The Violets of March by Sarah Jio
Paperback, 304 pages
Published April 26th 2011 by Plume
ISBN
0452297036 (ISBN13: 9780452297036)
Summary
A heartbroken woman stumbled upon a diary and steps into the life of its anonymous author.
In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after.
Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.
A mesmerizing debut with an idyllic setting and intriguing dual story line, The Violets of March announces Sarah Jio as a writer to watch.
My Thoughts
I am so glad this was my first read of the New Year! I loved this book! I saw it on so many best reads of the year lists. I pulled my copy out and dug right in. I sat down with the book and read straight through the first half. If I had been home alone, I would have read the whole book in one sitting. Yes, it is that good!
I loved the setting of Bainbridge Island. I have never been there but have always longed to go. The descriptions of the island put me on the island, as if I were physically there. I could feel the sand between my toes! Sarah's descriptions are simply wonderful!
Emily has been dumped by her husband for another woman. She goes to visit her great-aunt Bee on Bainbridge Island. In the room she is staying in, Emily finds a diary from the 1940's. Emily, being an author, is interested and starts to read the diary and before long is mesmerized by what she reads. The big mystery is, who are the characters in the diary and what happened to them. I love a good story that revolves around a diary or letters from the past. I was instantly taken with the diary, much like Sarah. I was dying to know what happened back in the 40's and how did it relate to Sarah and her family. Esther, the diary's author, is as broken as Emily. We have the Esther's diary storyline and the story line of Emily and her future. I love how the two story lines compliment each other nicely. The flow of the two stories was easy to follow along with. It was really well done! I found myself anxious to learn how each story would end. However, I was sad to see the story end as I was really enjoying reading it.
I am amazed that this is a debut book! I would have never guessed that! It is a wonderful read and I am looking forward to reading The Bungalow by Sarah Jio. This book will make my favorite reads list as well. I highly recommend it!
I personally bought this book last year. I read this book for the Just For Fun 2012 Challenge.
