Can you imagine you are a 10 year old girl whose experienced her parent's divorce and separation? Well that's what happens here. The book starts with Emily waking up from 3 years of staying with her step-father and his 2 children Maxie and Vita on Christmas. Her step-father Frankie (not the edible one!) was tall and kind and had long hair that came upto his waist. He keeps it in a neat plait while working and left it open at home. Emily loves it when her step-father calls her Princess Emerald. She wakes up before anyone else and fins the presents a the foot of children's bed. She knows that Santa's are only in stories but, Maxie and Vita don't. She hears her step-father come to the room so, she quick wakes the the 2 sleeping children up. Then they went and woke their mother up. They were all ready to open their presents. Smallest starts first. Maxie had got felt-tip pens, Vita got one of Santa's reindeer which she thought was a doll but, Emily pointed out that it was a puppet whose nose if you press will light up and will start singing. Emily got an Emerald ring as she's Princess Emerald. But their mother got the grandest present of all she got sparkly silver high heel sandels. Guess what Emily's gran got? She got cool designer jeans.They all had a lovely breakfast.Her step-father insists on leaning all the dishes. She goes to admire the ring. When she hears her father mumbling. She thinks he's just singing. But when she opens the door for a peek she hears her father speaking too some lady on the phone. He was telling her that he can't wait till he leaves them and comes and joins her. Emily gets a terrible shock and screams "Nooooooooooo!!!" Everyone comes rushing into the kitchen. So, he tells them everything. The rest of the story is about how miserable they all were but, soon got used to the idea.
