Original Language: English
Page Count: 256
Page Count: 256
My rating : 2 stars
Although a true lover of books, Anne-Marie Entwhistle prefers not to read to her spirited daughter, Penny, especially from the likes of Madame Bovary , Gone With the Wind , or The Scarlet Letter . These novels, devoted to the lives of the Heroines that make them so irresistible, have a way of hitting too close to home -- well, to the Homestead actually, where Anne-Marie runs the quaint family-owned bed and breakfast. In this enchanting debut novel, Penny and her mother encounter great women from classic works of literature who make the Homestead their destination of choice just as the plots of their tumultuous, unforgettable stories begin to unravel. They appear at all hours of the day and in all manners of distress. A lovesick Madame Bovary languishes in their hammock after Rodolphe has abandoned her, and Scarlett O'Hara's emotions are not easily tempered by tea and eiderdowns. These visitors long for comfort, consolation, and sometimes for more attention than the adolescent Penny wants her mother to give. Knowing that to interfere with their stories would cause mayhem in literature, Anne-Marie does her best to make each Heroine feel at home, with a roof over her head and a shoulder to cry on. But when Penny begins to feel overshadowed by her mother's indulgence of each and every Heroine, havoc ensues, and the thirteen-year-old embarks on her own memorable tale. Eileen Favorite's lively, fresh, and enormously entertaining novel gives readers a chance to experience their favorite Heroines all over again, or introduces these fictional women so beguilingly that further acquaintance will surely follow. Narrated by the courageous and irreverent Penny, The Heroines will make book lovers rejoice.
My thought
I was disappointed in this book. it was not hard to read through, I thought the plot would be a little more exciting and maybe even a bit humorous. The concept sounded so awesome--fictional heroines come to life--but it did not live up to its potential or my expectations.it sounded interesting, but didn't deliver. The story is told by a young teenage girl who's mom runs a bed and breakfast in Illinois. The thing is, many of the guests are women from classic stories. Madame Bovary, Scarlett O'Hara,and Cathy from Wuthering Heights are just a few of the "heroines" that stop by for a visit.I felt the narrator sailed through the heroines' visits, skimming along the surface, not adding any new dimension to their characters. It's really not so much about the heroines as it is about a teenage girl's first crush, fight with mom, being misunderstood, etc. And the ending? Annoyed me.
