The Sprightly Spud

Festive themed fiction has a bit of a reputation for being… well; tosh. However, ‘Let it Snow’, and its charming protagonist, Bea Armstrong, contradicts this perfectly, and may contain more life lessons than one would expect, making the ideal charismatic, yet relaxing, Christmas read.

Personally, I’m not one for reading complex and emotional challenging literary works which expand my horizons, enable me to educate myself on controversial and relevant political issues, or develop my perceptions of the world. I find no enjoyment in needing a dictionary to enjoy my bedtime reading. As a result of this, my preferred genres are romcoms, or a good old murder mystery.

There is nothing wrong with that.

For me, reading should be a delightful escape from reality, providing the perfect opportunity to decompress the mind and body, particularly in the festive season, hence why I enjoyed Beth Moran’s festive treat so much.

The tale follows a popular yet relatable TV meteorologist, who finds herself facing a dilemma. Despite being a household name, and cherished feature of the nightly news, Bea is undervalued and overlooked by her, somewhat smarmy, boss. Consequently, when an opportunity to follow her dream of working for one of the country’s most prolific media moguls; Baxter Bigwood, arises, our hard-working weather girl decides she must do everything in her power to attend the interview, even if it means a cross country journey with her childhood sweetheart…

An intricate schedule of family traditions, dramatic weather conditions, and a quest to save her parents’ independently run school from financial demise, mean the journey is anything but straight-forward. Regardless, Henry and Bea persevere, even when rockstar ex, Adam, turns up to further complicate the plotline.

Long story short, in classic wintery romcom style, it does all turn out alright in the end, but the trials and tribulations encountered throughout the tale not only add more charm to this cracker of a Yuletide comfort read, but may provide some real life lessons too.

First of all, Bea is significantly under appreciated by her boss at East Midlands News. Unfortunately, this isn’t an uncommon occurrence when it comes to women in the workplace, as intelligence is far too often overshadowed by glamour – a situation represented perfectly by the contrast between Bea, and fellow (more glamorous) meteorologist, Summer. Interestingly, Baxter Bigwood’s eccentric interview process actually provided Bea with her chance to shine. The residential stay at his Scottish estate, where candidates were required to undertake a variety of near-impossible challenges, meant that there was no way of interviewees cheating their way to the top of the leaderboard in any way. Consequently, although at first the reader is inclined to doubt Bigwood’s authenticity, in reality it seems he is one of the good guys.

Secondly, this cosy novel places a valuable emphasis on the importance of family, especially at Christmas. Not only is this demonstrated through Bea’s commitment to securing the future of her family’s school, even whilst she faces tasks that could make or break her career, but also by the bond between Bea and Henry. With Mr Fairfax labelled as Bea’s ‘childhood betrothed’, the pair are certainly anything but strangers. We witness their sibling – like relationship blossom into something deeper throughout the narrative, proving that not all important family relations are the result of shared DNA. We learn that those closest to us provide support in times of hardship, encouraging the reader to nurture these vital bonds.

Another touching aspect of ‘Let it Snow’, is the motif of second chances, which is entwined delicately throughout the pages. Initially, this is seen as the result of the Armstrong’s school, Charis House, being a place for ‘delinquent’ children to turn their lives around, before it is too late. No child at Charis house is seen as ‘beyond help’, a message it’s vital to take into our own lives. Additionally, there is the touching acceptance that Bea and Henry find for each other despite their relationship failing the first time round. This leads to the novel cumulating in …

Well, it’s not exactly rocket science.

Overall, Beth Moran’s ‘Let it Snow’ makes for a touching and gentle festive escape. The perfect companion for a chilly Christmas Eve afternoon, and a piping hot mug of tea.