Summerland follows fifteen year old Brigitta as she arrives in England as a Jewish refugee after World War II. Upon arrival, she escapes her Red Cross escort and heads to Summerland House in Yorkshire, where she believes the answers to her family's past - and possibly future - may lie.
Brigitta was a fantastic lead who I rooted for from the very beginning. A child of war in hiding for years, she was at great pains to trust anyone. Over the course of the novel I could see her soften to the kindness of those around her and begin to regain some of what she may have been like before the war. There were also memorable side characters, namely Mrs Rover, who is so no nonsense and wholesome that she deserves an entire book to herself.
The majority of the book was paced and written well. I thought that the subtle magical realism present throughout was a lovely addition and never felt out of place.
The concept of the twist towards the end was good but I thought that it was executed poorly. The author brought many important questions to the table but wrapped everything up too quickly, thus making the ending feel weak compared to the rest of the book. I would have loved another fifty to a hundred pages to further explore the complex issues that were touched upon.
Brigitta was a fantastic lead who I rooted for from the very beginning. A child of war in hiding for years, she was at great pains to trust anyone. Over the course of the novel I could see her soften to the kindness of those around her and begin to regain some of what she may have been like before the war. There were also memorable side characters, namely Mrs Rover, who is so no nonsense and wholesome that she deserves an entire book to herself.
The majority of the book was paced and written well. I thought that the subtle magical realism present throughout was a lovely addition and never felt out of place.
The concept of the twist towards the end was good but I thought that it was executed poorly. The author brought many important questions to the table but wrapped everything up too quickly, thus making the ending feel weak compared to the rest of the book. I would have loved another fifty to a hundred pages to further explore the complex issues that were touched upon.