Roza Khamitova Khamitova itibaren Thaska Khadar, Haryana, India
Sweetly mixes the sweetness of new romance with the bitterness of loss to create a new take on the Hansel and Gretel fairytale. Author Jackson Pearce can take a story everyone knows and turn it into something completely fresh and new, while still maintaining the original premise of the story. In Sweetly, Pearce retells the story of Hansel and Gretel, but adds her unique blend of writing and storytelling to the tale. What captured me most about Sweetly was the interconnection of characters and the sibling relationship between Gretchen and Ansel. The loss of Gretchen’s twin and Ansel’s sister created this remarkable bond between the two and while it was sad that this came about because of the sister’s disappearance, it was touching to see how they looked after each other. On the other hand, I liked how Pearce developed Gretchen’s character into being more independent, more of a different person from her brother, as the story progressed. It was great seeing Gretchen face her fears, become more self sufficient and less scared of her shadow, so to speak. This was spurred on in part by Ansel developing a romantic relationship with Sophia and Gretchen’s wish to let her brother have some happiness and to not be a third wheel in their encounters. I loved the introduction and inclusion of Samuel in Sweetly. If you’ve read Sisters Red, the companion novel to Sweetly, you’ll recognize Samuel as Silas’ brother. In Sweetly, Samuel helps (perhaps unwittingly) Gretchen to gain independence and to face the fears and guilt she has carried since the disappearance of her twin sister. Samuel and the lore surrounding him and his family become an integral part of the plot of Sweetly, as it connects SISTERS RED to it’s companion novel, yet doesn’t detract from the fact that two different stories are being told in each book. Sweetly is a novel of loss and love, but more importantly it’s about the relationship that exists between siblings and how they will do whatever is necessary to protect their loved ones.
I thoroughly enjoyed this simple book. I never tire of hearing stories about the early 1900's. My father tells stories of life back then. It was harder than we can imagine and hence it shaped the personalities of the people who lived during that time. This book is a slice of life. Nothing earth-shattering happens; just day to day events beautifully and wonderfully told from Francis Nolan's perspective. Francie, the main character, is only 11 when the story begins. Because of her situation she is forced to mature beyond her years. She handles it with such grace and beauty. I love this little girl! I learned a lesson or two from Francie.