The Christmas Hirelings

A 3.7. It was a heart warming “read” (via Audible and read by Richard Armitage) about a rich, grumpy old man whose best friend hires children to liven up his mansion at Christmas. Did get me to tear up at the end. A good Victorian Christmas tale that would make you sympathise with the girls born in that time.
Despite the fact that the book was published likely in the 19th or early 20th century, the prose is quite accessible and entertaining. More tell than show as was typical of writers then but the author's descriptions were smart and sophisticated.
The pacing can be a bit ponderous and one wonders at a four year old who speaks and behaves much better than teens in most cases (OK that's perhaps not an apt comparison!), but it's a charming Christmas tale with a solid emotional core. And for a Christmas story, thats really what you look for.