My very first Marcia Willett, but definitely not my last. I absolutely, thoroughly enjoyed this book!
The writing style exuded so much warmth and coziness and was a gentle sort of storytelling. There were lots of domestic details and beautiful descriptions of the English countryside, as well as The Keep, the family home, which was a character totally on its own. With every turn of the page, you were invited to step deeper into the Chadwick family's world, and a wonderful world it is. Despite the family going through life's ups and downs, they are truly there for one another, as is The Keep...their foundation and rooted place where they all come together and comfort, encourage, challenge, and laugh and cry with one another.
With a cast of characters, this book was written in such a way that each one had their own unique storyline, and each character appeared on the page often enough so that you never forgot who was who or what was going on with that particular person. I loved that I never felt lost or confused while reading about so many characters.
I loved Fliss as an older sister so much. The way she cared for and protected Mole and Susanna was deep and sincere. Theo offered much wise encouragement and sometimes a bit of a differing opinion to Freddy, making her see things from a new perspective. And, then, of course, Freddy herself. What a wonderfully caring, loving, protective Grandmother she was. I especially loved her strength and protectiveness over her entire family. A truly inspiring character. I also adored Caroline, Ellen, and Fox, the devoted servants to the Chadwick family. Though so much more than mere servants, they were a true part of the family, and that was such a sweet aspect of the story.
Though this book went through many years (about 13), it also followed the seasons, which made for extra cozy and fun reading. I do wish, however, that there had been more detailed Christmas scenes and such. Maybe the other books in the series offer this???
This was such an easy book to read, and hard to put down. It was a comforting, healing sort of read, with bits of melancholy here and there, funny bits, and just loads of heartwarming moments. I sincerely loved this one, even more than I thought I would...and I look forward to reading the rest of the Chadwick family chronicles.
I did, however, have a few smallish caveats...which is why I rated this book 4.5 stars. Nothing too big or major, but a few things that I did note.
Possible spoilers below...none too big or major to the story, but if you don't want to know about specifics, don't read on.
Kit's loose (and lack of) morals and overall flirtatious demeanor was such an annoying aspect of the story to me. I did not like how teenage intimacy was so flippantly dealt with and not really seen to be wrong in any way. The same goes for her mother, Prue. She was quite a desperate woman, sleeping with a man who she knew had major red flags and whatnot. I didn't care for these loosie-goosy characters. Prue did mature as the story went on, but a forty-something year old woman should honestly know better.
I knew going into this book that it had a relationship in which two cousins (a male and a female) were attracted to each other and very much in love. If I had not known that, it would have been quite a shock! That was a bit too weird for my liking. There was also a small scene in which the male cousin noticed how his female cousin/love interest had matured physically and his thoughts and response to that was, in my opinion, inappropriate and perverted. Completely taking away her dignity as a person. Just didn't line up with my personal morals.
And my final "issue" was the age-gap relationship that eventually developed between Fliss and Miles. With Fliss being barely over 20 (and a teenager of around 15 when Miles first showed interest), an age-gap relationship of about 20 or so years just didn't sit well with me. I felt that Miles took advantage of her at times physically, and though he seemed nice enough, I didn't find it appropriate. Again, this just doesn't line up with my personal morals.
Overall, I loved this story, but I did have a few issues. Nothing too major and certainly not anything to hinder me from continuing on with the series. Just enough to take it from 5 stars to 4.5 for me.
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