Victoria (YSB) -
For a relatively short book (under 250 pages), this was surprisingly epic in its scope. It covers nearly the entire life of Lucy Gault - and what a tragic life! Accidentally abandoned at the age of seven, Lucy's life never becomes anything more than a life of quiet grief and almost desperation. Well-written, the overwhelming sadness of the book as a whole made it a rather depressing read. And despite the book's opening date (oddly enough, June 21st), I think this is more of the type of book for winter nights, rather than hot summer evenings. From its premise, I thought that the book would focus more on Lucy's childhood, but the vast majority dealt with the extended aftermath of the accident that defined her life, particularly during the summer of her 21st year. Though not an enjoyable read, per se, it definitely kept me turning pages and just had me yearning for something - anything - good to happen to Lucy.
