Customer Reviews

Star Gazing

5 star:		(7)
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3 star:		(1)
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Star Gazing is one of those books that keeps you up til 4am with its twists and turns, engrossing story and totally yummy hero. I've lent it to many friends since I read it and we've all fallen in love with Keir who takes the blind heroine to the Isle of Skye to "show" her the stars. This book has everything - romance, humour, suspense, scenery and a cast of characters who will stay with you long after you finish it. I laughed out loud and cried my eyes out.

I loved this book right from the start. The characters are so well drawn and the story so moving. Marianne is very independent, and a little prickly. She doesn't like to use her cane when she's out because she doesn't want it to be obvious she's blind. Some of the things she said made me smile, but you could also really feel her pain, both at the loss of her husband, and the other losses that she suffers.

Linda Gillard's writing seems to have so much feeling to it and I really cared what happened to Marianne and Keir. There's also Louisa and her relationship with the much younger Garth the Goth.

Because the main character is blind, there's a lot of description of Edinburgh and Skye, two wonderful settings. And the things Keir does to be able to describe surroundings to Marianne are very touching.

A lovely book, and one which I highly recommend. A 5/5 for me.

One of my favorite books and the best I have read this year. It is said that love is blind but Linda Gillard has written a story that allows the reader to see love through eyes that are amazingly clear. As mysterious Keir describes everyday objects to blind Marianne, she finds her heart that had been frozen by unbelievable tragedy is responding to his words. Her sister, Lou, and Garth the Goth add some comic relief and emotional support. This is a beautiful, not-to-be-missed love story.

Star Gazing is a heartwarming story unlike no other I have read before. The characters are very real, flaws and all. I loved the way the sense of smell, hearing and touch come into play in this book as the story progresses. Nice twist of plot as well. If you want a romance that is not formulaic, but entertaining, you will love Star Gazing.

I first heard about STAR GAZING through Valerie's lovely review over at Life is a Patchwork Quilt. And I have to thank her for that review because I don't think I would otherwise have come across Linda Gillard's work. Gillard is a Scottish author who lived for several years on the Isle of Skye, where much of this book takes place. From what I can tell, her books tend to focus on women above the age of 35, who are dealing with the everyday, yet perilous issues of adulthood, aging, love, mental health, family, etc. As such, they sounded sort of awesome to me, and I immediately placed her most recent book on my wishlist. It seemed unique and appealed to me for several reasons, including the fact that the main character is a blind widow. The setting was also a draw. I have only been to Scotland once, but it made a lasting impression on me and I love reading books set there. So that's why I was so excited to receive a copy of STAR GAZING for my birthday. I cracked it open that night, fell in love immediately, and pretty much flew through it.

Marianne Fraser has several valid reasons to be as angry as she is. Blind since birth, she's navigated her way through life without the ability to see what's coming at her. Widowed just a few years into her marriage, her grief was compounded by the fact that she was pregnant at the time and lost the baby shortly after the horrible accident that took her husband Harvey. Living with her sister Louisa in a flat neither of them much like, she goes about her daily routine with almost furious precision. Counting and memorizing the number of steps from here to there, she has a place for everything. Her few outlets include walking through the park, touching the trees, listening to the rain, and going to the occasional opera. One snowy eve she drops her key outside her door and a man comes along and offers to help her find it. Not thinking much of it at the time, she finds herself remembering his voice at odd times. So that when she randomly comes across him again on her next opera outing, Marianne is surprised at how pleased she is to have a chance to talk with him again. Keir Harvey shares more than just his last name with her departed husband, though. He, too, works on an oil rig, predicting where the best places to drill are, how complications will arise, and when storms might interfere with the work. Originally from the Isle of Sky, he returns home as often as he can to the only place he feels truly comfortable. When he offers to take Marianne there and show her the beauty of that wild place, she throws her habitual caution to the winds and jumps at the chance.

