by Katherine ReayRated PG
A captivating tale, told in letter form, of a seemingly tough but oh-so-vulnerable young woman who is trying to find her place in the world after growing up in the foster care system. Completely unsure of her own opinions, she has always hidden behind dialogue crafted by her favorite authoresses, namely Austen and Bronte, when she can't think of anything original to say, which is nearly always.
Our heroine, Sam, receives an incredible offer of support to get her through college from an anonymous benefactor, who requests only that she write to him occasionally to update him on her progress. This book is the collection of her letters to this benefactor, whom she addresses as Mr. Knightly. She opens herself up to him on paper as she never would in person, and her story unfolds as one of perseverance, grit and compassion.
If you love Jane Austen, you'll be captivated by the little inside jokes Sam creates as she uses Austen's dialogue as her own. And if you don't love Jane Austen, give this book a try anyway. It's got a good heart.
Rated PG, it's a clean book with some darkness as different characters grapple with past tragedies.
