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Dive in and discover Miranda Hart’s joyful and heart-warming story of a seemingly ordinary woman, her beloved dog and a forgotten but friendly Christmas tree. 
 
In wintry England, Joan and her small ginger poodle, Jessie, set out on an evening stroll around the neighbourhood. 
 
It is a typical grey, shivery day and Joan is keen to get back home and have a warm, comforting bath. Shuffling around the corner, deep in worry (most unlike her) and not noticing where she is going, Joan trips over a discarded Christmas tree before landing on some black bin bags. A soft landing but a very smelly one. 
 
Suddenly, Joan hears a voice say, ‘I am so, so sorry.’ 
 
Nobody is around. Joan checked. Nobody is hiding behind the postbox, stuck up a tree or hanging out of their window. ‘It was my fault. I am so sorry, I hope you are all right?’ There it is again. 
 
Jessie starts barking at the solitary Christmas tree. Is Jessie the poodle trying to tell Joan that the Christmas tree is speaking? 
 
Surely not . . . 
 
Are we about to discover that, in life, there is no such thing as ordinary?

Miranda Hart (Author) Miranda Hart is a writer, comedian and actor. She is best known for her much-loved and multi-award-winning sitcom Miranda, as well as her BAFTA-nominated role of Chummy in Call the Midwife. Notable films include Spy alongside Melissa McCarthy, and playing Miss Bates in the recent adaption of Emma. Her first book, Is It Just Me?, was a Sunday Times No.1 bestseller, winning Non-Fiction Book of the Year in the Specsavers National Book Awards. Other books include Peggy &amp; Me and the children’s novel The Girl With the Lost Smile. I Haven't Been Entirely Honest with You was an instant Sunday Times bestseller and was nominated for Non-Fiction: Narrative Book of the Year at The British Book Awards 2025. 
 
Instagram @realmirandahart Lucy Claire Dunbar (Illustrator) Lucy Dunbar is an illustrator and designer based in Oxfordshire who came to prominence by honouring the likes of The Queen and Matthew Perry with art drawn from behind, always leaving the story open for her viewers to interpret for themselves. 
 
Having been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes from the age of two, Lucy temporarily lost her sight in her early twenties. After she’d regained it, she made a promise to herself to draw every day. From that commitment, came her hugely popular online success. She now has an established and fast-growing social media following with 559k followers on Instagram and has appeared on Radio 4's Saturday Live and Lorraine Kelly. This is her first book.

Lucy Claire Dunbar

The perfect Christmas gift for someone you love

For Lucy, hope can be found everywhere – in family, friendships and even the changing of seasons – and in her art, she seeks to capture that magic in every line and brushstroke. 
 
From celebrating the kindness of strangers and commemorating loss to reflections on the passing of time and the beginning of new opportunities as the years turn, Lucy’s work combines beautiful, hand-drawn illustrations with words that speak to the heart. 
 
In this, her first book, she’ll be drawing together a range of her most popular artwork, framing it within a series of intertwined short stories, to create an irresistible and perennially appealing gift, whether it’s for your friend, family, partner or yourself.

Lucy Claire Dunbar

Praise for The Book of Gifts

Just gorgeous

The perfect Christmas gift for someone you love

Books by Lucy Claire Dunbar

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