The Blue Castle

About:

The Blue Castle
by L.M. Montgomery

"I've never read that one," she said. Knowing that eyesight problems would preclude my aunt from reading the novel now, and being game for a reread myself, I volunteered to read The Blue Castle aloud to her during the rest of the summer evenings. The author is best known for her Anne of Green Gables and Emily series; our interest in this sole adult book of Montgomery's was piqued by a charming and romantic scene in the biographical musical The Nine Lives of L. M. Montgomery. After retrieving a copy from my bookshelf, I returned to the delightful prospect of sharing one of my favorite books with a favorite person, albeit one who rarely sits for more than two minutes at a time. Nonetheless, she cozied herself on the couch and I began reading the introductory chapters, priding myself on my experience at finding just the right stopping place. No dice. "You're stopping now ???" Encouraged by her interest I happily went on. Pages later, I tried stopping again. "You're not stopping there are you?" and "You can't stop - I want to see what happens... Read a bit more, Dear!" Our summer read-aloud adventure was completed in three evenings flat!

Part of the reason for the book's appeal is the well-developed characters, some is due to the imaginative lakeside setting, and its mostly because of the plot - a great storyline. In this book, Valancy the mousey young heroine is freed from her family's controlling dominance by a doctor's letter affirming that she is gravely ill (her heart). There is no hope. That "knowledge" bolsters her determination to make her life count for something and it starts when she horrifies her nearest by striking out to visit/help a sick school friend whose home is not like hers - at all! Where her journey leads is heart-warming, but not without its threat of heartbreak, of course.

When I told my daughter's mother-in-law, Sandra Aldrich, about our reading, she regarded the speedy rendering of the story as a solid recommendation! A professional writer, publisher and motivational speaker, she was intrigued by tidbits I told her on the phone. I put my copy in the next box I sent to my daughter in Colorado so she could share it with her. Sandra read its many twists of plot and turns of phrase with enjoyment on the plane to Michigan to visit her mother. Thinking that she too would enjoy the story, Sandra left it with her to read. Now her mother's friends are reading it as well... maybe you or a teen daughter would like to try it too? Just be careful who you offer to read it aloud to or at the very least keep water and peppermints handy!

ISBN-10: 0770423159
ISBN-13: 978-0770423155