kittyp3777's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
caterinaanna's review
3.0
The cover tells you all - this is romance, sub-genre saga, even though it only covers a single generation. Not my usual sort of thing at all, but the price have to pay for having an office far from the main administration parts of the school is that I can get stuck in the staffroom waiting for someone. It was on one of those occasions that I started to read this and I'm not one to leave a book unfinished so ...
As expected, plucky heroine overcomes a poor childhood and several setbacks to find true love and fulfilment at last. Some of the tragic events in Rose's life were almost convenient in that the final outcome would not have been possible without them, but she is never allowed to realise this. I was also not sure about the rationale for the harshly-treated-evacuee-brother sub-plot: her taking him in didn't seem to tell us more about her and his behaviour throughout was too obvious. The main reason I couldn't relate to Rose was nothing to do with the writing or plot, but because I seem to be totally devoid of the maternal instinct which is one of her main motivations. Still, it was gripping enough to read through a headache, even if it didn't get to me enough to make me weep, as I'm sure was the intention.
As expected, plucky heroine overcomes a poor childhood and several setbacks to find true love and fulfilment at last. Some of the tragic events in Rose's life were almost convenient in that the final outcome would not have been possible without them, but she is never allowed to realise this. I was also not sure about the rationale for the harshly-treated-evacuee-brother sub-plot: her taking him in didn't seem to tell us more about her and his behaviour throughout was too obvious. The main reason I couldn't relate to Rose was nothing to do with the writing or plot, but because I seem to be totally devoid of the maternal instinct which is one of her main motivations. Still, it was gripping enough to read through a headache, even if it didn't get to me enough to make me weep, as I'm sure was the intention.
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