5.0 out of 5 stars. So many ways to be wonderful, 12 Feb 2012
By T. Stoker (Greece) - See all my reviews
'There is so much to love about this book, I hardly know where to begin.
Yes, a well-crafted plot, an exciting story and a vulnerable yet brave heroine we can readily identify with make this an unputdownable adventure story. But for me it was the quality of the writing that made this novel more than just a heart-thumping good read. There are descriptions of nature that give a wonderful sense of immediacy. There are the tiny details of everyday life that put you right there in seventeenth century England. The author clearly knows the period well, from politics and religion to folk-belief and food, but none of this is laboured. JA is too subtle an author to foreground her research at the expense of the story.
But for me what lingers of the book is the extraordinary and seemingly effortless evocation of family life. The unspoken love that binds a family together through unbearable hardship and unspeakable fear makes this more than a historical novel. It makes it a book for all times and places.
Having read the book myself, I bought it for a teenage friend and continue to recommend it heartily to everyone who will listen. Am I becoming a Witherstone bore?'
Not boring me! Fab reviews such as this are what keeps me going - so thank you T. Stoker!! x
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