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Want some atmosphere and a story focused on an old Colonial Era house out on Long Island that is on the cusp of revealing it's secrets? Susanna Kearsley does what she does best and offers a story within a story, a twisting tale full of secrets and love in the past? And that little bit where the reader catches something in their peripheral view and, for just an instant, believes in ghosts and superstition as reality.The story opens with history buff, Charley, moving to Long Island and taking a jo...
Susanna Kearsley’s latest book focuses on a house on the eastern shores of Long Island. In this dual timeline tale, the story alternates between three characters, Lydia, Jean-Phillippe, and Charley. Lydia and Jean-Phillippe live in the 1750’s; Lydia inhabits the house in question, and Jean-Phillippe is a French Canadian lieutenant held there as a captive during the Seven Years’ War. Charley lives in the present day and endeavors to uncover the secrets of Wilde House, itself a character in the st...
I love historical fiction. Even more when there’s a connection to the present, like with this book. And even even more when there’s romance. And it did help that it involved a French Canadian soldier, since I live in Quebec... I love to know more about history. I really loved that book. It’s beautifully written, and the change of perspective between Lydia, Jean-Philippe and Charley is captivating. Thanks to the publisher for the advanced ebook through NetGalley.
It takes a particular skill to write a dual time period novel and make it work seamlessly. It is something Susanna Kearsley does very well. Too often in such novels the switches between times seem jarring to me, but with Kearsley this is seldom the case. I suppose you could say her books are somewhat formulaic, but she researches her historical era well and includes some actual figures from the time, which adds authenticity.In Bellewether, the setting is the Wilde House, a New York colonial home...
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review. April 24th, as I stated in my reviews of both Come from Away and The Husband Hour is going to be an epic day for all of us Canadian book readers and now I have to add Bellewether to that book buying list. This is my 10th Susanna Kearsley in a five year period and let me tell you that this Canadian novelist is a powerhouse that you cannot afford to pass by. Meticulously researched, this triple narrative that volleys read...
I enjoyed this so, so much. So many endearing characters but Zeb, Lydia and Jean-Philippe were favorites. I appreciate that Kearsley added an authors note explaining her motivations for writing about this time period; “I find people I just feel are reaching out to me. They take hold of my heart, somehow, and I just can’t forget them.” Her writing conveys her passion so authentically that I carry it with me long after I’ve turned the last page. If you have not had the pleasure of reading a Kearsl...
If you're looking for a detailed historical read set in the late 1700s surrounding the war between the British and the French on American, and Canadian soil, you'll love this. I have never read anything from this particular conflict, though I think maybe I've read something after the fact?, and I particularly wasn't familiar with this idea of billeted war prisoners staying in peoples' homes, as a mark of their honour and rank, instead of jails but I found the concept totally fascinating.Kearsley...
Title: BellewetherAuthor: Susanna KearsleyRelease date: August 6, 2018Cliffhanger: NoHEA(view spoiler)[Yes (hide spoiler)]The house, when I first saw it, seemed intent on guarding what it knew within its walls as long as it stayed standing; but we all learned, by the end of it, that secrets aren’t such easy things to keep.Charlotte "Charlie" Van Hoek is the new curator at the Wilde family museum at Snug Cove, and stumbles upon a love story in the Wilde family that ends abruptly in tragedy. She'...
3.33 stars. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature: Susanna Kearsley is a popular Canadian novelist who writes historical fiction, favoring the dual-timeline model with a current plotline and a historical one that intersect in one way or another. Her novels are generally spiced with a mystery, a romance (or perhaps two, one in each of the timelines) … and a paranormal element, such as time travel, ghostly spirits, or a character with psychic abilities.Bellewether, Kearsley’s first novel in th...
Powerful, absorbing, and incredibly fascinating!Bellewether is an enthralling tale set on the eastern shores of Long Island during the late 1750s, as well as present day, and is told from three different perspectives. Lydia, a strong, hardworking young woman struggling to care and support those she loves in a time of uncertainty and upheaval. Jean-Philippe, a French-Canadian soldier who finds himself captured and a parole of honour in the final pivotal days of the Seven Years' War. And Charley, ...
As she has with every one of her exquisite time slip novels, Susanna Kearsley left me breathless with "Bellewether". Historical fiction is all about bringing history to life, and Ms Kearsley always gives us so much more than a mere heartbeat. With a curator's expertise, a historian's passion, and an artist's finesse, she brings meticulous attention to 18th century historical detail (including the Acadians - a particular favourite of mine), and every detail has a purpose, meaning her beautiful pr...
Kearsley manages to weave dry historical detail, blossoming lukewarm love affairs, and the banal intricacies of working for non-profit institutions into a tale I will soon forget. Thank you to Netgalley for providing free digital access to this title in exchange for my honest opinion.
"I'm a soldier. I don't get to choose my path.""You're a soldier, so you follow, yes? Then follow this." Pierre's hard finger jabbed him in the chest, above his heart."God gave you this. He set it like a light within you, so that you could see it well and know the way to go. You follow THIS, Marine. Don't look behind." I really enjoyed this. It was a little slow going at first, but so well done that I easily got into a groove. I was equally drawn to both stories, the modern and the hi
You know that feeling when you get a great first impression of someone, but you become disappointed after spending some substantial time with them? That is how I felt about this book, I lost interest very quickly. The topic seemed interesting, but it was nothing new. The typical past and present story, told from several perspectives, did nothing to impress me. None of the characters had something to captivate me or to make me care. Still, Susanna Kearsley is a good writer, her writing has a nice...