The Cherry Robbers is a solid gothic historical fiction following the story of the Chapel sisters as told through the POV of one of the middle sisters years down the road. With the perspective of an older women reflecting on her teenage years, this story reminds me of City of Girls mixed with the mystery and ghosts of Jane Eyre.
The summary makes the story sound like it twists back and forth between the past and present. However, the novel is actually framed in the present but set mainly in the past. In addition, the summary makes the story sound like it’s going to be a thriller with a big mystery to unravel. But the story is actually more of a character study of a sister coming of age surrounded by the illnesses of her sisters and the ghosts of her mother. I would have preferred to know that going in, but I still loved the novel. I just worry the marketing may make it a disappointment for some readers.
Overall, the writing is smart and the development is interesting. A good read for the fall.
The summary makes the story sound like it twists back and forth between the past and present. However, the novel is actually framed in the present but set mainly in the past. In addition, the summary makes the story sound like it’s going to be a thriller with a big mystery to unravel. But the story is actually more of a character study of a sister coming of age surrounded by the illnesses of her sisters and the ghosts of her mother. I would have preferred to know that going in, but I still loved the novel. I just worry the marketing may make it a disappointment for some readers.
Overall, the writing is smart and the development is interesting. A good read for the fall.