The Flight of Gemma Hardy

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey  is an impressive retelling of Jane Eyre, set in 1960's Scotland.

Young Gemma Hardy is taken from her native Iceland when her parents die, and taken in by her kind Uncle in Scotland. When he dies, she finds herself living with her Aunt and cousins who don't want her there anymore. She is sent off to boarding school as a working girl even though she is only 10 years old, and from there things keep getting harder. Finally she leaves school and becomes an au pair and her real adventures begin.

It took a while for me to get into this book as it was so bleak in the beginning, but Gemma's indomitable spirit shines through so strongly, it impossible not to root for her. She does finally meet some kind people who begin to help her and even love her, as she continues her lifelong search (that eventually leads her back to Iceland) to finally find a place to call home.

Wonderful writing and character development, and a story to really sink into-whether or not you have read Jane Eyre. A good book to curl up with by the fire.

That being said, I enjoyed Livesey's earlier novel, Eva Moves the Furniture even more.