The Red Button by Keith Eldred

4/5 Stars

I fully intended to read The Red Button by Keith Eldred over the Christmas season, but life got crazy and my time to read was minimal. Written as a prequel to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, I thought this book may only be enjoyable during the holidays. However, I proved myself wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed The Red Button as I believe any fans of the story of Ebenezer Scrooge would enjoy it too.

Beautifully written, Keith Eldred is clever and creative in writing this novel. His prose complements Dickens’ writing perfectly which only added enjoyment to each page read.

The Red Button explores the life of Ebenezer Scrooge and his engagement to Belle Endicott, his life before his partnership with Jacob Marley, and his life prior to him becoming hungrily greedy. We already know how his relationship will end with Belle as we know that he is not married in A Christmas Carol, however following their love story is quite enjoyable. But there is sadness involved in the story as well which the reader can probably surmise from the description. The reader gains a deeper understanding of what made Ebenezer Scrooge the man he is in A Christmas Carol. Eldred does a wonderful job of bringing this story to life, and fortunately for the reader brings a sweet and pleasant closure to Belle’s story as well.

The Red Button is an enjoyable, charming, and absolutely wonderful Christmas read. But if it is not Christmastime, please do not let that stop you from picking up a copy. It is an enjoyable read for any time of the year.

I was given an advanced reader copy by the author. Thank you for the privilege!