Christmas Eve brings more than snowfall to the St. Quentin household when Mr. Schwartz arrives at the door with secrets shadowing his past and a mysterious object called a ju-ju tucked in his belongings. The family senses danger lurking beneath his polite manner, but twelve-year-old Minkie refuses to be intimidated by the mysterious stranger and his West African connections. Told from the unlikely perspective of Bobby, the family horse, who observes the evening's unfolding drama with unexpected clarity, the novel blends Edwardian adventure with sharp-witted domestic comedy. As the ju-ju's significance becomes clear and Schwartz's true intentions emerge, Minkie's courage and quick tongue may be the only things standing between her family and peril. A spirited girl heroine with sarcasm to match her bravery, navigating a world where adventure and danger have a way of arriving uninvited on holidays.
