Relief Reads 7 - Tynedale

Tynedale by Jean Simpson

Charity Shop: Cancer Research UK, Newcastle

Charity: Cancer Research funds scientists, doctors and nurses to help beat cancer sooner.

Price: £1.50

Book Blurb: Jean Simpson is a graduate of Durham University. Her roots have been firmly in the North East and her study of family history in the Hexham area reaches back many generations. This is a story of a seventeenth century heroine, Elizabeth, as she leaves the rural life of the Devil's Water, braves the perils of old Newcastle, and picks her way through the many eccentricities she encounters as she attempts to find her destiny.

Expectation: I didn't really know what to expect. I just hoped it was a readable story.

Reality: Surpassed my expectations, actually a reallly good book. A story following Elizabeth through her life from birth to marriage. She has quite a remarkable life, starting off in a poor village being brought up by her father after her mother dies in childbirth, and ending up in a rich manor house, but retaining her connection with those who worked the land. With regards to morals, the characters are binary creatures. Most all are good (including Elizabeth) but there are a couple of bad who put her life in danger. It was odd reading about events happening in places that I've been to and streets I walk daily. There was even one character who came from St John's Cambridge (although he was sent home due to the plague). This was the story of one woman, how many more lives have been lived in these places. Mind blowing.

Overall Rating

It was a struggle           2        3        4        5        6        7        8       9      Gripping page  

to make it                                                                                                        turner

It was a good book, and a captivating story.

Twist Scale:

Knew the beginning,                                                                                 As twisty as the 

middle and end         2       3        4         5       6        7        8        9      bendy wendy road

from the first line 

I would never have guessed the story would pan out the way it did. At one point I reread a section because I was convinced I'd missed the bit about here being asleep, but no it was actually happening. A bit like when Sherlock got shot and I was convinced that it was all a dream, and then you come to the slow realisation that it's actually happening...

Tear-jerker Scale:

 As dry as a house       2        3       4         5         6         7       8        9     Cried an ocean

 throughout

I'm trying to think, but I don't feel a huge emotional connection with the characters.

Moral of the Story: Technology may have changed, people haven't. Be grateful for modern medicine and the fact that witch-hunts are no more.

***

Coming up: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (would someone care to educate me, is it pronounced gay-sha or gai-sha, or even gee-sha?)

Feeling ever more settled, but still failing in my plan to join brownies and a music group. Had a little bus tour of Newcastle in a bid to find brownies, but was running late and ended up in an apparently empty building. Wasn't too keen on the idea of exploring an empty building alone so gave up, next time...
Last weekend I went to Cambridge, and it was the most beautiful weather. I did some paddling in a kayak and wasn't cold! It made me very nostalgic for Cambridge-ness and generally just being a student. On my return to Newcastle I went rock climbing and as a result of all the exercise spent the rest of the week feeling sorry for myself, but now pain-free movement has returned, I'm well up for more rock climbing again! Never learn.
In entirely unrelated news I wrote a moan letter to Student Finance to no real end and they actually replied! That's probably the most efficient I've seen them, and was very impressed despite their incredibly dismissive response.