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A review by jgintrovertedreader
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
4.0
I read quite a few books by Rosamunde Pilcher when I was in my late teens and twenties but I haven't read much of her work since then. But somehow I stumbled on this title when I was looking for Christmas-y books that weren't too sentimental. That's just not my taste. But Rosamunde Pilcher seemed like a safe bet.
And she was.
I absolutely love books about found families and this fit the bill. Sure, some characters are extended family but they don't know each other very well. And they're all delightful.
Recently bereaved Oscar's grief, big heart, guilty conscience, and struggles to move forward felt real.
Exuberant, welcoming, spontaneous Elfrida was the friend/family member we all love.
Lucy was the unhappy, slightly neglected teenager who blossoms under tender care.
Sam and Carrie were heartbroken but caring career-types who needed the touch of metaphorical magic that Elfrida spreads around her.
The grief and loss were real and well-described but the most of it happened off-screen so that the book focuses more on hope and healing. There's a touch of insta-love, which normally bothers me, but the two characters were so perfect together, I just didn't care. I was pleased that, for the most part, romantic relationships were not really the point of the story; the building of this unique family unit took center stage. How refreshing!
Pilcher's descriptions of Creagan, Scotland have me ready to jump on a plane and see this beautiful little seaside town for myself--though not in the depths of a frigid winter.
I highly recommend this if you love well-written stories about characters with real problems forging healthy relationships and caring for each other. It was just the thing for this time of year.
And she was.
I absolutely love books about found families and this fit the bill. Sure, some characters are extended family but they don't know each other very well. And they're all delightful.
Recently bereaved Oscar's grief, big heart, guilty conscience, and struggles to move forward felt real.
Exuberant, welcoming, spontaneous Elfrida was the friend/family member we all love.
Lucy was the unhappy, slightly neglected teenager who blossoms under tender care.
Sam and Carrie were heartbroken but caring career-types who needed the touch of metaphorical magic that Elfrida spreads around her.
The grief and loss were real and well-described but the most of it happened off-screen so that the book focuses more on hope and healing. There's a touch of insta-love, which normally bothers me, but the two characters were so perfect together, I just didn't care. I was pleased that, for the most part, romantic relationships were not really the point of the story; the building of this unique family unit took center stage. How refreshing!
Pilcher's descriptions of Creagan, Scotland have me ready to jump on a plane and see this beautiful little seaside town for myself--though not in the depths of a frigid winter.
I highly recommend this if you love well-written stories about characters with real problems forging healthy relationships and caring for each other. It was just the thing for this time of year.