The Bronte Plot by Katherine Reay
I'm really not much of a fan of the writings of the Bronte sisters or Jane Austen. That era just doesn't appeal to me. I'm more of an early 20th century girl loving John Steinbeck and Thomas Wolfe. But I like to keep an open mind and thought a modern day Bronte twist might open a door for me.
Lucy sells rare books in the corner of a high end interior design shop in Chicago. She's smart and talented but as we find out in this story, has a greedy side. She takes liberties with her books that are deceitful. When her tricks are discovered, her world begins to fall apart. That is until Helen steps in. Helen is the wealthy grandmother of Lucy's now ex-boyfriend, and she needs an escort to make a trip to England to right a wrong that has troubled her most of her life.
Lucy was not a very likeable character. I wanted to believe she was smart and kind but at the oddest times, she'd lie through her teeth to get something she wanted. She was too contradictory for me to warm up to her. And Helen's reason for dragging herself to England was thinly veiled. It never seemed important enough for me to be engaged with her.
The most fascinating part of this story however, is the towns and sights across England that showcase the lives of the Bronte sisters. Literary tours through homes, churches and villages associated with writers are very popular with traveling and well read tourists. I loved the descriptions of the charming spots where they had tea or the English gardens that called for a peaceful stroll through them.
I love to travel and see historical sights, and I'd love to visit these places but after reading The Bronte Plot, I'm still not convinced that I would fall in love with reading Jane Eyre.
I'm really not much of a fan of the writings of the Bronte sisters or Jane Austen. That era just doesn't appeal to me. I'm more of an early 20th century girl loving John Steinbeck and Thomas Wolfe. But I like to keep an open mind and thought a modern day Bronte twist might open a door for me.
Lucy sells rare books in the corner of a high end interior design shop in Chicago. She's smart and talented but as we find out in this story, has a greedy side. She takes liberties with her books that are deceitful. When her tricks are discovered, her world begins to fall apart. That is until Helen steps in. Helen is the wealthy grandmother of Lucy's now ex-boyfriend, and she needs an escort to make a trip to England to right a wrong that has troubled her most of her life.
Lucy was not a very likeable character. I wanted to believe she was smart and kind but at the oddest times, she'd lie through her teeth to get something she wanted. She was too contradictory for me to warm up to her. And Helen's reason for dragging herself to England was thinly veiled. It never seemed important enough for me to be engaged with her.
The most fascinating part of this story however, is the towns and sights across England that showcase the lives of the Bronte sisters. Literary tours through homes, churches and villages associated with writers are very popular with traveling and well read tourists. I loved the descriptions of the charming spots where they had tea or the English gardens that called for a peaceful stroll through them.
I love to travel and see historical sights, and I'd love to visit these places but after reading The Bronte Plot, I'm still not convinced that I would fall in love with reading Jane Eyre.
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