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jedore's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
“You did the greatest good a man can do — only you do not see it, for you are looking only at yourself. You must see what you mean to others to know your true worth.”
As a historical fiction buff, I was excited about this book. But, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
First off, the characters…I was hoping for more depth. The author only lets you in to the main character, but not very far. Pretty much all that is shared is his angst. I wanted to get deeper inside his head and heart, but that never happened.
Second, the time-traveling aspect…despite being fairly knowledgeable about English history, I needed more background info on each era the characters visited. A little summary at the start of each chapter would’ve given me more context so I could connect deeper to the story.
While this book didn’t totally knock my socks off, its thought-provoking theme and ultimate message at the end made me glad I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism