The Christmas Hireling by Mary Elizabeth Braddons

Sir John Penlyon is planning to spend Christmas at his estate with his niece and his friend Danby, the closest thing he has to family since disowning his daughter years ago. (She eloped with the parson, who was, of course, penniless.) Danby suggests that at Christmastime the estate needs the presence of small children, and offers to find some—the "hirelings"—despite Sir John’s skepticism. Three children duly arrive, and the youngest, precocious four year-old Moppet, quickly endears herself to Sir John. The season takes flight with merriment, warmth, and even affection, until Moppet—as young children are wont to do in Victorian holiday tales—falls deathly ill. With her life hanging by a tinsel-thin thread, how will the makeshift family cope?

 

Publisher: Audible  | Narrator: Richard Armitage  | Length: 3 hrs 53 mins | Genre: Literary Fiction/Classics  | Source: Publisher | Rating: 4 Cups

This was my first read for the ‘Tis The SeasonAthon and it was short and cute.

 Wanting to spend Christmas at his family estate, Sir John Penlyon’s a little baffled by the fact he can’t seem to find the Christmas spirit. Taking his friend Danby’s advice, John decides to take in three young children, the ‘hirelings’, to bring in some Christmas joy. Unexpectedly, John soon finds himself bonding with the youngest child, Moppet, who reminds John of someone from his past. When Moppet falls ill, John—having lost someone dear in his past—struggles to cope.

Originally published in 1875, this heartwarming classic should be on everyone’s Christmas TBR list. While it was a little slow for the first 30-40 minutes as backstories were revealed and the children were introduced, this soon picked up its pace and I enjoyed watching the antics of the children and how this curmudgeonly gentleman opened his heart and let them in.

There was a twist of sorts at the end; I had a feeling from the start how it was going to go. While I saw the surprise coming, I still enjoyed the process and the reveal.

As always, Richard Armitage does a brilliant job with narration and truly brought each and every character to life.

Overall, at just 4 hours, this was a quick listen that I’m still thinking about. If you’re looking for a Christmas classic but don’t want pick up a brick of a book or if you want to see Christmas through a child’s eyes, I highly recommend this book.