Sam is, to say the least, bookish. An English major of the highest order, her diet has always been Austen, Dickens, and Shakespeare. The problem is, both her prose and conversation tend to be more Elizabeth Bennet than Samantha Moore.
But life for the twenty-three-year-old orphan is about to get stranger than fiction. An anonymous, Dickensian benefactor (calling himself Mr. Knightley) offers to put Sam through Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism. There is only one catch: Sam must write frequent letters to the mysterious donor, detailing her progress.
As Sam’s dark memory mingles with that of eligible novelist Alex Powell, her letters to Mr. Knightley become increasingly confessional. While Alex draws Sam into a world of warmth and literature that feels like it’s straight out of a book, old secrets are drawn to light. And as Sam learns to love and trust Alex and herself, she learns once again how quickly trust can be broken.
Reminding us all that our own true character is not meant to be hidden, Reay’s debut novel follows one young woman’s journey as she sheds her protective persona and embraces the person she was meant to become.
My Thoughts: When I first read the blurb about the book I was intrigued. Interested to read about someone who hides behind the words of classic novels. Perhaps because so often I find myself escaping into books, using what I read to influence what I say, what advice I sometimes offer, lessons that I learn, connections I make. I felt that perhaps I could connect to Sam.
I am a HUGE Austen fan, and when you add in the random comments about BBC's Sherlock I thought that I was reading about myself (minus the running… I don't run). I really enjoyed the journey that Sam took as she first writes begrudgingly to a mysterious benefactor, but then the letters take on a diary-esque tone.
As Sam grows as a person so do her letters, and as she begins to turn the pages in her life to write new chapter, she begins to remove the mask of Austen-era literary quotations have so long been her shield. She begins to discover what it means to be known, and to be loved. What it means to believe and belong. The way secondary characters are created and weaved into the story is excellent. You often feel the emotion of the characters and feel as if you are standing there watching each scene unfold as Sam describes it in her letters.
The way secondary characters are created and weaved into the story is excellent. You often feel the emotion of the characters and feel as if you are standing there watching each scene unfold as Sam describes it in her letters.
I understand what it's like to try and hide who you are, holding people off so they can't get to close. For if they do, they have the power to hurt you, "wreck you" as one character says in this book.
I will admit that when I first started reading I was thrown off by the format of the book. This is not a normal novel, but a book written in the form of letters. The very letters that Sam writes to Mr. Knightley. Reading a galley version on my kindle was hard, but I decided to stick it out. I'm glad that I did. I've never read a book written this way, but it was a neat way to really get inside the head of the main character. Being written in a new format also brought an interesting twist to the story and plot line.
Would I Recommend This Book? Yes. It was a quick, easy read once I got acquainted with the letters style the book takes on. Dear Mr. Knightley is a story of self-discovery more than anything. What is great though is that it also has stories of friendship, love and faith weaved in so that none is overwhelming. None drown out another.
If you are even the slightest fan of Bronte, Dickens, Gaskell or especially Austen, you will enjoy the many references and quotes in this book.
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars (A good book, that may or may not be read again, and stays in my library.)
( I received a free galley of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.)
I am a HUGE Austen fan, and when you add in the random comments about BBC's Sherlock I thought that I was reading about myself (minus the running… I don't run). I really enjoyed the journey that Sam took as she first writes begrudgingly to a mysterious benefactor, but then the letters take on a diary-esque tone.
As Sam grows as a person so do her letters, and as she begins to turn the pages in her life to write new chapter, she begins to remove the mask of Austen-era literary quotations have so long been her shield. She begins to discover what it means to be known, and to be loved. What it means to believe and belong. The way secondary characters are created and weaved into the story is excellent. You often feel the emotion of the characters and feel as if you are standing there watching each scene unfold as Sam describes it in her letters.
I understand what it's like to try and hide who you are, holding people off so they can't get to close. For if they do, they have the power to hurt you, "wreck you" as one character says in this book.
I will admit that when I first started reading I was thrown off by the format of the book. This is not a normal novel, but a book written in the form of letters. The very letters that Sam writes to Mr. Knightley. Reading a galley version on my kindle was hard, but I decided to stick it out. I'm glad that I did. I've never read a book written this way, but it was a neat way to really get inside the head of the main character. Being written in a new format also brought an interesting twist to the story and plot line.
Would I Recommend This Book? Yes. It was a quick, easy read once I got acquainted with the letters style the book takes on. Dear Mr. Knightley is a story of self-discovery more than anything. What is great though is that it also has stories of friendship, love and faith weaved in so that none is overwhelming. None drown out another.
If you are even the slightest fan of Bronte, Dickens, Gaskell or especially Austen, you will enjoy the many references and quotes in this book.
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars (A good book, that may or may not be read again, and stays in my library.)
( I received a free galley of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.)
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