Gifts

Warm and uplifting storytelling: a delightful treat.

* Clare Chambers, author of SMALL PLEASURES *The ideal warm, bittersweet read to get you in the festive spirit. – Jo Finney * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *In her third novel, set in a fictional English village, Barnett weaves together 12 interlinking stories set at Christmastime. We meet a single dad, a grieving daughter, a guilt-ridden ex-convict and a sprightly pensioner, and what connects them is a desire to do right by the people they love and choose the perfect gift. If you’re not in the Yuletide mood yet, you will be after this. * TELEGRAPH *

I thoroughly enjoyed this gorgeous festive tale. Told in the form of interlinked short stories, it’s beautifully written and highly emotionally intelligent.

– Sara Lawrence * DAILY MAIL *Full of warmth, poignancy and a huge dose of Christmas spirit. – Sarra Manning * RED *The best gift of all is a book you can curl up under a blanket with over the Christmas and New Year holidays and happily transport yourself. Leading the way is Laura Barnett’s Gifts which is an ode to the strange and wonderful time that is Christmas told through a series of moving stories about characters trying to find gifts for awkward-yet-loved people in their lives. – Francesca Brown * STYLIST *This book will inspire, comfort, and move anyone who reads it. * HOOD MAGAZINE *Celebrating the power of community and exploring the emotional ups and downs the festive season can bring, it’s a novel that’s sure to warm the heart of any Scrooge. * RADIO TIMES *This gem of a book is well observed, poignant and hopeful. – Deirdre O’Brien * BEST *Tender and moving, Gifts is infused with Christmas magic - that bittersweet mix of joy, yearning, sadness and hope that accompanies the festive season. – Mernie Gilmore * DAILY MIRROR *They say don’t judge a book by its cover but in this case, go right ahead. Like chocolate for the eyes, Gifts tells the bittersweet story of 12 interconnected characters on the hunt for the perfect gift for the people who matter most to them. An immensely readable book made for a cosy day at home, preferably with a snoozing dog on your lap. * ZOELLA *Heartwarming and comforting, this beautiful festive gift of a book allows you to connect with a vivid cast of characters and soak up the festive spirit of hope which is infused in every page… A wonderful piece of storytelling that is a must read for your festive fiction book selection. * MY WEEKLY *

Laura Barnett was born in 1982 in south London. She studied Spanish and Italian at Cambridge University, and newspaper journalism at City University, London. As a freelance arts journalist, features writer and theatre critic, Laura has worked for the GUARDIAN, the OBSERVER and the DAILY TELEGRAPH amongst others.

THE VERSIONS OF US, her debut novel, was a no. 1 bestseller and has been translated into 23 languages. She is also the author of the novels GREATEST HITS, GIFTS and THIS BEATING HEART.