What I've Read This Week . . .
A Song for Summer by Eva Ibbotson -- YA Historical Romance
Beautifu
l Ellen Carr is the daughter and niece of famous suffragettes and expected to become as brilliant as her foremothers before her. After refusing to marry the wealthy music lover Kendrick Fobisher, Ellen defies family tradition, attends domestic science college and takes a position as house mother and cook at an eccentric school for wealthy spoiled children in the Austrian countryside where her honorary grandmother had grown up. Though the children are labeled difficult, Ellen has little trouble getting them to worship her and is beloved by all the staff as well. Ellen is drawn to the enigmatic Marek, groundskeeper/fencing master, but then the Germans start marching, Marek's long-kept secret is exposed and he embarks on a dangerous mission to help right the wrongs of the world. Ellen and Marek are separated by the events of the war and circumstances lead them on different life paths encountering old friends and dangerous enemies. Ellen and Marek's story is heartbreaking yet inspirational. Ellen lives up to the family reputation for courage and becomes an admirable woman. As much as I prefer lighthearted stories, I can't really find fault with this one. I couldn't imagine how the story would end. The romance was bittersweet but I think much more real than in the typical romance novel. This novel is well-written though told from the third-person omniscient point-of-view, which is jarring at points with the narrator summing up the action rather than the reader being swept along with it. I love Ibbotson's books for young readers and though this one is entirely different in tone, I also found it to be a good read.
Kidnap Confusion by Judith Nelson -- Regency Romantic Comedy
At twenty-eight Miss Margaret Tolliver is on the shelf and not looking for romance. She lives an independent life with her eccentric Aunt Henrietta and Henrietta's pet rooster, Lazaurus and seldom visits her stuffy, pompous brother Charles in London. Her self-imposed exile has all but alienated her from her few friends in London, so when Charles writes that he'll be away, Margaret takes the opportunity to visit her friends in London. Sadly, Charles stayed home, laid up with gout and his overbearing ways send Margaret running back to Yorkshire, along the Great North Road, where she is mistaken for an actress and held up by two young men! The young men are Gillian and Peter Manfield, younger brothers and wards of Giles, Earl of Manseford. Gillian is often in one scrape or another and has been sent down from Oxford for pulling a prank on one of the nobs. Giles has imposed a period of study for Gillian and Gillian believes that Giles is in a bad mood because his ladybird has flown the coop. In order to save himself from six days of studying with his dull brother John, Gillian concocts a plan to kidnap his brother's mistress and bring her back, which will put Giles in such a good mood he will lift the Gillian's sentence. Unfortunately Gillian's reckless behavior endangers himself and his brother and puts Miss Tolliver in a difficult position. The Earl tries to do damage control by announcing his plans to marry Margaret, without consulting the lady! The Manfields, Margaret and their eccentric relatives all head to the Earl's home to save Margaret's reputation, however, Margaret doesn't care two figs about her reputation and wants nothing to do with the scheme and has no problems telling Giles what she thinks of him and his plans! Giles has difficulty dealing with Margaret so their nearest and dearest take it upon themselves to keep Margaret at Willowdale forever with nearly disastrous, but hilarious, results. This is a true romantic comedy in the tradition of Georgette Heyer. I laughed out loud in many places and wondered how Giles would manage to win Margaret's affections. My only real complaints are that much of the dialogue and action is summarized and the beginning of the story is a bit hard to follow when the rising action is interrupted by exposition. When the action picks up again, it moves right along with snappy dialogue and hysterical eccentric characters. This is a breezy, lighthearted romantic comedy with the usual predictable ending, but well worth a read.
The Voyage of the Continental by Katherine Kirkpatrick -- YA Historical Fiction
Fed up with her life as a Lowell mill girl in 1866, Emmeline McCullough longs for a better life. She takes a spot with Asa Mercer and his flock of girls heading west to Seattle where she hopes to become a teacher. Emmy runs into problems before she even leaves the east coast and is taken in by a kind older woman named Ruby Shaw. During the long voyage around the continent, Emmy discovers things aren't what they seem: Mr. Mercer isn't a good businessman and someone is trying to kill Ruby and may be after Emmy next! Emmy discovers she has more strength and courage than she ever dreamed as the trip becomes more dangerous. She finally realizes who and what she is meant to be and is determined to live her own life. This is a great story about a little known historical event. The writing is excellent and Emmy's journal of the long voyage around South America is incredibly descriptive and you may even get seasick reading it. I could have done without the mystery plot but it helped form Emmy's character as well as demonstrated how difficult it was to be a woman in the 19th century. This book will appeal to adults as well as teens and is a good book to share with girls who may doubt their self-worth and those who have speech impediments like Emmy, who is a great role model!
