This is the story of Luther and Nora Krank whose daughter Blair has gone to Peru to help with the Peace Corps for 2 years. Luther has always hated all the Christmas traditions that his family takes part in every year. Since his daughter isn't even there to celebrate with him, he is determined to skip Christmas this year. Luther's wife Nora loves Christmas and has a hard time letting go of her usual traditions, especially when her neighbours and all the stores she gives business to complain, but her husband is determined to go to the Caribbean on a cruise instead.  

The real problem comes when their daughter announces that she is coming back home on Christmas Eve, with her Peruvian fiance. She plans to  arrive home expecting their usual Christmas party. Now the Kranks have only a day to pull it all off. 

What made this book fun was that Luther uses all sorts of measures to retaliate against all his neighbours' efforts to get them into the Christmas spirit. I didn't love the character of Nora as I found her a little annoying, like her obsession over trivial things like Christmas cards. It's a funny book, but I was a little disappointed because my mother told me that this author is famous for writing suspenseful thrillers, which this certainly did not turn out to be!

This book has been made into a movie called Christmas with the Kranks which I have not seen.