3 Stars
Six girls adopted by Pa Salt gather at Atlantis, their childhood home in Switzerland, to mourn the passing of their adoptive father. Each is given a letter and a clue to her true heritage. Each daughter’s journey is the subject of a novel. The Storm Sister is the story of Ally, the second daughter to be adopted. She competes in yacht races but a tragedy upends her life so she decides to travel to Norway where the clues to her origins lead. She discovers she is linked to Anna Landvik who sang in the first performance of Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt set to music by Edvard Grieg. Exactly how she is related is gradually revealed.
This second book follows a similar pattern to the first. We are given the story of people from the past who have a link with a well-known historical figure. There is romance both in the past and present. The plot is fairly predictable. Because of considerable foreshadowing, there are few surprises if a reader has been paying the least bit of attention.
As with the previous book, I enjoyed the stories set in the past more than Ally’s narrative. Certainly Ally’s relationship with Theo is problematic. Despite attempts to portray him otherwise, his sexism is obvious. His actions towards Ally and his crew are not those of a real leader or hero.
This is a light, easy read which does not require a great deal of effort on the part of the reader. The author tells rather than shows. The style lacks nuance; readers are told everything they need to understand characters and plot.
Great literature this is not. I will, however, continue on to the next book in the series because I look for pure entertainment in my audiobooks. Since I’m easily distracted on my walks, I want something I can easily leave and return to and not worry about missing something important. Everyone needs a guilty pleasure and this series of books will be mine.
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