Source: Publisher
Description: Follow Gertie MacIntyre from knitting circle to air stewardess in this glorious and romantic summer novel set in Scotland’s windswept Northern isles, by beloved New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan.
In the northernmost reaches of Scotland, where a string of little islands in the North Sea stretches towards Norway, lives Gertie MacIntyre, a proud island girl by birth. Her social circle is small but tight: family and friends, particularly the women in her knitting circle. In the whitewashed cottages of their hometown, everyone knows everyone, and the ladies of the knitting circle know more than most. In a place of long dark winters and geographic isolation, the knitting circle is a precious source of gossip, home, laughter, and comfort for them all. And while she knits, Gertie’s busily plotting what to do with the rest of her life.
When Gertie develops a crush on Callum Frost, who owns the local airline, she dares herself to take a job as an air stewardess on the little plane that serves the local islands. Terrifying at first, the sixteen-seat puddle jumper also offers the first taste of real freedom she’s ever known. Will Gertie’s future lie in the skies? Or will she need to go further afield to find the adventure she craves?
Genre: Fiction - Contemporary
Why I Picked This Book: I have enjoyed a number of Colgan's books and I was looking forward to visiting the islands in Scotland again.
My Impression: First the positives - I really love a finding yourself kind of story where the main characters starts out unhappy and unsettled and gradually becomes part of a community and figures out what they really want etc. I also loved checking back in with Morag and the world we were introduced to in last year's Summer Skies. I loved how Gertie connected with Morag and Nalitha and how she ended up with the job at MacIntyre Air. Gertie has a lot of skill but isn't really aware of it so to see that appreciation by those around her was really lovely. Colgan does a fantastic job of setting the scene and makes the beauty and spareness of the land come alive. Her writing style is also well paced and one I very much enjoyed reading. I felt like good progress was made in the story from the beginning which isn't always the case with her books I've found.
Why I Picked This Book: I have enjoyed a number of Colgan's books and I was looking forward to visiting the islands in Scotland again.
My Impression: First the positives - I really love a finding yourself kind of story where the main characters starts out unhappy and unsettled and gradually becomes part of a community and figures out what they really want etc. I also loved checking back in with Morag and the world we were introduced to in last year's Summer Skies. I loved how Gertie connected with Morag and Nalitha and how she ended up with the job at MacIntyre Air. Gertie has a lot of skill but isn't really aware of it so to see that appreciation by those around her was really lovely. Colgan does a fantastic job of setting the scene and makes the beauty and spareness of the land come alive. Her writing style is also well paced and one I very much enjoyed reading. I felt like good progress was made in the story from the beginning which isn't always the case with her books I've found.
And now for the negative - While I love Gertie and understood her shyness and dreaminess her focus on her crushes was a little uncomfortable. Not only did she get intense crushes but at times the direction her daydreams went made her feel at best very immature and at worst unstable. This took my enjoyment of the book down because I'd be happily reading along and then one of those thoughts would pop up and it was instant cringe.
Despite my issue I did really enjoy this. I loved seeing Gertie come into her own and I adore the setting.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Yes! While not everything by this author's books are total winners for me I have enjoyed the bulk of them and am looking forward to reading more from her.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy main characters figuring out what they want in life this is a good choice -as long as you can overlook Gertie's crushes.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy main characters figuring out what they want in life this is a good choice -as long as you can overlook Gertie's crushes.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
I'm glad you were able to enjoy this one despite Gertie's flaws. She sounds a bit frustrating though.
ReplyDeleteI love the cover and the book sounds good.
ReplyDeleteOh dear about the crushes! Looking forward to listening to this one and like you catching up with the local community.
ReplyDeleteThis is an author I've been wanting to read. It sounds good.
ReplyDelete