Tiger
10th April 2008, 16:03
Rating: 9.5/10
Awards? Won the 2005 Gold Medal Nestle Book Prize
Set during the Commonwealth period in England's history, just after the excecution of Charles I, Coriander's world is turned upside down when her mother dies and her father meets another widow called Maud. Maud's daughter is used as a sort of punch bug for Maud, who Coriander hates, especially as Maud is so driven by her following of God that it's turned her nasty and vile.
When Coriander's father tells her in private that there is a warrant for his arrest for trying to free Charles I, he leaves before the arrest which leaves Coriander on her own. The only two people she can rely on now are her stepsister and Danes, her beloved and trustworthy maid. Slowly but surely, Coriander changes the household from a bright, fun place to a drab, God-fearing miserable place. Coriander feels depressed, and when her stepsister goes missing, she discovers a totally different world...
This is a beautifully-told story that so deservingly won its award. It's a must for those interested in the dark times of Oliver Cromwell, blending fantasy with fact. Highly reccommended.
Awards? Won the 2005 Gold Medal Nestle Book Prize
Set during the Commonwealth period in England's history, just after the excecution of Charles I, Coriander's world is turned upside down when her mother dies and her father meets another widow called Maud. Maud's daughter is used as a sort of punch bug for Maud, who Coriander hates, especially as Maud is so driven by her following of God that it's turned her nasty and vile.
When Coriander's father tells her in private that there is a warrant for his arrest for trying to free Charles I, he leaves before the arrest which leaves Coriander on her own. The only two people she can rely on now are her stepsister and Danes, her beloved and trustworthy maid. Slowly but surely, Coriander changes the household from a bright, fun place to a drab, God-fearing miserable place. Coriander feels depressed, and when her stepsister goes missing, she discovers a totally different world...
This is a beautifully-told story that so deservingly won its award. It's a must for those interested in the dark times of Oliver Cromwell, blending fantasy with fact. Highly reccommended.