Strands of Bronze and Gold

      Jane Nickerson

Goodreads Review:

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

My Feelings:

I listened to this one on an audio book.  I couldn’t have been happier with my choice of reading.  After just finishing an exhilarating historical fiction novel, I was worried of falling into a reading slump. Needless to say, I’m so glad I came across this beauty by Jane Nickerson.  

I just recently discovered that I could borrow books from my library, that were audio books and I could download them right to my phone.  I now sit at work and listen to and from work different stories that help my work week to simply fly by.   

I’ve never been one to read a fairy tale novel because I’ve seen all the princess movies as a child, and Strands of Bronze and Gold is not a fairy tale as it is folk lore about Bluebeard.  I had heard the name but had no idea what the story about him was.  Also, I should mention, that I’m a little picky with my audio books.  I like the narrators voice to be a specific way.  As a I prefer to listen to a woman’s voice, I still hope for a steady tone.  No one high pitched and definitely not too low of voice either.  If I listen to a man, then I prefer an American accent and none other.  Needless to say, the narrator of Strands of Bronze and Gold, Caitlin Prennace, has a perfect voice for this story.  Very calm American for Sofia, our heroine, and a perfect french accent for Bluebeard or Monsieur Bernard,our antagonist. Prennace definitely kept my attention.  

Though I wasn’t entirely impressed with the main character Sofia’s personality, just a little to naive and that made me want to scream through the book at her, she was pretty well rounded character.  There are other times throughout the book that I felt she showed strength and bravery.  The story was different from most YA that is out now.  And though it’s a bit older of a book, Jane Nickerson has a unique way of world building that will draw you in and keep you hooked.