★★★★ 4/5
Author: R.M. Bouknight Genre: Christmas
Publisher: Hollybridge Books Published: August 2025
Started: 02/01/2026 Finished: 07/01/2026
Page Count: 144 pages
“The fates never leave love to chance”
I was so excited when this book came up as a Facebook Ad last month. As a lover of A Christmas Carol, I was suddenly desperate to read how the Cratchit family was getting on, it was as though R.M. Bouknight knew I needed this in my life more than I did!
Cratchit is set thirteen years after a Christmas carol, leaving enough room for the new world Cratchit now finds himself in to corrupt him into being a selfish, ignorant man. Inevitably, it takes its toll on his family; how he behaves as a father and as a husband. It’s a grim reminder of how our every decision can affect every aspect of not only our own lives, but the lives of those closest to us.
Delving into the first stave, something wasn’t sitting right with me. A self-assured Bob Cratchit? Tiny Tim a ladies’ man? the family split? This wasn’t how I remembered these much-loved characters. I persevered, and was glad I did, because once I moved into stave two, it dawned on me that no one stays the same, people change, especially over the course of thirteen years. Once I became open to this I could see how the world can have a huge impact on man’s weakness in following his desires.
The ghost of Christmas past reminds Cratchit of how he was before Scrooge helped him, and of pivotal moments that subtly reshaped who Cratchit becomes, to the point that he hardly recognises himself anymore. The ghost of Christmas present highlights to Bob the effect this change is currently having on his wife and children, things that he’d become blind to. And the ghost of Christmas yet to come shows him what will be if he doesn’t change. Can the spirits save Bob Cratchit?
R.M. Bouknight explores themes such as women’s roles, social issues and peer pressure, and on a more serious note, bullying and suicide which may serve as potential triggers, but Bouknight handles these issues with great care and sensitivity.
I would recommend Cratchit to any fan of A Christmas Carol. A casual reader may only think about the characters they’ve enjoyed, but more reflective readers may discover some deeper thoughts about their own vulnerabilities that stays with them long after the final page.
In the end, Cratchit doesn’t pretend to be a new idea, it’s better than that. It’s a reminder of how our decisions shape us, for better or worse, and how easy it is to fall. But also, (to quote Aragorn, one of my favourite characters), that there’s always hope.
Marie Lott Writer 