132,956
edits
Changes
Isabella by Fiona Mountain (view source)
Revision as of 11:05, 18 August 2020
, 11:05, 18 August 2020no edit summary
Written through the eyes of Isabella, the novel follows her emotional and psychological battle as she comes to terms with her loss and heart-break and also her guilt at having walked away from Fletcher. The detailed insights from Isabella and the questions she constantly asks herself create a very emotional and poignant narrative, which I found particularly powerful at the end.
Mystery and suspense are sustained throughout the novel by the lack of information and the conflicting facts concerning the mutiny and Fletcher's disappearance. Mountain also skilfully skillfully uses the setting of the Lake District to intensify this mystery and suspense. She writes remarkable natural descriptions which accompany the very powerful and raw emotions of fear, loss, separation, pain and isolation to create a gripping read.
A sense of mystery and conflicting messages surround many of the characters and even after finishing the book , I felt I didn't quite understand some of them. John, for example , is described on the blurb as 'ruthlessly' setting out to win Isabella but ruthless is certainly not a word I would have used to describe him or his actions. But whether or not he really loves her is also unclear, especially when he uses her money to fund his political career.
The lack of dialogue between characters in some parts of the story is very frustrating, especially when the reader craves answers to the many questions which arise. However, Mountain does do a pretty good job of attempting to give satisfactory answers whilst at the same time maintaining a sense of mystery.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
Further Reading: You can read more about the mutiny which took place on the Bounty in John Boyne's [[Mutiny on the Bounty by John Boyne|Mutiny on the Bounty]]. You might also enjoy [[Cavalier Queen by Fiona Mountain]].
{{amazontext|amazon=0099562251}}