The Christmas pearl - Dorothea Benton Frank

Theodora is the matriarch of a family that has grown apart. While she's finally managed to get them all together in South Carolina to celebrate Christmas, this is shaping up to be nothing like the extravagant, homey holidays of her childhood. All they do is argue.

What happened to the days when Christmas meant tables groaning with home-cooked goodies, over-the-top decorations, and long chats in front of the fire with Pearl, her grandmother's beloved housekeeper and closest confidante?

Luckily for Theodora, a special someone who heard her plea for help arrives, with pockets full of enough magic and common sense to make Theodora's Christmas the love-filled miracle it's meant to be.