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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
This is a well written story about a naïve young woman who is “in the dark” about her paternity. I found it to be an entertaining read, although the background to the tale is a bit shaky.
It is 1904. May Kimble of Brooklyn, New York has recently lost her mother. She receives a letter from her mother’s sister, an Aunt Florence of San Francisco, whom she had not previously known even existed asking her to come and stay with her and her family. When the novel opens, May has just arrived and is getting to know her Aunt, Uncle Johnny, and Cousin Goldie as best she can.
Although I enjoyed this read, I had a little bit of an issue with some of the background and the basic premise.
1. The details of what happened in the past that caused May’s father to break off his relationship with her mother are very sketchy.
2. Why does May’s mother write to her sister Florence, who has grievously wronged her in the past and beg her to take May in after she passes when she is well aware that May’s father died two months ago and therefore she is sure May will soon be heir to a family fortune.
3. Why would May’s mother continually hint to her that she will someday have money “One day you’ll want for nothing. You don’t belong here. You are meant for something finer than this.” and yet not explain the circumstances of her paternity to her. “I made a promise to your father, May….. He will not forget his debt to me, or to you. He was a good and honorable man.” Why does May’s mother tell her to “Remember who you are”, but not tell who she is. This makes no sense.
4. The Liberty Bell candy jars are physical evidence connecting Florence and Charlotte, but May is eventually presented with the letter from her mother and there are statements regarding the family resemblance. Hence there is no question that Aunt Florence is her mother’s sister. So the candy jars seem like extraneous evidence to me.
5. It is unfortunate that we are not given the opportunity to judge May’s Aunt Florence. What did she do to come between May’s parents? We assume that she tells May to go because she is worried about May’s safety, but we really can’t be sure
It is 1904. May Kimble of Brooklyn, New York has recently lost her mother. She receives a letter from her mother’s sister, an Aunt Florence of San Francisco, whom she had not previously known even existed asking her to come and stay with her and her family. When the novel opens, May has just arrived and is getting to know her Aunt, Uncle Johnny, and Cousin Goldie as best she can.
Although I enjoyed this read, I had a little bit of an issue with some of the background and the basic premise.
1. The details of what happened in the past that caused May’s father to break off his relationship with her mother are very sketchy.
2. Why does May’s mother write to her sister Florence, who has grievously wronged her in the past and beg her to take May in after she passes when she is well aware that May’s father died two months ago and therefore she is sure May will soon be heir to a family fortune.
3. Why would May’s mother continually hint to her that she will someday have money “One day you’ll want for nothing. You don’t belong here. You are meant for something finer than this.” and yet not explain the circumstances of her paternity to her. “I made a promise to your father, May….. He will not forget his debt to me, or to you. He was a good and honorable man.” Why does May’s mother tell her to “Remember who you are”, but not tell who she is. This makes no sense.
4. The Liberty Bell candy jars are physical evidence connecting Florence and Charlotte, but May is eventually presented with the letter from her mother and there are statements regarding the family resemblance. Hence there is no question that Aunt Florence is her mother’s sister. So the candy jars seem like extraneous evidence to me.
5. It is unfortunate that we are not given the opportunity to judge May’s Aunt Florence. What did she do to come between May’s parents? We assume that she tells May to go because she is worried about May’s safety, but we really can’t be sure
DNF at 12%
Historical fiction is always hit or miss for me. I’m either immediately intrigued or consistently uninterested. Unfortunately this fell into the latter category. I felt like the 12% I did read took ages to finish.
Historical fiction is always hit or miss for me. I’m either immediately intrigued or consistently uninterested. Unfortunately this fell into the latter category. I felt like the 12% I did read took ages to finish.
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I picked this up half way through where I’d left it years ago. Didn’t enjoy it.
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A Wonderful Escape
In the genre of historical fiction/romance, this was truly a joy to read. It’s a great story from beginning to end and never dragged at all. Not as heavy a read as my favorites, but a really memorable story that pulled me in and kept me invested.
In the genre of historical fiction/romance, this was truly a joy to read. It’s a great story from beginning to end and never dragged at all. Not as heavy a read as my favorites, but a really memorable story that pulled me in and kept me invested.
Loved this book. A bit of a Gone With the Wind Flair and I loved every second of it. Romance, society, insane asylum, natural disaster and revenge.
Slow Start w/ a Brilliant Ending
Reading is my luxury at bedtime. I set aside all the worries of the day to get lost in the pages of an author’s imagination. A Splendid Ruin was offered as a Prime book and the subject matter of San Francisco before the big 1906 earthquake appealed to me. I grew up in Northern California (not to be confused with the Bay Area where SF is) and have heard many stories and history lessons about that earthquake. A fictional story that included the time period should be fascinating.
Unfortunately, this story begins very dry, uneventful and I found it hard to pay attention. Still, I kept reading, hoping that the author would pickup the pace & she did! Thank heavens!! It’s worth your time to read and the author has done a fabulous job researching the time period including: fashion, architecture, mental health & drugs, the Chinese culture, design, foods and more. Gossip rags haven’t changed much over time and the appeal to commoners was as great then as it is now. Interesting tidbit, I know.
Reading is my luxury at bedtime. I set aside all the worries of the day to get lost in the pages of an author’s imagination. A Splendid Ruin was offered as a Prime book and the subject matter of San Francisco before the big 1906 earthquake appealed to me. I grew up in Northern California (not to be confused with the Bay Area where SF is) and have heard many stories and history lessons about that earthquake. A fictional story that included the time period should be fascinating.
Unfortunately, this story begins very dry, uneventful and I found it hard to pay attention. Still, I kept reading, hoping that the author would pickup the pace & she did! Thank heavens!! It’s worth your time to read and the author has done a fabulous job researching the time period including: fashion, architecture, mental health & drugs, the Chinese culture, design, foods and more. Gossip rags haven’t changed much over time and the appeal to commoners was as great then as it is now. Interesting tidbit, I know.
adventurous
emotional
informative
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
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes