Christmas began with a good but harassed woman giving birth in difficult domestic circumstances. Somewhere between then and now the circumstances have changed, but for women today, Christmas is still a time of joys garnered against the odds. We have moved on from stables and mangers to supermarkets and microwaves, and instead of palm fronds, shepherds and lambs we have a fat red-suited man, a spangled conifer and well-stuffed stockings. In this anthology, reflecting the experiences of more than 50 women at Christmas, Jenny Eclair rubs shoulders with Agatha Christie, George Sand, Sue Townsend, Stella Gibbons, Clare Boylan and others. The volume aims to give full reign to the seditious humour, discomforts and exquisite social tortures of the season.