Book Review
"Winter Solstice"
Rosamund Pilcher
St. Martins Press, 454 pp $27.95
No. 3 on the Sept. 3 New York Times Best Sellers Plus list for hardback fiction. It has remained on the list for four weeks.
From all the many roads a writer can choose, Rosamond Pilcher picks that winding one we all love…she tells a story. An accomplished storyteller she is, too. The people who bring a whole new world to life are soon as familiar to us as our own friends, and we find we care what happens to them as we settle into their lives.
"Winter Solstice" takes place in Scotland in that lovely time before Christmas. Somehow the small bits and pieces of Christmas cast a spell over this place, these people, and this time. The seashore is bleak and cold but beautiful with the steep hills coming right down to the sea, spotted with sheep huddling together from the cold. This freezing setting is exciting for us here in the tropics and I relished it, while happy I was only experiencing it vicariously. The roaring fires, fur hats, and warming toddies kept my imaginary self warm.
The people range in years from l4 to 67, each a rounded personality, whom one comes to know and care about. How they affect each other will have you loath to put the book down and, I must admit, I found myself slowing down, not wanting it to end.
Pilcher's recent novels, "The Shell Seekers," and "September," were highly successful and this one will be right up there with them, I'm sure. It's a carefree trip to snowswept Scotland without having to pack a single bag, joining a delightful group of people. It's a great journey.
"Winter Solstice" is available at Dockside Bookshop at Havensight Mall. To check out other Dockside favorites click here.