Review: A Truly Lovely Ghost Story, Highly Recommended
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 24, 2012
I purchased this book because it's a ghost story set in Scotland - a combination I'm powerless to resist. I took it with me on vacation, and I'm glad I was on holiday because this was one of those books that I couldn't stand to put down. It was an overall spectacular read with believable characters and an intriguing story, but what I loved most about it was the character Hector (or 'Heckie'), the ghost of a Scottish WWI soldier. He was just so lovable and admirable - truly a noble gentleman from a bygone era who had been thrust into the horrors of war, as so many were during that period in history. As I read, I knew that since he was a ghost, I couldn't expect the same sort of happy ending for him as I would for a truly living character. I devoured every word of his relationship with Ruth, dreading the inevitable ending. I just couldn't bear the thought of them being separated. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the unexpected ending. I don't want to spoil it for anyone else, as it was such a good twist, but I will say that I was spared the heartache I'd anticipated and finished the book feeling satisfied. A highly recommended read.