I
became aware of Carrie Turansky’s books when I read Surrendered Hearts . . . and I loved it! Her style of writing
immediately drew me into the drama of the story and connected me to the
characters in a very real and personal way. And I definitely found this to be true
when I was blessed to receive an advanced copy of The Governess of Highland Hall.
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As
some of you know already, this book could easily be seen as the Christian
version of Downton Abbey. Having just watched the full series of Downton Abbey
before I received Carrie’s book, I really enjoyed reading and visualizing her
story all the more, especially with the Christian basis. I also enjoyed the
genuineness of the characters struggles and the fact that it wasn’t always
focused on the two characters and their budding relationship. As a reader, I
felt I had the pleasure of learning a great deal about the many other
characters involved in the lives of the two main characters. They each added
richness to the story itself, in their own unique way. To me, the story came
across as real and thus, very refreshing to read and experience.
Special note: I love when authors are
able to describe, perfectly, something you have always felt or thought, but
could never put into words – and Carrie was able to do just that, for me!
In
addition, if you have been a teacher or a parent, I believe you will connect
with the main character, Julia, in a very real and personal way. Through the
experience I have gained as a teacher, I quickly connected with Julia’s
thoughts and actions in a special way. Also, I really enjoyed the insight into
William’s responsibilities. Something I haven’t found in reading other stories
from this time period.
And,
just for fun, I’d like to post a couple questions for Carrie Turansky to answer
concerning her story. I think I’m safe in saying that these questions should
not give anything away from the story line so, for those worried about a
spoiler alert, you should have no need to worry.
Questions for Carrie:
- I don’t know why, but the fact that William held devotion time and at a certain time of the day, really struck me as out of the ordinary when I was reading. Were morning devotions typical of this time period or of this certain class in society? Did you do research to back that up or was that a personal addition to the story?
- What research did you do to add the detail behind what Williams’ workload and a typical day looked like? I found that addition very helpful and intriguing as an avid reader of books form this time period.
- Did you have any particular children in mind when describing the behavior, attitudes, etc . . . of the children in this story? I think this is the first book, in a long time – and one from this time period, where the children actually seemed real. I even made a note while reading that said, “Why do we automatically assume children of this era would not behave like the children of today?”
GIVEAWAY!!
