Nell's festival of crisp winter glories by Glenda Millard

Ill. by Stephen Michael King. ABC Books, 2013. ISBN 9780733329845.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Family. Age. Festivals. The family Silk, in the small community of Cameron's Creek, is again presented in all of its warmth. The wonderful Nell, grandmother to all, Ben her adopted son and wife Annie with their children, including Perry Angel, their tales told in previous award winning books, come together for one last episode.
Perry has noticed that Nell is sometimes lonely, and he has also been aware that his personal assistant at school is in the same boat. He plots to bring them together, knowing they both used to like dancing, and gathers some of the other family members together to achieve this. In Mr Kauri's shop they plan their dance, but when Nell falls and breaks her hip, plans must be altered to suit the situation.
This is a wonderful book, full of the love and happiness that a strong family brings to its members, Millard recreating a warm centered rural life with its animals, jams, sharing of food when the need arises, knitting, and simply watching out for each other. In her beautiful prose, full of the richness of the lives she describes, their characters come easily through, wrapping themselves around the reader, drawing them into the circle Millard creates.
I have only read two of the Silk family stories and will search out the others, saddened that this is the last as I am sure the many fans will be as well.
Fran Knight