The Christmas Mystery
By (Author) Jostein Gaarder
Orion Publishing Co
Weidenfeld & Nicolson
1st December 2000
7th October 1999
United Kingdom
Children
Fiction
839.82374
Paperback
256
Width 130mm, Height 198mm, Spine 22mm
223g
Fifty years ago a girl disappeared from her home in Norway. She ran after a lamb and found herself travelling right across Europe to Palestine, and back through 2000 years to meet the Holy Family in Bethlehem. There she met angels, shepherds, wise men and other biblical characters who joined her on her pilgrimage; and she heard of many of the things that happened in the world in the last 2000 years. In present-day Norway, a boy acquires a strange old Advent calendar. Hidden in each of the windows is a tiny piece of paper. Little by little these pieces unfold the girl's story and as we learn what happened to her, another story is revealed - that of the strange old man who made the calender.
'an enchanting tale of children in two different times. It is quirky, magical, and full of the kind of repetitive jingles that children like to learn and repeat, as well as being studded with little pearls of wisdom.' -- Kathleen Marshall THE SCOTSMAN
Jostein Gaarder is the author of SOPHIE'S WORLD, a huge bestseller in over 40 countries. He was born in Oslo in 1952 and lives there now with his wife and two teenage sons.