We hope that this issue might sway your Christmas purchases. Topping our list is The Ghost Garden by Susan Doherty. Winner of the prestigious Mavis Gallant Prize for Non-Fiction, the novel is a masterpiece. We reviewed The Ghost Garden in the February 2019 issue of the Ottawa Review of Books. In this issue, we are pleased to feature Susan Doherty in an in-depth discussion with ORB's Caroline Vu. Also in our Christmas issue are four reviews on some very strong books, worthy of your Christmas stocking. Murielle Cyr's debut novel, The Daughter's Story is a compelling story of loss and re-discovery in a mother's relationship with her daughter. Side by Side by Ottawa writer Anita Kushwaha invites us into the deep recesses of human grief over the loss of a loved one. Different Beasts by J.R. McConvey crosswalks the reader between the literal beast and the beast within the human soul. Finally, Dietrich Kalteis, Vancouver's master of noir crime fiction, takes us on a journey to the American West in the 1930s in Call Down the Thunder. And with that, we wish you the best of the festive season and joyful reading for all!