But when she comes out of them, Julia remembers everything and can’t help but wonder if the attractive current squire, Geoff, is the reincarnation of Mariana’s lover, Richard.
(This is the point where I warn all my fellow sceptics that suspension of disbelief is essential for the enjoyment Kearsley’s work.) The memories come on unpredictably and hold Julia in a trance – in them, she is Mariana and remembers nothing of her 20 th Century life. Of course, the logical deduction here is that Julia is actually Mariana reincarnated. She suddenly finds herself slipping into the seventeenth century, where she is Mariana, a young woman caught up in a passionate affair with the local squire. Shortly after Julia Beckett moves in Greywethers, a sixteenth century house she’s been drawn to since childhood, she begins having alarming hallucinations. I didn’t adore it but it certainly eases the uninitiated reader into Kearsley’s realm, introducing you to her interest in the supernatural and captivating you with her skilful, easy writing style. Mariana was the first of Kearsley’s books that I read and I really do think it was a perfect introduction. Still, each and every one had its good points (sometimes extremely good) and I enjoyed reading them all.Ĭounting them down in order of preference, here are my thoughts: I enjoyed The Winter Sea but I adored The Shadowy Horses. While I loved The Rose Garden, I only liked Mariana. Of course, not all books are created equal. I, who am usually am to put a book down in the middle of a sentence never mind a chapter, found myself whispering “just one more page” and “just one more chapter” to myself as I read late into the night.
Kearsley writes beautifully and has that most coveted gift of being able to draw a reader in, quickly and completely. Luckily, because Kearsley is Canadian and if there is one thing Canadian libraries love it is stocking books by home-grown authors, I had no trouble tracking down her books and I am pleased to say that, having now read four of them, I can completely understand what all the fuss is about. With such stellar recommendations from such trusted sources, I knew I had to try her for myself. I know Eva, Marg, Teresa, Jane, Danielle, and Lyn have all enjoyed her works. I long ago lost count of the number of bloggers who I’ve seen rave about the novels of Susanna Kearsley.
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