I personally enjoy woo-woo books, but even if they aren't normally your bag this has plenty of appeal. I had found Snipe Hunt rather too slow for my tastes, but this latest offering is fast-paced enough, filling its modest length just satisfactorily. Simon can be remarkably tiresome when he is feeling miserable at his single state, and there is still rather too much of his moping to make him a good protagonist but the story is very compelling. Annie's world of the early 1900s is described briefly but evocatively, and made me yearn to go off on some research project of my own. Equally tactile is the daily life of a Southern town, and the reader is instantly immersed in the Christmas preparations of the various characters. There is humor too, as Simon's course has attracted many less-than-desirable students who all want a piece of the action. The end is very satisfying and reminds me why, although Simon is not leading character material, I keep reading these books.