Burying the Honeysuckle Girls by Emily Carpenter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Although not quite sure at first, this turned out be a first-class read. In fact, I would say that I could truly class it as an Editor's pick, and highly recommended.
I did discover something reading this: I don't mind "gotten" when it's in a contemporary, or location appropriate setting. When in this book the use of that word (and not overly so) seemed to fit.
It's a nicely stranded contemporary and historical family saga, which moved me to tears at the conclusion.
Without giving too much away, the plot at the end reminded me of my own childhood growing up in a village with a large and very scary Institution at one end ... so many lives ruined sometimes through genuine mental health issues and disabilities that were hidden away, and most distressingly of all, just some patients that had simply failed to keep to the strict moral code of the day or to bow down to a voice of authority.
This book is a nicely judged piece of work, with a very high production value - just one mistake, which (as usual) is detailed on my blog.
For a first novel, it is exceptionally well done, and I look forward to more by Emily Carpenter.
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