Beryl W. reviewed on 6/21/2010 + 44 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 3

A beautifully written story of the intersection of chance and fate and those who's lives are altered by both. A young Irish girl, nine year old Lucy Gault does not want to leave her beloved family home though her parents feel forced to leave for reasons that are valid. She hopes to convince her parents to stay and makes a fateful decision that changes all their lives forever. A child's impulsive action, like all things cannot be altered after the consequences are understood. So begins the story of their lives "after" the fateful choice, as well as the lives of all who knew them, or knew of them. The pace of the story, carefully told calls to mind simpler times, quiet pleasures, and self imposed isolation. So many themes are dealt with in this story. How does one come to acceptance, forgiveness of others, even of ones self? How does one allay the weight of guilt over unintentional consequences caused by oneself? How does one find a way to love when one believes ones self unworthy of love? Lucy does find her own way, over many years, through devastating disappointment and it is walking by her side, observing her as her two loyal house servants do caring for her, that you come to understand how this is accomplished. A lovely, sad, bitter sweet story that I'm very glad I didn't miss!

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