Review: The Flight of Gemma Hardy

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book. I didn't realize until after I read it that it was a homage to Jane Eyre, which is probably a good thing. I haven't read Jane Eyre (yikes!) and wouldn't have chosen it otherwise.

Anyway, the story is a somewhat classic rags-to-riches-to-conflict-to-resolution story. Gemma's life has several ups and downs from a happy childhood to awful relatives who reluctantly take her in to a boarding school that is not as advertised to a job as a companion for a petulant 8-year-old. I really found myself rooting for Gemma, and I enjoyed all the plot twists. While not as gothic as, say, Fingersmith, it did have a classic feel to it.

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