Review: Once again Linda Gillard has surprised me.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 14, 2012
With temps of up to 40C this summer I have enjoyed the excuse of the weather to spend time reading during the heat of the day. I have read some great novels this summer and with The Glass Guardian, once again Linda Gillard had me engrossed in her writing. In fact this time her writing, which I have always enjoyed finding all her previous novels to be five star reads, actually exceeded my expectations as I was unsure about the paranormal aspect. I need not have worried this is another five star read, an unconventional romance maybe but it still had me captivated.An imaginative storyline but surrounded by reality with similarities to Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger, although I enjoyed The Glass Guardian more. It was possibly an unusual choice to read on a hot summer afternoon but on the other hand how cooling it was to be transported to the wintry scenes of Skye and the fantastic cover really worked well for me, making Tigh-na-Linne the house where the story unfolds come to life in my imagination. The paranormal genre is a new departure for the author although if you have read her earlier novels you will know it is a subject she has touched on before with characters that play ghost like roles. However her characters are portrayed they are always very believable and realistic with women that are normal as the heroines and some gorgeous sounding heroes, the ones in The Glass Guardian are no exception. Once again she has written an enthralling story about friendship, family, love and music recurring themes in her novels.To say too much about the storyline here would be entirely wrong as the reader needs to discover how everything connects for themselves in this very sensitive and emotional love story.The Author's Website Synopsis is just enough to tempt you to read without spoilers, so I am précising it here, with just a few added comments of my own. The protagonist of the story Ruth Travers has lost a lover, both parents and her job. When death strikes again she finds herself the owner of a beautiful but dilapidated home on the Isle of Skye, where she used to spend her summer holidays as a child. Ruth prepares to put the house on the market, but discovers that she is not the only one to consider in this sale, plus she begins to think she might be going mad as she suspects that she might be falling in love. Ruth's research into her family history and in particular the musical career of her aunt are what in my opinion tie this novel's narrative together.Once again Linda Gillard has surprised me with her talent for making each new novel different from the previous one, if you have not yet read any of her books I urge you to do so. In my opinion it is better although not necessary to read them in the order of publication as I feel by doing this I have appreciated her development as an author. I am already eagerly awaiting what ever novel she has planned for us next even if it is a paranormal one!