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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Format got annoying/repetative after a while when it was clear the author was struggling to provide info while also keeping the thru line of communicating only via letters
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was charmed by this love story that unfolded through letters during WWI and revisited during WWII. It is about finding and healing the past. I was also surprised that some of the first part of the book took place in Urbana, IL, where I listened to this audiobook.
Really enjoyed the first half but the second half dragged on and was really maudlin. Could have been 2 hours shorter. I enjoyed listening to it though, the different voices were great to listen to.
I would give the story itself four stars, but I bumped my rating to a five because the narrators of the audiobook version were so fantastic.
** Full disclosure - I picked this book up at the Five Colleges Sale purely because it took place (at least in part) on the Isle of Skye (which everyone should visit in their lifetime).
This is a charming if almost saccharine sweet epistolary novel that takes place between two generations and two World Wars. The story is about being honest, loving who you love and trying to make the best of your own life when you may not have all the answers. And while it is sweet, it became incredibly predictable and had a lovely bow tied on it in the end. (Not that this is a bad thing just a point of fact.) It is a good book for a day by the water (which is where I read it) and it engages you as far as wanting to know what happens and finding out if people get the answers they need versus the answers that they may want. My favorite parts of the book were the descriptions of the ocean and land that Skye has - Brockmole did a fabulous job describing this ethereal and pagan place and does deserve kudos for that.
This is a charming if almost saccharine sweet epistolary novel that takes place between two generations and two World Wars. The story is about being honest, loving who you love and trying to make the best of your own life when you may not have all the answers. And while it is sweet, it became incredibly predictable and had a lovely bow tied on it in the end. (Not that this is a bad thing just a point of fact.) It is a good book for a day by the water (which is where I read it) and it engages you as far as wanting to know what happens and finding out if people get the answers they need versus the answers that they may want. My favorite parts of the book were the descriptions of the ocean and land that Skye has - Brockmole did a fabulous job describing this ethereal and pagan place and does deserve kudos for that.
I was thoroughly enchanted by this story that is told entirely through the correspondence of it's characters.
1912: Elspeth is a young poet who has never left her home on the remote Isle of Skye. Davey is a a university student in Illinois who writes a fan letter to her.
1940: Margaret is a young woman who ferries children out of the cities to billets in the countryside of Scotland and England. Paul is a pilot with the RAF as WWII intensifies.
The stories unfold and intertwine as we follow the correspondence, waiting as eagerly as one might expect they would have for a response to each question, revelation and secret. "There you are."
1912: Elspeth is a young poet who has never left her home on the remote Isle of Skye. Davey is a a university student in Illinois who writes a fan letter to her.
1940: Margaret is a young woman who ferries children out of the cities to billets in the countryside of Scotland and England. Paul is a pilot with the RAF as WWII intensifies.
The stories unfold and intertwine as we follow the correspondence, waiting as eagerly as one might expect they would have for a response to each question, revelation and secret. "There you are."
I am really not a fan of love stories but, this book is well written and charming. The characters are intense, usually sensible and have defined personalities. The differences between Skye and the others locations is evident. I listened to the audiobook, very well read\played.
A nice little meandering story that is easy reading before bedtime. I really wanted more of the High Lands and their life style in the early 1800's, but I guess since that wasn't the foundation of the story I only got small snatches of it.
The author has a light and airy writing style that I enjoyed. Probably would have given 3.5 stars if available, mainly because I find a 4-5 star book nearly impossible to find. Sigh. Would read this author again though!
The author has a light and airy writing style that I enjoyed. Probably would have given 3.5 stars if available, mainly because I find a 4-5 star book nearly impossible to find. Sigh. Would read this author again though!
I wanted this so much to be like the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, but it wasn't. The switching back and forth from WWI to WWII and from Elspeth to Margaret was distracting. Yes, it's to show the parallels, but it didn't work for me.