'A skilful and lasting achievement, with all the elements of a perfect Christmas tale' THE TIMES Hidden in the corner of a dusty old bookshop, Joachim discovers a handmade advent calendar and begs his father to let him take it home. The next morning, when he opens the calendar's first door, out falls a tightly folded piece of paper: the first instalment of a magical story about a young girl named Elisabet. Little by little these pieces tell the girl's story, and as we learn what happened to her, another story is revealed - that of the strange old man who made the calendar. From beloved Norwegian writer Jostein Gaarder, this enchanting Christmas classic weaves together magic and miracles.