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A review by archergal
The Coffin Path by Katherine Clements
3.0
I picked this book because it was described as a ghost story. Sometimes I want to read ghost stories.
It's a pretty compelling read for about the first half or two-thirds of the book. Then I began to see where it was going, and I became less happy about it.
The prose is all very modern, even though the book is set in the 1600s on a sheep farm. I did like some of the descriptions of shepherding and working with sheep. There's also a bit of gothic atmosphere here: a crumbling hall, family secrets, general poverty and gloom in the area.
Strange things happen. Secrets have been kept. The secrets are the kind that will ruin a family and a home. Things progress to an inevitable conclusion. Not every story has a happy ending.
Props to the author for a strong female character who nevertheless is still constrained by the limits of her society. Though honestly, the accusations of her being a witch seem a little tacked on, and not a full part of the story.
It's a pretty compelling read for about the first half or two-thirds of the book. Then I began to see where it was going, and I became less happy about it.
The prose is all very modern, even though the book is set in the 1600s on a sheep farm. I did like some of the descriptions of shepherding and working with sheep. There's also a bit of gothic atmosphere here: a crumbling hall, family secrets, general poverty and gloom in the area.
Strange things happen. Secrets have been kept. The secrets are the kind that will ruin a family and a home. Things progress to an inevitable conclusion. Not every story has a happy ending.
Props to the author for a strong female character who nevertheless is still constrained by the limits of her society. Though honestly, the accusations of her being a witch seem a little tacked on, and not a full part of the story.