The Christmas Tree
A tender, yet unsentimental novel of loneliness and longing
Published on 7. October 1999
Book
Paperback/Softback
192 pages
978-0-7472-6258-9 (ISBN)
Description
'It is difficult to convey the marvellous quality of this book' Daily Telegraph
Constance Keating has lived a life of internal exile, alienated from her family and from Ireland.
Now she has returned to her family home to die. While that painful, messy process takes place she replays, like a home movie, the fragments of her past. And, as the festooned Christmas tree awaits its day, so Constance also waits, hoping her child's father will come and that the final outcome will be on her terms.
What readers say about THE CHRISTMAS TREE:
'A book that touched my heart. No sentimentality, or tear jerking, simply a beautiful, tender, yet sad, story'
? ? ? ? ?
'Read it. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be a wiser person by the time you finish the last page'
? ? ? ? ?
Constance Keating has lived a life of internal exile, alienated from her family and from Ireland.
Now she has returned to her family home to die. While that painful, messy process takes place she replays, like a home movie, the fragments of her past. And, as the festooned Christmas tree awaits its day, so Constance also waits, hoping her child's father will come and that the final outcome will be on her terms.
What readers say about THE CHRISTMAS TREE:
'A book that touched my heart. No sentimentality, or tear jerking, simply a beautiful, tender, yet sad, story'
? ? ? ? ?
'Read it. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be a wiser person by the time you finish the last page'
? ? ? ? ?
Reviews / Votes
It is difficult to convey the marvellous quality of this book. Constance Keating is a major fictional portrait, her death finally noble -- Martyn Goff * Daily Telegraph * The ending brings more than a lump to the throat. It is magnificent * Daily Express * She is a skilful writer, using short flashbacks... in such a way that each page widens the picture. You start with a solitary woman, dying alone; you finish with a past, a history, great tenderness and no sentimentality -- Caroline Moorhead * Spectator * A most distinguished novel * Irish Press *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Headline Publishing Group
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
141 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7472-6258-9 (9780747262589)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2014
Tinder Press
€3.99
Available for download
Person
Jennifer Johnston, who died in 2025, was one of the foremost Irish writers of her generation. She won the Whitbread Prize (THE OLD JEST), the Evening Standard Best First Novel Award (for THE CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS), the Yorkshire Post Award, Best Book of the Year (twice, for THE CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS and HOW MANY MILES TO BABYLON?). She was also shortlisted for the Booker Prize with SHADOWS ON OUR SKIN.