THE WINTER SEA by SUSANNA KEARSLEY

 

I was very late to read Diana Gabaldon. I loved her books and then came to Susanna Kearsley - she sent me two books and this is the first of the lot. Reading this book I was wondering  whether I was reading about  Susanna Kearsley or about Carrie the author in this story! The story was so authentic and realistic that I actually felt that this was Kearsley writing her story and not a novel.

 

We have Carrie a successful author of repute writing historical fiction and through a series of "happenings" which one does realize is part of a bigger picture we find Sophie through a reason of deduction an ancestor of Carrie and then we have the twist to the story where Carrie actually writes her story and then subsequently realizes through research that what she writes is what actually happened in real life. The series of her writing this story slowly unravels Sophie's entire life story from its very tortuous beginning to its very sad middle and to its glorious end. More would be spoilers because I doubt anyone reading the book would have ever imagined how the story ended.  My imagination would definitely never be up for it and I loved it.

 

The uprising of 1708 in all its gory detail - the futility of the uprising and all the historical detail is beautifully descriptive. On top of that the contrast in chapters where we go from the present day ruins of Slains and all other places of interest and how they actually were in the 1700s makes for a beautiful story.

 

The story is poignant, rich in detail and so warm that I am definitely looking up the rest of the books from this author.

 

Thank you Susanna Kearsley for the books.