A Gathering Light By Jennifer Donnely
Paperback: 400 pages Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publishing PLC; New edition edition (3 May 2004) Source:Bookbabblers
Rating; 
Synopsis- When Mattie Gokey is given a bundle of letters to burn she fully intends to execute the wishes of the giver, Grace Brown. When Grace Brown is found drowned the next day in Big Moose Lake, Mattie finds that it is not as easy to burn those letters as she had thought. And, as she reads, a riveting story emerges - not only Grace Brown's story but also Mattie's hopes and ambitions for the future and her relationships with her friends and family.
My Thoughts - A gathering light started of slow for a few chapters or so, but when it kicked in, it really kicked in. Mattie doesn't live the easiest of lives, her mother is long gone, herself and her father are the people her younger sisters rely on, it is obvious that she is a role model for them.
Perhaps more intelligent than most around where she lives and ambitious makes her stand out from the rest. Her father is a simple farmer and like many they are poor. Since her mothers passing her father is a broken man, his son leaving for unknown reasons has only hurt him further. It is up to Mattie to keep everything in order.
Throughout the novel you notice her sincerity and kindness towards those who are less fortunate than herself even though she herself doesn't have much. People come to her for help because they feel they can depend on her. Mattie to most readers will be very relatable, she has a touching love for reading and writing and wants an education. Her father is not as supportive.
I had no idea that parts of the book were based on real life events being; The Grace Brown murder, it's enchanting to see Jennifer Donnelly blend fiction with reality so well. Her best friend Weaver is fierce than most and is at a constant battle with those who discriminate against him because of the color of his skin. Her other best friend Minnie is growing up to fast and Mattie fears she is next.
It is upon meeting Royal that things change, with support of a teacher her ambition to be a writer almost seemed tangible, but Mattie knows if she is ever to be with Royal she will have to throw all possibilities of that dream away.
A Gathering Light tackles a girl trying to survive in a cruel and often a mans world. Upon discovering Grace Browns letters she starts to peel away the layers and discovers her death may have been something completely different. Mattie must choose, is she willing to spend the rest of her life in an endless cycle or will she unlike Grace was unable to, finally break free?
The author does not shy away when detail and very vivid descriptions are involved, some aspects are almost horrifying when it comes to what a family may have to sacrifice in order to feed themselves, as well as the detailed scene of giving birth which may be slightly difficult to read for the younger readers. A Gathering Light is an enchanting novel that I could not put down, it demands your complete attention and wills you to listen to to a story that must be told.
Thank you to Bookbabblers for providing me a copy for review!
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