Annaple Kitson is the oldest daughter of the Kitson family and is generally in charge of running the household. Unfortunately her cooking is not the best so the others are rather keen on the idea of her falling in love and getting married. Francis Vere is very much in love with her and wants to marry her, but Annaple has dreams of romance. Annaple's brothers and sisters decide to lend Francis a helping hand when it comes to a few grand romantic gestures. And so on Christmas day Francis turns up with an odd present. A partridge. In a pear tree. And that's just the beginning.

You see where this is going, right?

What follows is a delightful, giddy, hilariously chaotic tale of ancient Christmas carols and traditions and a determined young man out to win his true live and invent something new in the process. Beautifully written with a light touch by Overton and gorgeously illustrated by Shirley Hughes, this is a perfect Christmas read.