I received a free copy of The Girl in the Castle from TLC Book Tours for my honest review.
About the Book:
• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (September 27, 2016)
International sensation Santa Montefiore presents the first book in a trilogy that follows three Irish women through the decades of the twentieth century—perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Hazel Gaynor.
Born on the ninth day of the ninth month in the year 1900, Kitty Deverill is special as her grandmother has always told her. Built on the stunning green hills of West Cork, Ireland, Castle Deverill is Kitty’s beloved home, where many generations of Deverills have also resided. Although she’s Anglo-Irish, Kitty’s heart completely belongs to the wild countryside of the Emerald Isle, and her devotion to her Irish-Catholic friends Bridie Doyle, the daughter of the castle’s cook, and Jack O’Leary, the vet’s son, is unmatched—even if Jack is always reminding her that she isn’t fully Irish. Still, Jack and Kitty can’t help falling in love although they both know their union faces the greatest obstacles since they are from different worlds.
Bridie cherishes her friendship with Kitty, who makes her feel more like her equal than a servant. Yet she can’t help dreaming of someday having all the wealth and glamour Kitty’s station in life affords her. But when she discovers a secret that Kitty has been keeping from her, Bridie finds herself growing resentful toward the girl in the castle who seems to have it all.
When the Irish revolt to throw over British rule in Southern Ireland, Jack enlists to fight. Worried for her safety, Jack warns Kitty to keep her distance, but she refuses and throws herself into the cause for Irish liberty, running messages and ammunition between the rebels. But as Kitty soon discovers, her allegiance to her family and her friends will be tested—and when Castle Deverill comes under attack, the only home and life she’s ever known are threatened.
A powerful story of love, loyalty, and friendship, The Girl in the Castle is an exquisitely written novel set against the magical, captivating landscape of Ireland.
About the Author:
Santa Montefiore was born in England. She went to Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset and studied Spanish and Italian at Exeter University. She has written sixteen bestselling novels, which have been translated into thirty different languages and have sold more than two million copies worldwide.
Find out more about Santa at her website, and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
My Opinion:
There is nothing I love more than a big, historical fiction book to sink into when I’m faced with a rainy weekend. The only thing that could make it better is know that the book is the first of a trilogy and that if the other two are as good as the first I have a lot of great reading ahead of me. I have been on a wonderful reading run lately and I hope it continues.
The Girl in the Castle takes place in Ireland in the early 20th century. It starts just before the Irish bid for independence and covers the war and its aftermath. The Deverill family is English and Irish and the baby of the family Kitty, is pretty much ignored by her mother. She has a governess but for a lot of her day she runs loose. Kitty has become good friends with Bridie, the daughter of the castle’s cook. She also finds a lot of love from her grandmother; she shares something else with her as well. They both have the ability to see the ghosts of the castle and talk to them. This bothers her mother and the look in her eyes makes other uncomfortable.
There is another close friend to both girls – a young man named Jack. Both girls love him and you know that is not going to bode well for their friendship but for a time they are still young…but soon that war turns their lives upside down. Jack is very involved and despite being told to stay away Kitty helps in the ways she can until things get a little too close to the home she loves so much.
This is a book rich in character and story. It’s one of those books you start reading and you soon forget you are holding a book because you have become so immersed in the world on the pages. The writing carries you away and you are living in a castle in Ireland in the early 20th century. You find yourself forced to put down the book and it takes you a while to re-acclimate to the real world. Ms. Montefiore has created a wonderful world full of richly developed characters that feel real. I can’t wait for the next volume in the trilogy – there was quite the teaser left for the continuing saga. It will be hard to be patient.
Rating:
5
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