Very good.

"strange wistfulness" pretty much sums it up :)

I love this story. There are so many small subtleties. I want to read it all over again to catch all the implications.

...in fact I just did, in the middle of writing this review, but I will definitely go over it a few times. There's some bubble enclosing this perfect little atmosphere, and I want to pick it all apart to learn the tricks of the trade. Small details. A Russian to German dictionary. A lot of money for a child but not an adult. Young Alex starting to learn about Christmas and older Alex estranged from it again. It's very bittersweet, I think that's the word that best describes how this made me feel, topped with a wintry layer of snow (that probably adds to the fantastical feeling, because it only snows at Christmas in London in movies, but I love the vibe it gives).

Also, Yassen! ;D

This is also reminding me of a used bookstore I visited recently and ugh this story's so cosy I want to spend the rest of the holidays curled up with a book.

The spelling of the title doesn't match up with the word at the end, so maybe just check for a typo there.

Anyway, thank you so much for writing this and happy holidays!