A Song for Summer by Eva Ibbotson -- YA Historical Romance
Beautifu
l Ellen Carr is the daughter and niece of famous suffragettes and expected to become as brilliant as her foremothers before her. After refusing to marry the wealthy music lover Kendrick Fobisher, Ellen defies family tradition, attends domestic science college and takes a position as house mother and cook at an eccentric school for wealthy spoiled children in the Austrian countryside where her honorary grandmother had grown up. Though the children are labeled difficult, Ellen has little trouble getting them to worship her and is beloved by all the staff as well. Ellen is drawn to the enigmatic Marek, groundskeeper/fencing master, but then the Germans start marching, Marek's long-kept secret is exposed and he embarks on a dangerous mission to help right the wrongs of the world. Ellen and Marek are separated by the events of the war and circumstances lead them on different life paths encountering old friends and dangerous enemies. Ellen and Marek's story is heartbreaking yet inspirational. Ellen lives up to the family reputation for courage and becomes an admirable woman. As much as I prefer lighthearted stories, I can't really find fault with this one. I couldn't imagine how the story would end. The romance was bittersweet but I think much more real than in the typical romance novel. This novel is well-written though told from the third-person omniscient point-of-view, which is jarring at points with the narrator summing up the action rather than the reader being swept along with it. I love Ibbotson's books for young readers and though this one is entirely different in tone, I also found it to be a good read.At twenty-eight Miss Margaret Tolliver is on the shelf and not looking for romance. She lives an independent life with her eccentric Aunt Henrietta and Henrietta's pet rooster, Lazaurus and seldom visits her stuffy, pompous brother Charles in London. Her self-imposed exile has all but alienated her from her few friends in London, so when Charles writes that he'll be away, Margaret takes the opportunity to visit her friends in London. Sadly, Charles stayed home, laid up with gout and his overbearing ways send Margaret running back to Yorkshire, along the Great North Road, where she is mistaken for an actress and held up by two young men! The young men are Gillian and Peter Manfield, younger brothers and wards of Giles, Earl of Manseford. Gillian is often in one scrape or another and has been sent down from Oxford for pulling a prank on one of the nobs. Giles has imposed a period of study for Gillian and Gillian believes that Giles is in a bad mood because his ladybird has flown the coop. In order to save himself from six days of studying with his dull brother John, Gillian concocts a plan to kidnap his brother's mistress and bring her back, which will put Giles in such a good mood he will lift the Gillian's sentence. Unfortunately Gillian's reckless behavior endangers himself and his brother and puts Miss Tolliver in a difficult position. The Earl tries to do damage control by announcing his plans to marry Margaret, without consulting the lady! The Manfields, Margaret and their eccentric relatives all head to the Earl's home to save Margaret's reputation, however, Margaret doesn't care two figs about her reputation and wants nothing to do with the scheme and has no problems telling Giles what she thinks of him and his plans! Giles has difficulty dealing with Margaret so their nearest and dearest take it upon themselves to keep Margaret at Willowdale forever with nearly disastrous, but hilarious, results. This is a true romantic comedy in the tradition of Georgette Heyer. I laughed out loud in many places and wondered how Giles would manage to win Margaret's affections. My only real complaints are that much of the dialogue and action is summarized and the beginning of the story is a bit hard to follow when the rising action is interrupted by exposition. When the action picks up again, it moves right along with snappy dialogue and hysterical eccentric characters. This is a breezy, lighthearted romantic comedy with the usual predictable ending, but well worth a read.
The Voyage of the Continental by Katherine Kirkpatrick -- YA Historical Fiction
Fed up with her life as a Lowell mill girl in 1866, Emmeline McCullough longs for a better life. She takes a spot with Asa Mercer and his flock of girls heading west to Seattle where she hopes to become a teacher. Emmy runs into problems before she even leaves the east coast and is taken in by a kind older woman named Ruby Shaw. During the long voyage around the continent, Emmy discovers things aren't what they seem: Mr. Mercer isn't a good businessman and someone is trying to kill Ruby and may be after Emmy next! Emmy discovers she has more strength and courage than she ever dreamed as the trip becomes more dangerous. She finally realizes who and what she is meant to be and is determined to live her own life. This is a great story about a little known historical event. The writing is excellent and Emmy's journal of the long voyage around South America is incredibly descriptive and you may even get seasick reading it. I could have done without the mystery plot but it helped form Emmy's character as well as demonstrated how difficult it was to be a woman in the 19th century. This book will appeal to adults as well as teens and is a good book to share with girls who may doubt their self-worth and those who have speech impediments like Emmy, who is a great role model!
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