Customer Reviews

The Gentleman's Garden

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I loved Catherine Jinks' "Pagan" books. As for her other YA books, not so much. This story felt very real to me, unlike an escapist romance which I also do enjoy if it's not poorly written. But the stories that stick with you are the ones that are grounded in reality, i.e., not everything works out perfectly, not every difficulty is ironed out, not every problem is overcome. C. Jinks' historical tales are actually historical, and you feel immersed in a very imperfect, real past. The protagonist of this book is a typical innocent lady of the time period. She has never been informed of, or imagined, some of the ugliness of the world she will have to face. Even though it was painful to imagine at times, I enjoyed the story very much. I would warn you that it's not a "feel-good" tale. However, if it were too miserable I would never have finished it, nor would I recommend it. I do not like depressing stories. The story's end is happy in a realistic way. I could only wish that the writer had fleshed out Daniel, the prisoner, more thoroughly, and that she had written even more of the lady's thought processes. Excellent book.