I heard about this book at my new Ridgeview Ward book club. Sister Lossee's daughter said it was her favorite book, and we all decided to read it for our next meeting. I'm not sure when that is, but I went ahead and ordered it, because it sounded good.
And it is! It's an absolute gem of a book. It has the same charm and love of nature that the Anne of Green Gables has, only it's a stand alone story. At first Valancy describes her life as an absolute victim and her misery goes on and on for quite awhile. You sense, though, that it is true that she IS a victim on some level, so helpless is she. It's also during this time that we get a glimpse of some of the characters who will be important to the rest of the story.
Finally, through an interesting series of events, Valancy's circumstances change, and she suddenly develops the courage to make some additional changes. And she goes ALL IN on the changes, and it's wonderful to behold! The way the characters and story come together at the end is quite wonderful. The writing is lovely, and so is her life on the lake. The way she describes the beauty around her is soothing to the soul. It's almost like a fairy tale in its goodness and simplicity. Still, it's a life-affirming story that I will enjoy reading again. And maybe again! It's also set me on the path to read the Anne series!
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