Review: Beautifully-written, sweet, well-paced love story.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 7, 2013
Jenny Brigalow's debut novel is absolutely wonderful and if you haven't read it, I urge you to pick up a copy today and spend your weekend with Seraphim and Chad in lush, green England and the stark, brutal Australian outback.Ms. Brigalow's voice is fresh and poignant, and more than once I "Ahhh"'d aloud at a particularly lovely turn of phrase, mostly in the dialogue between two people who are falling in love with each other, unsure of their footing, swept away with the helplessness that accompanies new love...the descriptions of places are such that you are enveloped in the scenery, along with the characters, as Ms. Brigalow paints vivid pictures with a deft hand, never hitting you over the head with details; giving you just enough to picture everything perfectly in your mind.The characters are so sweet and genuine, their chemistry will have you rooting for them from the start.  Then again, I am a sucker for a wealthy, unspoilt girl who falls for a good-hearted, rugged boy.I have to add that the language was not challenging for me as an American - there was just enough "I reckon...", "bloody hell", and "No worries" to remind me that these characters were British and Australian, but not so much jargon that I felt alienated from their voices.I couldn't help but remember one of my favorite movies as a teen - "The Man From Snowy River" wherein Tom Burlinson's rough-around-the-edges (and adorable!!) Jim falls for Sigrid Thronton's lovely, refined, spirited Jessica - as I read "A Man for All Seasons."  If that movie resonated with you, you will certainly fall in love with Ms. Brigalow's book.