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A Gathering Light

A Gathering Light

RRP: £8.99
Price: £4.495
£4.495 FREE Shipping

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What is wonderful about these characters is that they are not just props, they have their own conflicts and their own fears that Donnelly explores through the eyes of Mattie. Although there are many other responsibilities Mattie has, from the beginning itself it is hard not to root for her. Mattie's whole shtick with words was kind of twee and I found myself rolling my eyes at it more often than not.

This has easily become one of my favourite books and I really did believe in Mattie as a character and the choices she makes to shape her future. Every individual Mattie comes into contact with is a real person, and it makes the novel so much more meaningful. There is also the implication that young girls, especially those with little means, had a narrow choice of marrying, while University and careers were still a luxury that not many could afford. Printz Honor book, and fetched numerous blurbs as well as starred reviews, which in itself makes it a must-read book. Now that is something worth reading and pondering on, like Willa Cather's O Pioneers where the protagonist makes peace with shattered expectations.This time it’s the point of view of a 16-year-old girl, stuck in the realities of a farming family fallen on hard times. i love that she based this whole story around the murder that inspired an american tragedy, but i think even without that storyline, this would have been a wonderful novel of a girl with aspirations above her gender and financial situation, torn between her family and her ambition, with a strong subplot about her best friend's struggles with racial inequality in his own life. A final quote from the incredible Jennifer Donnelly, "Voice is not just the sound that comes from your throat, but the feelings that come from your words. An overarching theme of the novel is the denial of this dead girl’s voice, the loss of her story through murder, and the impact this has on Mattie’s own life decisions. Mattie is a lover of all things literature, and you wouldn’t believe how well the author has incorporated this fact into the story.

And, as she reads, a riveting story emerges – not only Grace Brown’s story but also Mattie’s hopes and ambitions for the future and her relationships with her friends and family. In an attempt to raise the money, Mattie cleans her rich Aunt Josie's house every week, but Aunt Josie refuses to pay her and tells Mattie she is selfish to leave the farm and the family. If Donnelly lets her readers off the hook with this one – if Royal Doulton, or whatever his name is, fails to jam one in or even to try – I’ll be disappointed.

If you enjoy historical fiction and accounts of true life crime, then you should really give this book a go.

In fact, if you read both and compare then, you’ll be seriously shocked the same author penned both books. Next day the woman is found drowned in Big Moose Lake - should Mattie read the letters or destroy them as requested. Described as “rich and true” by The New York Times, the book was named to the Best Book lists of The Times (London), The Irish Times, The Financial Times, Publishers Weekly, Booklist and the School Library Journal. Mattie’s voice is incredibly poetic and even the simplest descriptions can give goose bumps; however, I think it is also very important to note that her voice is not superfluous or affected. Since I am the queen of procrastination, I began reading it during studying and soon was so swept away by the beautiful story I couldn't stop until I was finished.And though I regard A Northern Light to be a tale that empowers women and celebrates feminism, Mattie herself is no Alice Paul. It was as if the true-life events had been used as a springboard merely to tell Mattie’s story, which whilst fair enough, I am left questioning really what was the point in writing about Grace and her death in the first place. Mattie is a wonderful heroine, so clever and honest and likeable, and the plot is so deftly woven around the murder mystery and lots of other mysteries too. And you know, for the first time, for the very first time, that there will be a before and an after, a was and a will be.



  • Fruugo ID: 258392218-563234582
  • EAN: 764486781913
  • Sold by: Fruugo

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