Gone by Nightfall
by Dee Garretson
Swoon Reads
January 21st 2020
YA Historical
A young woman is torn between her home and her dreams during the Russian Revolution.
It’s 1916, and Charlotte Mason is determined to make a life for herself in czarist Russia. When her mother dies, Charlotte is forced to put her plans to go to medical school aside to care for her unruly siblings. Then a handsome new tutor arrives. Charlotte has high hopes that he’ll stay, freeing her up to follow her dreams of becoming a doctor. But there’s more to Dmitri that meets the eye.
Just when she thinks she can get her life back, Russia descends into revolution and chaos. Now, not only does Charlotte need to leave Russia, she needs to get her siblings out too–and fast.
Can Charlotte flee Russia, keep her siblings safe, and uncover Dmitri’s many secrets before she runs out of time?
MY TIDBITS
This is one of the most richly written historical novels for young adults that I've run across, one that truly brings the time frame to life.
Charlotte Mason is a young girl living in Russia in 1916. Since her mother passed away, it's her dream to continue the dream of helping others, and she's determined to go to medical school. But with the world around her revolting, chaos is found around every corner. She's told to leave and return to her relatives in America, but with her siblings, her mother's hospital and a man, who isn't what he seems, she's determined to do what she thinks is right.
This one surprised me. While many young adult historical novels tend to feel a bit 'light', this one dives in with a very rich and vivid world. Charlotte does have a lot to learn and makes usual mistakes for girls that age. It's easy to connect with her and makes her believable, but never is the atmosphere of the time frame scratched. The tension and the danger growing coming from the world falling apart around her hits from the very first page and holds through the entire read. And while a few handful of moments, especially in the romance end, weren't as smooth as they might have been, these didn't hurt the story by any means.
It's an exciting read which not only historical fiction fans are sure to enjoy.
And here she is...
Dee Garretson spent her childhood helping her father build his offbeat inventions and playing adventure games in the woods. After working as a landscape designer and teaching landscape horticulture classes for several years, Dee returned to writing. Her debut novel, Wildfire Run, has been praised for its suspense and its hero, Luke, who “with his companions, displays generous measures of courage and ingenuity in rising to the occasion” (ALA Booklist). She lives with her family in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1 comment:
Thanks for being on the tour! Glad you liked it! :)
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