I'm not sure if it was just because I picked this up to read out of a non-committal sort of idleness, but this book took me by surprise. I read it in a marathon one-sitting and am now sitting back gasping because of the unexpected force of it.
This is a well-crafted romance woven of realistic characters, a clear-sighted view into artistry, philosophy and the man-woman "problem" very much alive in the WW1 period; it is full of unexpected happenings, truths about life, emotion and purpose - and heartbreak.
As a sort of measuring-stick, Cooke's work is heavier than Jean Webster's light romances but a little lighter than the Bronte sisters - still eminently readable. Jane Judd reminded me many times of Jane Eyre - both women of silent force of character and unexpected depths.
If you enjoyed this, I'd also recommend The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery and A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter. A slightly lighter read (but extremely enjoyable - another one that took me by surprise) is A Woman Named Smith by Marie Conway Oehmler.
CPReads’s book reviews
This is a well-crafted romance woven of realistic characters, a clear-sighted view into artistry, philosophy and the man-woman "problem" very much alive in the WW1 period; it is full of unexpected happenings, truths about life, emotion and purpose - and heartbreak.
As a sort of measuring-stick, Cooke's work is heavier than Jean Webster's light romances but a little lighter than the Bronte sisters - still eminently readable. Jane Judd reminded me many times of Jane Eyre - both women of silent force of character and unexpected depths.
If you enjoyed this, I'd also recommend The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery and A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter. A slightly lighter read (but extremely enjoyable - another one that took me by surprise) is A Woman Named Smith by Marie Conway Oehmler.