Customer Reviews

Elins Island

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My daughter devours historical fiction novels, and this one is among her favorites. I read it with her and thoroughly enjoyed it as well. The story and characters draw you in from the first few pages, and we both learned a lot about the time period and lighthouse culture, a topic that we'd never really considered before but one that the author makes relevant, interesting, and exciting! I would recommend this book without hesitation to any young (or adult!) reader who is looking for a great historical fiction read! Five stars!

I read this book because I was interested in life on a island lighthouse just before World War II. So the book appeared perfect. I wanted a glimpse of how the lighthouse worked, the clothes a thirteen-year-old would wear, and other details of life. I assumed author Cynthia Copeland would have done at least fundamental research on the topic. Except for a daring rescue at the beginning, the the book was rather boring and featured dialogue between two young teenagers that was not believable. But it was tolerable. Then on page 104 (taking place either 1940-1942 or late 1930s):

"On Christmas Eve, as I was helping Sarah arrange Christmas cookies on a plate, we heard a roar and looked out to see a helicopter hovering near the cottage...."

I was shocked by this mistake. There were no helicopters available for any kind of citizen use until late 1940s at the earliest. The Germans would have a prototype by around 1943 that was never produced in any quantity. Believe me, no citizen would see anything remotely like a helicopter for at least another decade flying around the islands dropping Christmas presents. I'm not even sure the general citizenry even used the word "helicopter." A mistake like this made me doubt anything the author wrote.

I can forgive typos and mistakes that are easily overlooked (the wrong type of flower given the season or location for example). But not something like this. It's like reading Little House on the Prairie and finding a scene that overlooks a herd of elephants. I mean, where was the editor?