The Tutor's Daughter...Review

About the book:
Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father regain his spirits when his academy fails, agrees to travel with him to the distant Cornwall coast, to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But after they arrive and begin teaching the younger boys, mysterious things begin to happen and danger mounts. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte, only to find the music room empty? Who sneaks into her room at night? Who rips a page from her journal, only to return it with a chilling illustration?

The baronet's older sons, Phillip and Henry, wrestle with problems--and secrets--of their own. They both remember Emma Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. She had been an awkward, studious girl. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her.

When the suspicious acts escalate, can the clever tutor's daughter figure out which brother to blame... and which brother to trust with her heart?

When Emma Smallwood and her father travel to Cornwall to work as private tutors, she has no idea of the intrigue and mystery that await her.  The two older Weston sons had been her father's students in his private school and they are now to tutor the younger sons.  The Weston home is full of secrets and not particularly happy, but Emma enjoys renewing her friendships with Phillip and Henry.

When she hears the pianoforte being played in the middle of the night, but finds no one there, she is curious about the mysterious "ghost".  Is he the one who is trying to scare her away or is he simply harmless?

I loved the Cornwall setting and here and Emma is a terrific heroine.  I despised Lizzie and Lady Weston, seriously despised. I enjoyed the exploration of mental disability in the early 19th century. Julie Klassen's stories are always well written and well researched, her descriptions rich and her heroines strong.

I've enjoyed every Julie Klassen book I've read and The Tutor's Daughter doesn't disappoint although The Maid of Fairbourne Hall is still my favorite.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity for the opportunity to review this book.  You can learn more about Julie Klassen here. You can purchase your own copy here. You can see other reviews and tour stops here.

Read 1/13

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4/5 Stars

Comments

  1. This does sound a little gothic, and interests me very much! I like that you had such wide ranging reactions to all the characters, and that you loved the book. Excellent review today!!

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  2. Not my type of book, but glad you enjoyed it!

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  3. I wasn't sure about this book because of the ghost element (I do not read ghost stories) but I'm thinking that perhaps there is no ghost and it is similar to the situation in Jane Eyre?

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