It’s Christmas Eve in the fair town of Amherst, Nova Scotia, and sparkling snowflakes crown the pointed roofs of houses as stately as Victorian ladies. It has been a day of well-loved traditions: visits to the ill and elderly, candlights services, and a favourite story told by father at the fireside.

And upstairs in the attic, a little girl has just found a long-lost treasure that will make tomorrow a Christmas to remember for years to come.

Molly Simmons, author and illustrator of A Victorian Nova Scotia Christmas, was that little girl in the attic, and it is through the eyes of a child that she rekindles all the warmth, wonder, and tradition of a time gone by.

This is a magical tale that speaks to the child in everyone, with exquisitely simple prose, delightful drawings, and cherished family recipes that offer a gift that will last for years to come.