Anyway, I’ve had the book title logged away in my totally useless filing system that is my brain since April of last year - and even then it took a second glance at the familiar cover in the book section at Goodwill to realize what I’d stumbled across!
Cassandra Mortmain and her family have seen better days financially. Her father, a notable author, hasn’t published anything in years leaving them to sell most all their belongings at the castle in which they have a 40 year lease. Cassandra takes solstice in keeping a journal, capturing much of the bleak state of their lives until she begins detailing the event that spurs an unforgettable coming of age adventure: American brothers Simon and Neil Cotton arrive to take up their family’s estate. What unfolds is an often times comical and romantic drama that truly won over my heart in mere minutes of picking it up.
Dodie Smith does a marvelous job transporting you to the ruins of a castle on the English country side in the 1930s. Overall, the novel is charming and insightful; I found numerous of the remarks made to remain current, although being written over 60 years ago. The story is perfectly lovely, because reading it made me want to say things like “perfectly lovely” and stare off into space and just *feel* the things happening around me. The misty-romantic-air about Cassandra’s witty humor and observations swiftly carried me away and as I finished the book this morning I felt as though I was waking from a dream that was terribly difficult to let end.
I’m so glad I made this my first book of 2013, it’ll stand out in my memory all year (and for more to come, I’m sure!) for its heartfelt story, quirky characters and whimsical enigma, but most of all for Cassandra’s Anne-Shirley-like quality that makes me want to shout out with glee for one can not under-appreciate another (equally as enchanting) kindred spirit! 5/5 stars!
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