Helpful Score: 4
So, so beautiful. I absolutely love Kate Morton's ability to tell stories. Her love of literature and books really shines through. I identified with the main character, Edith, who felt more at ease with written communication than with speaking out loud. I enjoyed her secret wish that everyone could just write letters in lieu of talking.
This book has the gothic romantic/tragedy feel of "Jane Eyre" combined with the slow lingering horror of "The Shadow of the Wind." There is the bookish publishing agent, Edith, who becomes involved with the odd, ancient spinster sisters Persephone, Seraphina and Juniper who live in the castle once owned by their father, an eccentric writer. From the start, we are told that Juniper, the youngest sister, was driven mad when her fiance runs out on her. However, things are not as they seem. As Edith unwinds the tale in modern (1990s) time, the sisters remember their past in flashbacks. And of course, there's more to the jilted lover story than we imagine.
With that said, this story is not perfect. Though Edith's character is described quite well, there is just not enough detail of the sisters to really complete the story. The family "curse" is not fully revealed until towards the end, and that late reveal doesn't quite carry the impact as expected. heredity and madness is another theme that is implied but never quite drawn out in detail; this weakens what is perhaps the most vital scene in the book. Without giving too much away, I felt the relationships between the father and each daughter should have been described in much more detail in order to really enhance the family tragedy and "curse."
However, there was so much in this book to enjoy. The first tour of the castle was absolutely wonderful, especially the description of the "veins" (secret passages between the walls) to give a sense that the castle was "alive." The doomed romances are short but sweet. And the ending made me cry. Don't skip this book!
This book has the gothic romantic/tragedy feel of "Jane Eyre" combined with the slow lingering horror of "The Shadow of the Wind." There is the bookish publishing agent, Edith, who becomes involved with the odd, ancient spinster sisters Persephone, Seraphina and Juniper who live in the castle once owned by their father, an eccentric writer. From the start, we are told that Juniper, the youngest sister, was driven mad when her fiance runs out on her. However, things are not as they seem. As Edith unwinds the tale in modern (1990s) time, the sisters remember their past in flashbacks. And of course, there's more to the jilted lover story than we imagine.
With that said, this story is not perfect. Though Edith's character is described quite well, there is just not enough detail of the sisters to really complete the story. The family "curse" is not fully revealed until towards the end, and that late reveal doesn't quite carry the impact as expected. heredity and madness is another theme that is implied but never quite drawn out in detail; this weakens what is perhaps the most vital scene in the book. Without giving too much away, I felt the relationships between the father and each daughter should have been described in much more detail in order to really enhance the family tragedy and "curse."
However, there was so much in this book to enjoy. The first tour of the castle was absolutely wonderful, especially the description of the "veins" (secret passages between the walls) to give a sense that the castle was "alive." The doomed romances are short but sweet. And the ending made me cry. Don't skip this book!
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