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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Gilded Mountain is a historical novel about the conditions of workers in the marble mining towns of early 20th century Colorado and a young woman that decides to speak up.
Sylvie Pelletier is nearly an adult when she moves with her family from Vermont to Colorado to join up with her father as he works as a mechanic in a marble mine. The conditions are harsh and the Padgett Mining Company is keeping the workers and their families in terrible conditions to increase profits. As both a journalist for the local newspaper and the assistant of the “countess” of the Padgett company Sylvie will learn a series of harsh lessons about greed, privilege, racism and utter disregard for human life in the face of corporate earnings.
This is a well written and researched coming of age novel about a young woman finding her voice despite oppositions. It really paints the portrait of a time before employee protections and the reader will find themself angry about how poorly everyone from women, to immigrant workers to former slaves are treated. I highly recommend it to historical fiction lovers.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Historical Fiction
The story is set in the early 1900s in Colorado. Sylvie Pelletier, a seventeen-year-old girl, and her family move to Moonstone, Colorado to join her father, who works there in the mining field. But upon arrival, and to the family’s surprise, the atmosphere is agitated and the living conditions are just horrible. Obviously, the mining company has not been taking care of its miners and their families. When Sylvie gets a job in one of the newspapers, there will be a conflict of interest, especially when the newspaper publishes about the miners’ living conditions.
This is a coming-of-age story for this girl. The story is beautifully written and told from Sylvie’s perspective. And I am glad it was written in a linear timeline. I am honestly very tired of picking historical books to see the author going for two timelines or more just to add a little mystery to the plot. It is not worth it at all to do that. I prefer historical fiction to be straightforward, and this is where Gilded Mountain wins.
This book, in my opinion, discusses several significant problems that the mining industry used to face and still faces today. Corporate greed and abuse is a problem that persists in all professions. The historical era has been well captured by the author. The one thing that does a big disservice to the story is the protagonist. She is a teenager, and sometimes we cannot blame her for being so naive or taking a certain kind of action. If you can overlook that aspect of her, I think you are going to like the book a lot.
Many thanks to the publisher Scribner and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book.
Genre: Historical Fiction
The story is set in the early 1900s in Colorado. Sylvie Pelletier, a seventeen-year-old girl, and her family move to Moonstone, Colorado to join her father, who works there in the mining field. But upon arrival, and to the family’s surprise, the atmosphere is agitated and the living conditions are just horrible. Obviously, the mining company has not been taking care of its miners and their families. When Sylvie gets a job in one of the newspapers, there will be a conflict of interest, especially when the newspaper publishes about the miners’ living conditions.
This is a coming-of-age story for this girl. The story is beautifully written and told from Sylvie’s perspective. And I am glad it was written in a linear timeline. I am honestly very tired of picking historical books to see the author going for two timelines or more just to add a little mystery to the plot. It is not worth it at all to do that. I prefer historical fiction to be straightforward, and this is where Gilded Mountain wins.
This book, in my opinion, discusses several significant problems that the mining industry used to face and still faces today. Corporate greed and abuse is a problem that persists in all professions. The historical era has been well captured by the author. The one thing that does a big disservice to the story is the protagonist. She is a teenager, and sometimes we cannot blame her for being so naive or taking a certain kind of action. If you can overlook that aspect of her, I think you are going to like the book a lot.
Many thanks to the publisher Scribner and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book.
adventurous
informative
slow-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
"An unforgettable saga of a bygone American West seized by robber barons and settled by immigrants; a novel about resilience in the midst of hardship, and a story infused with longing—for family and equality, beauty and joy."
There was a lot going on in this book! I enjoyed reading about Mother Jones and the struggles of unionization. But the life of poor, little, naive Slyvie was underwhelming. Overall, a very readable story but it did drag on too long.
3.75☆
There was a lot going on in this book! I enjoyed reading about Mother Jones and the struggles of unionization. But the life of poor, little, naive Slyvie was underwhelming. Overall, a very readable story but it did drag on too long.
3.75☆
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
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