Title: A Gathering Light
Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: Paperback Book
Rating: 5/5

Favourite Quotes:

“But words are more powerful than anything.”

 

“There were lives in those books, and deaths. Families and friends and lovers and enemies. Joy and despair, jealousy, envy, madness, and rage. All there. I reached out and touched the cover of one called The Earth. I could almost hear the characters inside, murmuring and jostling, impatient for me to open the cover and let them out.” 

 

Blurb 

British Title for A Northern light.

 When Mattie is given letters by a guest at the hotel where she has a summer job, she thinks the guest is simply upset. But when the woman is found drowned next day, Mattie must decide whether she will read them, or burn them as requested. A touching funny surprising novel set in 1906 and based on a true story.  

 

My Review

My best friend has been nagging at me to read this book for years, and I mean years! Why has it taken me so long to read this book? There is only one answer I can possibly give you, and that is I just don’t enjoy reading historical novels as much as I like other genres (unless it’s a classic novel). Boy do I regret that decision. I love this book with every fibre of my being.

Can I just take a moment here to appreciate Jennifer Donnelly, her writing is superb and to an extremely high standard. When people say this novel is breathtaking, they are not mistaken.

A Gathering Light is based on the real life murder of Grace Brown. Throughout the book you will read letters written by Grace before her untimely death. Wrapped around this true event is the tale of Mattie. Mattie is probably one of my most favourite characters ever! That is a bold statement to make, however I am willing to throw it out there. Mattie is amazing, she is a character that will stay with me forever. She feels real and relatable, if I knew a Mattie, we would definitely be friends. She is outspoken and honest. She is so intelligent and older beyond her years. Mattie has dreams, BIG dreams and she finds strength within herself to pursue them.

There are THREE parts to this book, firstly there is Mattie before Grace’s death. Mattie is sixteen and holding her family together, her mother is dead and her brother ran away. She dreams of being a writer, however her father has other ideas, he wants her to run the house and look after her three younger sisters.

Then there is Mattie working at Glenmore. Grace gives Mattie a bundle of letters and asks her to burn them, which Mattie tries and fails to do. Grace is then found dead in the river and Mattie can’t help but feel intrigued and decides to read them, in doing so Mattie unfolds the mystery of Grace’s death.

Which leads us to the third part, Grace’s story, as I mentioned above, this is a real life murder. The unravelling of this is gripping.  There is a Authors Note at the end of the book, READ IT!! I felt so emotional whilst reading it. Jennifer explains about the real case after Grace was found and what happened after.

Through out the story there are some amazing characters, Mattie’s best friend Weaver is such a well written character who faces his own troubles in life. Mattie’s sisters Beth, Lou and Abby are funny, witty, they are so different from Mattie. Minnie is Mattie’s best girl friend, Minnie’s life could not be any more different to Mattie’s, she is married and pregnant, Minnie’s story is an emotional one, and I really felt for her. Mattie’s teacher Miss Wilcox, she reveals a whole different world of possibilities to Mattie, I love Miss Wilcox’s character. Royal who is Mattie’s love interest, oh how I wish things could have been different between them. This book offers so much in each and every character.

As you can tell I am a huge fan of this book, and I will tell everybody get yourself a copy and read it, you will not regret it.

My Rating