In my opinion, this book deserved 5 stars purely based on my enjoyment of it. It was certainly not without flaws, but none large enough to distract me for long.Weaving a tale using both fact and fiction, the author has written a both fun and educational story.
Heather is a 16 year old girl dealing with alopecia. Horrified by losing her hair infront of her peers, Heather decides to seek refuge at her great aunt's in remote part of the country. while out in the moors, Heather becomes disoriented in the fog and mist and soon becomes lost. On the verge of panic, a girl appears out of the fog in outdated clothing. This stranger called Emily, has never heard of Heather's aunt. Emily takes Heather back to the parsonage, which is where she lives with her Father, her aunt Elizabeth, and her siblings: Charlotte, Branwell and Anne. Heather quickly becomes aware that something is amiss....these people have no modern convieniences, they all where outdated clothing and live a life of a century past. Heather believes they are practicing one of those strange religions she's seen on the telly. But soon enough, she learns she has somehow been transported back through time to the year 1833.
Heather is living with none other than the famous Bronte family.
I found the experience of living with the Bronte's completely captivating. Using historical facts, the author gave us an imagined look at the daily lives of the Bronte's and the time period at which they lived. The book still incorporates some of today's teenage issues: drugs, alcohol, love...but in relevance to the era.
My issues with this book. Firstly, the alopecia almost appeared as an afterthought in the story. A way to explain why the character comes to be in Bronte country. Other than losing a few clumps of hair and cutting her long beautiful locks into a pixie cut, it doesn't focus too much on the disease. Heather never loses her hair entirely....she just wears a beanie at all times just in case. Secondly, if you pay close attention, Heather begins to talk like the others. She ceases to use language appropriate to what she is accustomed and instead uses antiquated proper english which is highly unlikely during such a short stay. Like I said previously, neither of these issues ruined the book for me....they just were a fleeting annoyance.
Bottom line: loved it. Plain and simple.
