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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
Eleven-year-old orphan Maud Flynn is taken from her hard-scrabble life at the chilren's asylum and adopted by three older ladies. The Hawthorne sisters are spiritualists, defrauding the desperate with cheap parlor tricks and pretending to carry messages from the dead. Maud is happy to help them in return for her new life. However, as Maud spends time with the deaf/mute housekeeper, Muffet, and begins to develop an unwelcome sympathy for the sisters' victims she grows uneasy in her role. And Maud has started to dream of the drowned girl she must impersonate - dreams that seem a little too real.
The opening line of the book caught me immediately: "On the morning of the best day of her life, Maud Flynn was locked in the outhouse, singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Schlitz has created a cast of believable, likable characters. The characters are the strongest part of the book. I liked Maud and was rooting for her from the beginning.
The action and pace drag a little in the middle and the ending is predictable. There are no twists or turns - I think from 1/4 of the way through the reader can probably guess how the whole book will turn out. Despite that, it was an enjoyable book. I wouldn't rank it as a favorite and I doubt I'll pick it up again but it was a decent read. I suppose that's the book's greatest failing - it is neither great, nor awful, but very middle of the road.
The opening line of the book caught me immediately: "On the morning of the best day of her life, Maud Flynn was locked in the outhouse, singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Schlitz has created a cast of believable, likable characters. The characters are the strongest part of the book. I liked Maud and was rooting for her from the beginning.
The action and pace drag a little in the middle and the ending is predictable. There are no twists or turns - I think from 1/4 of the way through the reader can probably guess how the whole book will turn out. Despite that, it was an enjoyable book. I wouldn't rank it as a favorite and I doubt I'll pick it up again but it was a decent read. I suppose that's the book's greatest failing - it is neither great, nor awful, but very middle of the road.
A fun little read about an orphan wanting a family and to be loved, and instead ending up with a bunch of ladies who con people with seances for a living. Odd, but charming.
Absolutely enchanting.
This is the story of Maud, a young orphan, who is adopted by 3 spinster sisters and taught "the family business" of pretending to be spiritual mediums, and her quest to just be loved.
I would recommend it to anyone.
This is the story of Maud, a young orphan, who is adopted by 3 spinster sisters and taught "the family business" of pretending to be spiritual mediums, and her quest to just be loved.
I would recommend it to anyone.
All I knew about this book when I bought it was that it was the Kindle Deal of the Day, and whatever tidy summary Amazon saw fit to provide. What a delightful surprise! This book, frankly, is fantastic. The characters are so well-drawn, and while the ending is somewhat predictable, what gets you to that point most definitely is not. But what impressed me the most was how tightly the story was woven ... There was not one word that seemed superfluous. The last book I read was the very opposite of that, so perhaps Ms. Schlitz benefits from an easy comparison. But really, I think she is a storyteller of the highest caliber, and I really look forward to reading more of her books.
a straightforward story about a 3 sisters, conwomen, adopting an orphan to help them in their fake seances. read it for the mother/daughter bookclub, it didn't really capture my attention
Listened to the CD Audio. It took me awhile to finish. It was an interesting story, but didn't hold me to it like some books can. I "put it down" for a few weeks before finally finishing it, and it isn't exactly a long story. The ending was fairly predictable but it is a YA novel so that is fairly typical. It was enjoyable and I would recommend it to students in my classes who enjoy historical novels or novels that deal with the supernatural.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
A fantastic middle-grade novel, truly a modern classic. The story is so gripping, the main character Maud’s voice is so clear and you care about what happens to her from the very first page. While geared towards a young audience, this book is still literary, and there’s a lot for more mature readers to sift through content-wise. Overall a great read!! Think of beautifully haunting nights on the seashore, and vine-covered mansions down dark, twisting driveways.
A Drowned Maiden's Hair is a wonderfully fun, fast-paced, pulpy Victorian Sensation novel. Its main character, Maud, is a great portrait of an eleven year old: in some ways old before her time, but still believably a child. She's neither overly sentimentalised, nor unrepentantly bratty.
Laura Amy Schlitz also has a great eye for character, and a gift for a great first line:
Finally, this is ultimately a hopeful book about good things happening to good people, and sometimes that's just what you need.
Laura Amy Schlitz also has a great eye for character, and a gift for a great first line:
On the morning of the best day of her life, Maud Flynn was locked in the outhouse, singing 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic.'Doesn't that just make you want to read more?
Finally, this is ultimately a hopeful book about good things happening to good people, and sometimes that's just what you need.
A delightfully mysterious story of the power of hope and what really makes a family. Some suspenseful elements and a touch of the supernatural are woven nicely into an easy read.