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Synopsis (via Goodreads): 

Fifteen-year-old Elsa Byrd is on the verge of becoming a woman in the summer of 1935. It seems to her that, in a world run by men, coming of age is more of a curse than a blessing. Elsa feels powerless when her father enters the tuberculosis sanitarium and she's forced to live on her grandparents' farm. When she stumbles upon a stranger hiding in the barn, it's a welcome diversion as hiding him becomes an intoxicating secret. When a dead girl is discovered floating in a dory, it quickly shifts from the kind of secret Elsa wants to hug close, to the kind she doesn't dare let out. Her mentor, Lavinia Twigg, joins the police investigation and Elsa's caught between silence and disclosure, trust and doubt, risk and fear.


My Review:

I loved this novel instantly from the first page. It was simply beautiful. There was a lot of vivid and breathtaking imagery, as well as an intriguing story line. Elsa is a fifteen year old girl who lives in a time where men dominate over men. Her mother, Rose, isn't much help for her free spirit, and Elsa finds a confidant and friend in Lavinia; her mentor. When Elsa finds a wounded man, Simon, in her barn, she decides to keep him a secret despite the consequences. However, at the same time, a dead girl's body is found in the river, and people are scrambling to find the killer.

I felt that this novel was one of self-exploration, for Elsa to find her place in society and life. All characters had a story to them, and I really connected with them all. Each and every character had a bit more of them revealed as the book went on, their life explained. I loved how Elsa matured through the story, and how she managed to find a place for herself, as a woman, in a male-dominated society. 

I should have seen that plot twist in the end coming, but I didn't. It was a nice surprise, and completely unexpected. 

This novel was a joy to read, and was a smooth mix of self-discovery and mystery.







Five chocolates!
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