Official Review: Return to Knightshayes by Angela Gait

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monideane21
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Latest Review: "Return to Knightshayes" by Angela Gait

Official Review: Return to Knightshayes by Angela Gait

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[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Return to Knightshayes" by Angela Gait.]
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Return to Knightshayes by Angela Gait is a classic Victorian tale is split into three parts, each written in first person and set in the late 18th century. Gait creates an intriguing mystery by developing a sense of anticipation that builds throughout the book, making it a page turner.

The novel begins from the point of view of Dr. Charles Lanning as he describes the arrival of an injured woman that is suffering from amnesia into his place of work, the Fairmile asylum. The point of view then switches to letters written to Dr. Lanning from the unknown woman, now known as Anna Gaskell. It is through the writing of the letters that Anna’s battle with amnesia is explored, with the reader following her journey to find her past.

The knowledge of having a husband is thrust upon Anna as she is whisked away to the house of Knightshayes and locked up, with minimal access to the outside world. Anna is determined to discover her past and begins breaking the rules that her husband has imposed upon her on her quest to rediscover the life that she once had. The characters of Shelby and Lord Gaskell prevent constant road blocks towards Anna quest to discover her past, cutting her off from the outside world and any information that may help her. The anticipation builds throughout the novel as Anna slowly pieces together the clues that she has found. The mystery deepens as the story goes on, with most of the clues that Anna comes across only serving to present more questions than answers. Through both Anna’s observations and the point of view of Dr. Lanning, the story reaches a nail biting climax, which is well worth the read.

Gait weaves a captivating story that draws the reader in from the first line and throws them into the mystery that is Anna Gaskell’s life. This book explores the themes of love and the quest for knowledge, keeping the reader interested the whole way through. The style of writing that was chosen for this book could sometimes get confusing, as the parts narrated by Dr. Lanning jumped around a bit. I found myself needing to revisit paragraphs to gather what was happening. Overall I would rate it 3 out of 4 stars, as the climax and ending of the story had me at the edge of my seat as all the answers were revealed.

The plot was interesting and I came to care for the characters and feel Anna’s frustration and anger towards having amnesia and being unable to remember anything from her past. It was through the use of first person and the homodiegetic narrator that I begin to feel as though I was involved in the plot and must know what happens next. All of the characters, including minor characters such as Margarite gave a great feeling of diversity to the story, as each character contributed something different and interesting.

The ending of the story completely caught me by surprise and forced me to re-evaluate my assumptions and feelings towards some of the characters, as their purpose became more apparent. I was unable to put the book down once it reached the climax, as I just had to know what was going to happen. The ending managed to wrap up the plot line nicely and overall I closed the book feeling extremely satisfied at the way that everything turned out, which is a nice contrast to most books.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the deep sense of mystery and anticipation that was constantly compelling me to read on.

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Latest Review: "Return to Knightshayes" by Angela Gait
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