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Unconvincing,
Adventurous,
Gloomy

4 reviews

The Flight of Gemma Hardy: A Novel
by Margot Livesey

Published: 2012-01-24
Hardcover : 447 pages
5 members reading this now
9 clubs reading this now
4 members have read this book
Recommended to book clubs by 4 of 4 members

When her widower father drowns at sea, Gemma Hardy is taken from her native Iceland to Scotland to live with her kind uncle and his family. But the death of her doting guardian leaves Gemma under the care of her resentful aunt, and it soon becomes clear that she is nothing more than an ...

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Introduction

When her widower father drowns at sea, Gemma Hardy is taken from her native Iceland to Scotland to live with her kind uncle and his family. But the death of her doting guardian leaves Gemma under the care of her resentful aunt, and it soon becomes clear that she is nothing more than an unwelcome guest at Yew House. When she receives a scholarship to a private school, ten-year-old Gemma believes she's found the perfect solution and eagerly sets out again to a new home. However, at Claypoole she finds herself treated as an unpaid servant.

To Gemma's delight, the school goes bankrupt, and she takes a job as an au pair on the Orkney Islands. The remote Blackbird Hall belongs to Mr. Sinclair, a London businessman; his eight-year-old niece is Gemma's charge. Even before their first meeting, Gemma is, like everyone on the island, intrigued by Mr. Sinclair. Rich (by Gemma's standards), single, flying in from London when he pleases, Hugh Sinclair fills the house with life. An unlikely couple, the two are drawn to each other, but Gemma's biggest trial is about to begin: a journey of passion and betrayal, redemption and discovery, that will lead her to a life of which she's never dreamed.

Set in Scotland and Iceland in the 1950s and '60s, The Flight of Gemma Hardy—a captivating homage to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre—is a sweeping saga that resurrects the timeless themes of the original but is destined to become a classic all its own.

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Member Reviews

Overall rating:
 
 
  "the flight of Gemma Hardy"by susan h. (see profile) 08/13/13

very enjoyable reading.

 
  "Contemporary Jane Eyre that misses the mark"by Lynn W. (see profile) 09/10/12

I didn't like it but others did ... so consider it discussion-worthy. I found the characters unsympathetic. Unique settings added to the book but not enough to make up the flaws. The ending in particular... (read more)

 
  "The Flight of Gemma Hardy"by Hailey B. (see profile) 08/17/12

 
  "The Flight of Gemma Hardy"by Clare M. (see profile) 07/10/12

One of the best I've read this summer for an easy enjoyable read. Easy to get involved with the characters and setting. Compared as a modern version of Jane Eyre.

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