A thrilling tale about love and family

This was a thrilling and fun read for me!

I think that this is one of those rare books that you read, and feel a fairy-tale-like atmosphere that hunts you and gives you the feeling your entering a different world each time you pick it up and read some more. But unlike fairy-tales, this is not a children's book nor YA - it is a book for people who enjoy to "jump" into a book and dive in it's world for hours and hours. If you're a bookworm - this one's for you!



The Basic Plot follows January Scaller, an only child, raised by a wealthy benefactor - Mr. Locke in the early 1900's. When January was a baby, her mother had a terrible accident and died, leaving her and her father alone in the world. By chance, Her father met Mr. Locke, who offered to take them both into his estate in Vermont, in exchange for January's father becoming Mr. Locke's employee.



As the years go by, January is being raised more by Mr. Locke than her own father, since her father is consistently absent on the behalf of Mr. Locke, for whom he is searching archaeological artifacts around the world. January reads a lot of adventure novels and fantasizes on going along with her father to his expeditions around the world discovering new things and boldly go where no man has gone before.



When January turns 7, she accidentally stumbles into a DOOR. This DOOR is not a usual door that leads from one place to the other. This DOOR is a door that leads to a different world. At this point I'll stop the plot review and move to the next phase.



Phase Two - admiration and shameless superlatives.

Wow! What a wonderful book. All that was missing from this book is for the author to write at the start "This book is dedicated to Nimrod". I mean it basically was! Lovable Heroine? Check; The Heroine loves reading? Check! (She even read and referred to two book I've just finished re-reading a few days before I started this one - 'Robin Hood' and 'White Fang'); A story within the story? Check!; Beautiful metaphors on doors and passageways we go through in life and how they change us? Check! (OK, so maybe this one is a bit too specific for stuff you look for in a book - sue me :-) ); A love story? Check! A wonderful feral dog? Check!

And all of these wonderful themes and characters are woven together elegantly and lovingly, by a writer who obviously loves reading, loves her characters, and wants to share her love of the literary world with her readers.



This is the first book I've read since my kids were born, that made me want them to be old enough, so I could already read it to them, and talk with them about which part they loved the best <3

So I can sum it up by saying "I don't hate it" :-)



About the Audio version - I listened and read simultaneously, and really LOVED the work January Lavoy did here. It was perfect. She did different accents, and really HIT the right tone of the characters. It felt like she identified completely with the characters as she spoke their lines full with emotions and small nuances that made me feel I'm actually there listening to January Scaller and her adventures.