At the heart of this book is the desperate longing for reason and understanding that comes from the loss of a child. Parents, family members, and neighbors alike want answers, and they turn to the most likely and unlikely of places to find them.
When a man with a brutal injury staggers into the swan holding a bundle in his arms, the audience immediately thinks he's inexplicably carrying a doll. Then they realize it's a child, sadly beyond their help. She's laid in a quiet room alone while the survivor's injuries are tended to by the local nurse. And when all seemed to have quieted, suddenly the girl breathes again! It's a miraculous experience for all who are lucky to have been in the tavern that night, but - as is the case in all such situations - real life quickly intrudes.
Who does the girl belong to? There are multiple families who long to claim her. Wealthy parents whose daughter was kidnapped two years prior. A farming family who hopes and prays this girl is their estranged son's daughter. The quiet, watchful, eternally remorseful sister who is certain this is her opportunity to set things right. So much loss and sorrow and hope and confusion concentrated in one small community.
Despite the story being so fanciful and packed with mythology, there is such a sense of realism here. It's easy for the reader to relate to many of the characters, riding an impressive roller coaster of emotions from the first page to the last.
This was my first experience reading some of Diane Setterfield's work, and I was truly impressed. I really enjoyed her style and the way I just fell in love with her characters. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
When a man with a brutal injury staggers into the swan holding a bundle in his arms, the audience immediately thinks he's inexplicably carrying a doll. Then they realize it's a child, sadly beyond their help. She's laid in a quiet room alone while the survivor's injuries are tended to by the local nurse. And when all seemed to have quieted, suddenly the girl breathes again! It's a miraculous experience for all who are lucky to have been in the tavern that night, but - as is the case in all such situations - real life quickly intrudes.
Who does the girl belong to? There are multiple families who long to claim her. Wealthy parents whose daughter was kidnapped two years prior. A farming family who hopes and prays this girl is their estranged son's daughter. The quiet, watchful, eternally remorseful sister who is certain this is her opportunity to set things right. So much loss and sorrow and hope and confusion concentrated in one small community.
Despite the story being so fanciful and packed with mythology, there is such a sense of realism here. It's easy for the reader to relate to many of the characters, riding an impressive roller coaster of emotions from the first page to the last.
This was my first experience reading some of Diane Setterfield's work, and I was truly impressed. I really enjoyed her style and the way I just fell in love with her characters. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.