Beth Powning

I don't know what took me so long to read this book! It's been on my shelf for years. I even went to the book launch that was held for it! Anyway, this was a great read. There were so many ups and downs throughout the story. I felt a little annoyed by Azuba a few times but she turned herself around and became a great character. There were lots of emotions in this one and it's a great read for anyone interested in the seafaring life of the past. You can tell a lot of research went into it and it was fun to look at the map to see where their travels took them. Put it on your list!… (meer)

It's always interesting to read a novel set in one's own province and even more interesting that it is historical. There were many small stories that intertwined in this novel. Some were a bit flat but others were wonderful. I have certainly learned a great deal about women's struggles in the past from this story and it has inspired me to learn more. I really enjoyed meeting up with some characters from her last book The Sea Captain's Wife but wished they had a little more involvement in this story. Overall it was a great story and I'm happy to have read the works of a local author.… (meer)

This probably deserves more stars, but I just wasn't in the right space for it. The Hatbox Letters is really a character study of grief. I almost put it down in the first few chapters. It took quite some time before the letters were ever introduced. The beginning was quite a struggle for me as it really personified grief in a very visceral way. The newness and rawness of the grief was hard to take. Made me very grateful for my husband and my family. I was glad to see the grief lift and allow for life once again if only a small bit. Good characters, just very sad.… (meer)