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A gathering light
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It is very rare that I agree with the content of the Daily Mail but their description of 'A gathering light' by Jennifer Donnelly as 'A breathtakingly good novel' is spot on.
I snatched this book of the shelf at Waterstones after falling completely in love with Revolution however, it wasn't without some unfounded trepidation that I started to read. Initially, I was struggling and at around page 30 I was concerned that I was going to not be able to finish. But then something magical happened and two hours later I was reading the final line on the final page with tears in my eyes and rolling down my cheeks.
'A gathering light' is a gem of a book with a depth of emotion and character development that I have yet to find in any other, it completely encompasses what I love about books; that they can transport you to a completely different time and place at the turning of a page. On finishing this book I actually felt a little dazed as I realised that I was no longer in the early 1900s working on the farm with Mattie, taking cart rides with Royal or changing the world one person at a time with Weaver, it was a shock to find myself in 2014 after being 100% immersed in this other time with its joys, struggles and heartbreak for two hours.
Falling in love with Mattie, supporting Weaver and feeling confused about your emotions for Royal was so easy. I felt a knot in my stomach when they took risks, I smiled when things went their way and I was as intrigued by the parallel storyline as Mattie was about uncovering a dead women's secrets, for this isn't just a historical coming of age story this is a mystery, a murder and a catalyst for so many of the decisions made. Based on the real life murder of Grace Brown in 1906, her story told through the letters that she instructs Mattie to burn the day before, intertwines in a beautiful and harmonious way and provides a interesting, deeper and yet intimate insight into Mattie and her friends in a way that we all wish we could accomplish.
This is a book that should and could be enjoyed, remembered and cherished by everyone and is the perfect cross-over story, a mixture of YA and adult, of mystery and clarity, of fiction and reality, of joy and sadness that there is a part that everyone will keep with them for a long, long time.
Rating: 4/5
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