A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood
My book club picked this book for our August/September read. I remember that it was initially hard to find a physical copy. For someone reason, when I was googling the title of the book, trying to find a copy, I came across it being published by Scholastic. This made me think it was some sort of middle grade or YA novel. I was pleasantly surprised when the novel opened to a seventeen-year-old girl instead of an eleven-year-old heroine.
The setting is Gatsby-esque, and even quotes F. Scott Fitzgerald a time or two. It is the 20’s and a young girl is watching from afar as a glamorous pair of siblings move into the house across the water. I won’t go into too much plot, but the main character, Lou, is pulled into their world and shown what life can be like outside of her small town.
This book took a while to get going for me. The first half of it is mostly Lou’s life and her relationships with her siblings with limited glances at the Cardews. It picks up in the second half when Lou is invited into the Cardews’ lives. The writing was easy to read and I loved the plot device of Lou’s writing bringing her into Robert’s life and them together. This was a fun, easy read and is full of the glamour that the 20’s offers. However, if you’re looking for something with more depth, this isn’t the book for you. I would say I liked it, but didn’t love it.
SJP Books 