The Flight Of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey

 

When Gemma Hardy is found parentless at the age of ten, she is taken from all she has ever known and delivered to Scotland in the hands of her loving uncle and his family.  Then when her uncle dies, Gemma finds herself left in the care of the aunt, who never wanted her in the first place. 

When an opportunity arises for Gemma to go to a private school, she jumps at the chance, however Claypoole, is not the school that she dreamed of and finds out quickly she ins nothing more than an unpaid servant who is teased by the other girls.

When the school goes bankrupt, Gemma finds herself traveling yet again, this time as an au pair on the Orkney Islands.  She is under the employment of Mr. Sinclair, taking care of his eight year old niece.  Gemma finds herself intrigued by the mysterious Mr. Sinclair, rich and single, flying in from London whenever he wishes and upon his arrivals the house seems to come alive with his presence. 

Could Gemma find herself falling for him? 

 

 

 

Bookish people… does any of this sounds familiar?  It should, even if you are having a vague twinge of familiarity in the back of your mind, you should sense something.  Yes, The Flight Of Gemma Hardy is a remix of the beloved (by many), Jane Eyre. 

Perhaps for me, it is all the more familiar, and all the more exciting as I am currently reading Jane Eyre at that same time as I have been reading this book.  You might think that would be redundant, but no – it was invigorating! 

Many years ago Charlotte Bronte opened up her now famous story with this first line:

“There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.”

Now, in 2012 I open up The Flight Of Gemma Hardy to this line:

“We did not go for a walk on the first day of the year.”

Honestly, it kind of gave me goosebumps…. like I was about to enter into something amazing.

Even though I am still reading Jane Eyre (we have a history of failures… but that is another story for another time), I thoroughly enjoyed this more modern take of Jane/Gemma.  Set in the 1950 and 60’s, I was impressed with the story line… never bored with the fact that I was reading two similar books at the same time as Margot Livesey not only breathes a different take and life into her book, she captivates the reader with the spunky Gemma. 

If you liked Jane Eyre, you will love The Flight Of Gemma Hardy!

Thank you to TLC book tours for the opportunity to fly with Gemma!