Scan barcode
A review by gemmiejewel
The Loving Spirit by Daphne du Maurier
5.0
Plot
Cornwall, 1900s. Plyn Boat Yard is a hive of activity, and Janet Coombe longs to share in the excitement of seafaring: to travel, to have adventures, to know freedom. But constrained by the times, instead she marries her cousin Thomas, a boat builder, and settles down to raise a family. Janet's loving spirit - the passionate yearning for adventure and for love - is passed down to her son, and through him to his children's children. As generations of the family struggle against hardship and loss, their intricately plotted history is set against the greater backdrop of war and social change in Britain.
Review
After somewhat of a dip in my du Maurier reading, finally this gorgeous novel comes along and saves me from removing her from the Forever Shelf.
Set in my favourite place in the world and following four generations of the same family, The Loving Sprit provides a beautifully written look at the way industrial change affects not only a family but also the world around them.
Jennifer is the one who stands out for me. The last generation that is looked at, she is born into a time where women still have restrictions placed upon them but are a lot more free than her great-grandmother, the one who started the dynasty.
Cornwall is described with precise detail and you feel as though you are there along with each character, growing, living, loving and losing.
Its hard to believe that this was actually du Maurier's debut novel and in my opinion overlooked slightly thanks to the more well known pieces such as Rebecca and Jamaica Inn.
This is a beautiful book and one that should be read by generations to come.
Rating
5 stars
Recommend
I would say so!
Cornwall, 1900s. Plyn Boat Yard is a hive of activity, and Janet Coombe longs to share in the excitement of seafaring: to travel, to have adventures, to know freedom. But constrained by the times, instead she marries her cousin Thomas, a boat builder, and settles down to raise a family. Janet's loving spirit - the passionate yearning for adventure and for love - is passed down to her son, and through him to his children's children. As generations of the family struggle against hardship and loss, their intricately plotted history is set against the greater backdrop of war and social change in Britain.
Review
After somewhat of a dip in my du Maurier reading, finally this gorgeous novel comes along and saves me from removing her from the Forever Shelf.
Set in my favourite place in the world and following four generations of the same family, The Loving Sprit provides a beautifully written look at the way industrial change affects not only a family but also the world around them.
Jennifer is the one who stands out for me. The last generation that is looked at, she is born into a time where women still have restrictions placed upon them but are a lot more free than her great-grandmother, the one who started the dynasty.
Cornwall is described with precise detail and you feel as though you are there along with each character, growing, living, loving and losing.
Its hard to believe that this was actually du Maurier's debut novel and in my opinion overlooked slightly thanks to the more well known pieces such as Rebecca and Jamaica Inn.
This is a beautiful book and one that should be read by generations to come.
Rating
5 stars
Recommend
I would say so!