A Gathering Light - Jennifer Donnelly

A fantastic piece of writing that I enjoyed immensely. The blurb talks about it being based on a real murder at the turn of the century - this is at the start of the 1900s. The person murdered is a young girl who is read about by Mattie through her letters. Mattie wants to become a writer and is great friends with Weaver who is an academic like herself. Naturally her teacher becomes her greatest influence and Mattie would do anything to be able to read more material and write. Or would she? Her life is mapped out for her already - live in the neighbourhood, acquire a husband and children and in the meantime continue to look after her own family. I enjoyed ...  Read the complete review

A gathering light – Jennifer Donnelley At the turn of the century, this novel is based in North America, where things are just beginning to become modern. Mattie is the mother hen of her brothers and sisters, due to the fact that she promised her mum while she was on her deathbed. Lawton, her older brother has left her to deal with their younger siblings, Beth, Lou and Abby. Mattie really wants to explore the world and write novels, but with her father wanting her to stay back so that he can’t lose another family member, she could end up no-where at the end of it all. Mattie has a coloured best friend named weaver, the only black in the area, who’s father ...  Read the complete review