2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge: a book with "gold", "silver" or "bronze" in the title

[baronessekat]

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was an interesting book and not my usual go to genre. It is a Young Adult retelling of the Bluebeard Fairy Tale/Legend.

17 year old Sophie's father has just died. She grew up being send treasures and trinkets by her Godfather (who completely ignored her siblings) and when she becomes orphaned and her older siblings have difficult times with their own survival in 1850's Boston so she goes to live with her Godfather in Mississippi.

When she arrives, she feels things are just off... she is not allowed to leave the manor house, any of the servants and slaves that befriend her are sent away. Letters from home are non-existent (until she says she wants to return to Boston as she is worried about her siblings) Then she learns that,while she knew he was a widower, he had been married 4 times before - all young women with red/gold hair (just like her) and all died under mysterious circumstances. Then there are his terrible mood swings and near violent temper.

When she learns through a letter that her family is in SERIOUS financial straights, she asks her Godfather for help for them. The only way he will agree to it - she becomes his bride.

She must then decide - her family's safety or her own.

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I enjoyed the reading of this audiobook as I blew through it in a couple days on normal speed. I don't know if I will seek out the other book by this author or not, but is was a very compelling retelling of a legend I actually had to research some as I was not familiar with it.



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