A Gathering Light

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Now that is something worth reading and pondering on, like Willa Cather's O Pioneers where the protagonist makes peace with shattered expectations. I'd seen the crimson glory of a stand of sugar maple in autumn and the unspeakable stillness of a mountain lake at dawn. A final quote from the incredible Jennifer Donnelly, "Voice is not just the sound that comes from your throat, but the feelings that come from your words. Especially since I often go through the same dilemma, even in this day and age, thanks to the backward society I’m from. Her best friend, Weaver Smith, shows Mattie's writings to their teacher, Miss Wilcox, who sends an application for Mattie to Barnard.

They tasted like my pa whistling as he came in from the fields at night, or like a new calf getting to its feet for the first time, or like Lawton telling us ghost stories around the fire. What is wonderful about these characters is that they are not just props, they have their own conflicts and their own fears that Donnelly explores through the eyes of Mattie. I love it so much I actually took a picture of it and edited it up to use it as my cellphone wallpaper.Instead, what makes her such an endearing and unforgettable protagonist are, first and foremost, her passions and secondly, her own inner battles. When mattie Gokey is given a bundle of letters to burn she fully intends to execute the wishes of the giver, Grace Brown. I listened and read A Northern Light and give high marks to the narrator Hope Davis for capturing the varied emotions of youth and giving voice to the many characters who comprise this gem. It has a totally different voice, but was a very engaging read in its own way - although a little emo ;) .

When a crime happens in a place where everyone knows each other, people are impacted in different ways- it felt believable, albeit poignant that a young woman’s life was unexpectedly taken.

this was in response, not to this book, but to marcelo in the real world, when i remarked that it would sell quite easily to an adult audience, so i wondered why it was being marketed at teen fiction. Also, hilariously, in my newly obtained copy, I noticed that someone highlighted all of the references to food. There is also the implication that young girls, especially those with little means, had a narrow choice of marrying, while University and careers were still a luxury that not many could afford. Emily Baxter/Wilcox: is an unconventional poet who has written poems controversial enough that they have been burned and condemned by the highest authorities.

And a fellow word-lover meself (actually, I can safely bet that whoever’s reading this review is also fond of words, right?i did love the french canadian uncle (very very familiar voice there) - but many other elements seemed too fleeting. Themes of poverty,racism,childbirth,and single parenthood are handled honestly and true to the times.