who juggles a full-time job, keeps the house in order, and cares for her aging mother. She’s feeling unappreciated and exhausted, and when her brother-in-law says something that triggers her, things take a magical turn. That night, Eliza is visited by three spirits.

The Ghost of Christmas Past, in the form of her great-grandmother Fran, takes her back to simpler times before kids, reminding her of the early love in her marriage. The Ghost of Christmas Present allows her to overhear conversations in the house, revealing some surprising truths. Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Future offers a shocking look at what could be.

The book provides three possible outcomes for Eliza’s life, leaving it up to readers to decide which path is best. It’s a quick, relatable read, blending humor and reflection, and asks a thought-provoking question: Would you want to know your future?

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