Bossy Italian Book Review: Ember Island by Kimberly Freeman

It's been such a long time since a book really held my interest that I was beginning to lose all hope... ever since I got pregnant, I just haven't found anything that sucked me in completely or compelled me to read. So when I got this book in the mail, I was hoping against hope that maybe it would be the book that brought me back from the brink. IT WAS!

This was a great read, and just what I needed. First of all, I loved the entire concept of the book. It's about Nina, a writer, who owns a house on Ember Island. She's searching for inspiration from her great-grandmother, Nell (Eleanor) who used to live in the house on Ember Island. Sometimes Nina finds Nell's writings hidden in the walls of the old home...but there is another story at play here as well, and that is the story of Tilly, who also lived on Ember Island at one time.

Without giving too much away (because the stories become intwined and it's a bit of an unfolding mystery), Tilly has secrets that she wants to stay buried and so does Nina. As their tales unfold across time, the story just flows seamlessly and it drew me in so completely. I loved reading about both women, and I found myself practically shouting into the pages at the characters! That's a good book that can get that response from me.

The characters were vivid; their inner monologues very real and three dimensional. Their tales were not necessarily remarkable except that they are the sorts of things that do happen in life and make for precisely these types of tales. As I always say, the truth is sometimes stranger than fiction...and that is how I very much imagine this book. Of course, it's not a true story, but a person could see how it could true. And that just melted my heart and made me fall in love.

This book is a breath of fresh air, really. There are so many books out there these days chocked full of sex (and hey, there is nothing wrong with that!) but sometimes you just want something that leaves a bit more to the imagination and is more simple. This book delivered. Great read. Great concept. Great writing.

For more from Kimberly Freeman, CLICK HERE!