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owengail22's review against another edition
4.0
Terrific and beautiful tale
What a beautifully written novel, a lovely warm hug of a book.
I had never heard much about St Kilda until I read this book, but it has inspired me to go away and research the families that lived their and the isolation and community they endured and enjoyed.
This is the tale of Chrissie and Fred, who meet in the island while Fred is doing some research for his degree. Chrissie is beautiful, a free spirit and a native islander. The story takes us back and forth in time, which I don’t normally enjoy in a book, but Elisabeth Gifford does this with such skill and clarity the reader never gets lost and understands why they find themselves in that particular time. We travel with Fred through France and the book almost becomes a thriller at the end, the reader rapidly turns the page desperate to find out the fate of Fred.
A tale of passing time, enduring love and hope, a joy to read.
What a beautifully written novel, a lovely warm hug of a book.
I had never heard much about St Kilda until I read this book, but it has inspired me to go away and research the families that lived their and the isolation and community they endured and enjoyed.
This is the tale of Chrissie and Fred, who meet in the island while Fred is doing some research for his degree. Chrissie is beautiful, a free spirit and a native islander. The story takes us back and forth in time, which I don’t normally enjoy in a book, but Elisabeth Gifford does this with such skill and clarity the reader never gets lost and understands why they find themselves in that particular time. We travel with Fred through France and the book almost becomes a thriller at the end, the reader rapidly turns the page desperate to find out the fate of Fred.
A tale of passing time, enduring love and hope, a joy to read.
nicolet2018's review against another edition
3.0
I stumbled upon this while looking for another book and the gorgeous cover drew me in. WW2 historical are not my first picks but why not?
I do like historical romance. This book takes places in the past and present. I have seen these alternate storyline based books before so it was not knew to me. I don't find them very unique though it does keep the reader on their toes.
I compared the characters as they aged. The main theme I saw was regret, at not doing something. Fred and Chrissie struggle with it all through the present characters set in WW2. The fear and alertness of being caught for the men trying to get home was scary but the bravery of those helping them was heartening to see. The writing was lovely especially when it came to describing nature and St Kilda.
The way the author writes the people fo the island felt mixed. I admired their simple way of living and yet can't imagine it in this modern day. Their philosophy was interesting though and their sense of community was nice to see. I can't relate to how nice they are, helping out whenever and there is no sense of competition.
But at times very boring and heavy. The first half was very slow and felt like a good choice if you wanted to fall asleep.
I did not care much for the characters and thought the romance was insta-lovey. I did not believe in Fred and Chrissie's love. Though they seemed like decent people as compared to the dark Archie. The friendship between the boys was so-so. The rich boy always the center of attention and his quiet, kind sidekick. I am not sure what to feel about his redemption but the story was better after the half way mark. It was tough to understand the Scottish terms.
I thought this was an okay book and I can't say I recommend it since I don't read this genre alot.
I do like historical romance. This book takes places in the past and present. I have seen these alternate storyline based books before so it was not knew to me. I don't find them very unique though it does keep the reader on their toes.
I compared the characters as they aged. The main theme I saw was regret, at not doing something. Fred and Chrissie struggle with it all through the present characters set in WW2. The fear and alertness of being caught for the men trying to get home was scary but the bravery of those helping them was heartening to see. The writing was lovely especially when it came to describing nature and St Kilda.
The way the author writes the people fo the island felt mixed. I admired their simple way of living and yet can't imagine it in this modern day. Their philosophy was interesting though and their sense of community was nice to see. I can't relate to how nice they are, helping out whenever and there is no sense of competition.
But at times very boring and heavy. The first half was very slow and felt like a good choice if you wanted to fall asleep.
I did not care much for the characters and thought the romance was insta-lovey. I did not believe in Fred and Chrissie's love. Though they seemed like decent people as compared to the dark Archie. The friendship between the boys was so-so. The rich boy always the center of attention and his quiet, kind sidekick. I am not sure what to feel about his redemption but the story was better after the half way mark. It was tough to understand the Scottish terms.
I thought this was an okay book and I can't say I recommend it since I don't read this genre alot.
wargwe's review against another edition
4.0
My knowledge of Europe is a blackened patch of uncharted territory. Reading this is akin to watching a part of Scotland lighting up in my mental geographical map. And then watching the light extinguish as the islands of St Kilda die out with the departure of its last community. A very surreal experience woven with great skill and care to historical detail by the author. Also gained a bunch of vocabulary used to describe island/highland/Scottish landscapes unused in this part of my world hahaha
autumnsongg's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
laurac317's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
kimsly's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
moll_reed's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25