BOOK BY: Courtney Ellis
I’d love to visit Sparrow Cottage.
The scenery is so well-described in this book that readers are treated to the sights, sounds and even the smells of a cottage shut up for decades, and the Great War that claimed so many lives.
There are a lot of questions and mystery that surround Audrey’s life, least of all the questions about her Gran’s stories. Readers can empathize with Audrey’s pain as she grieves the loss of the only person who ever believed in her. Of the woman who took her in when the rest of her family gave up on her.
Audrey messed up – big time. But there’s a redeeming quality in her Gran’s will. Gran leaves a virtually unknown property to Audrey, which is a treasure trove of answers to Gran’s past.
Readers will ask some of the same questions that Audrey does. Though some of the story is predictable, there are delightful surprises along the way. The story moves between the past – showing readers the life that Gran keeps hidden from her future children, and Audrey’s mission to uncover the secrets.
There are some interesting characters who add life and colour to the journey. I found it difficult to connect with Gran, in that she made a really stupid decision, impulsive, and one that had disastrous consequences. She, was a spoiled rich girl who didn’t appreciate what she had until she did the stupid thing. The men from the historical line weren’t exactly endearing either. However, the present story more than makes up for it in Audrey and the rest of the characters in modern day North Yorkshire.
The pace of the story is slow, as the author lays the foundation in the past for the present story. Details easily fall into place as the story progresses, aiding readers in answering the questions Audrey has.
An enjoyable read. (For readers of CF only – this is a general market book)
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.