I ended this book so conflicted! The first half is literally moving. Simply and carefully written, it is so beautiful and readable. I was almost instantly enamored of Marianne and the dogged way she went about living what was left of her life. Even though I could not perfectly understand the monumental challenges she faced on a constant basis, I felt as though I was there right there with her. Her frustration and longing were palpable to me and I allowed myself to hope just a little bit along with her that Keir would be the unlooked for sweet resolution to her years of struggle and pain. Keir is a wonderful character. Strong and extremely blunt in his speech and mannerisms, he pushes Marianne to move past her carefully constructed inhibitions, even as he carves out a space of peace and gentleness for her in his life. Their interactions are taut and quietly affecting. Marianne's sister Louisa and her hilarious assistant Garth the Goth brought a nice level of humor and warmth to the story and I found myself laughing more than once at this homey woman who writes vampire romance novels by the score, takes care of her sister, and finds herself in the most unexpected of romantic scenarios. Suffice it to say, I was hooked. And then somewhere along the way things got murky. Marianne's anger and fears overwhelmed her and things got out of step between all of them. That in and of itself did not bother me at all. Rather it moved the tale forward in interesting and complex ways. But it never seemed to find its rhythm again after that. The conflict grew and grew and their interactions became stilted to the point that I was crying out for some sort of harkening back to that original connection they formed to relieve the awkwardness that had taken over. Somewhere along the way my involvement was severed and by the time the ending arrived I had become lost and could not find my way back to that breathless place of discovery that so enchanted me for the half of the novel. I guess I wanted a little more time to explore the resolution they came to. That said, I enjoyed it enough that I am definitely going to seek out Ms. Gillard's earlier work. Emotional Geology in particular looks good and I foresee myself ordering it in the very near future as I loved the first part of STAR GAZING.

Star Gazing is one of those rare books I wished would never end. It is the story of Marianne, blind since birth, widowed young, and childless since she miscarried her baby shortly after her husband's tragic death. She lives with her beloved older sister who writes what Marianne considers silly novels, and then there is her sister's Goth assistant, a young man in make-up, piercings, and odd clothing.

Enter Keir, a tall man from Skye who has the ability to treat Marianne like a normal person, except that he can describe things using music and language so well that she can "see" them. He takes her to his home on the Isle of Skye to show her the stars, and does just that.

This love story and the four characters went directly to my heart as I read. If you've ever known a blind person, you know how difficult it is to describe things to him. Keir's loving consideration of Marianne's blindness and her crabbiness when her life skills fail her, is enough to make the reader fall in love with him too.

Like any love story, the course of it doesn't run smooth, partly because Marianne fears losing him if she falls in love. I must stop before I give the whole story away. Please read this one; it's the best book I've read in a long time.

This is the third book of Linda's, all read rather closely together. This isn't a problem, however, as each book is very different. In Star Gazing, Linda brings us Marianne, a 45 year old woman who's been blind since birth, and already a widow. She is fiercely independant, stubborn, and passionate, with a love of nature.

Already in her life is her warm-hearted sister, who has helped her since the death of her husband. The relationship between them is not always easy, as they often disagree.. but the love and support is obvious.

Into her life steps Keir, and once again Linda has written a strong hero. He's not embarressed or thrown by her blindness, but rather tries to explain things to her, by comparing them to music. Whilst be extremely kind and caring, he also allows her to keep that independance.

The most fascinating part of the book for me was Marianne's experience as a blind person, and the way that Linda brings this across. When Keir took her to Skye, I felt as if I could experience it all, but the way that Marianne did. It's wonderfully written.

Linda has become one of my favourite authors, and I am constantly recommending her books to people. This one is a lovely, unique romantic tale, which also deals with issues such as bereavement and blindness.

This book was a recommended read for my reading group. I thoroughly enjoyed it. While at heart a romance, STAR GAZING also deals with blindness and how one blind woman relates to the world in a sensitive and thought-provoking way. There is also a strong environmental message.