Please note: This review was originally written in Welsh. The original review in Welsh can be found here.
NOTE: There is a Welsh language version of this article, which is suitable for learners on the Welsh language version of our website. To access this click “Newid i’r Cymraeg” in the menu above, or browse to www.defnyddiwcheichcymraeg.com
I was delighted to read this book, I have to admit. If I had had enough time then I would have been able to finish it in one sitting.
The characters are believable, relatable and you feel like you need to choose one side over the other when reading about the internal fractions of the family that is so close to tragedy.
I can see different people throwing their support behind different characters, depending on what kind of person you are. There’s the businessman with a stone heart, Huw; Catrin’s daughter who has changed a lot since moving up to the north; his sister Sian with a kind heart, and the mother of the family.
What Elin Meek has done with the book has made it fit into the Welsh language rather well. She has given a little Welsh feeling to the words of Alan Maley without removing too much away from her source.
The only thing I can say against the book is that at 114 pages. I would have been able to carry on reading it for another 100 pages and I felt the book was a little short.
The story evolves as we turn each page and the story is enough to keep your interest and leave you with a desire to read more. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something where they can relate to the story. You feel that everything builds as the story moves forward.
I was surprised how easy the book was to read. As someone who finds an advanced level book is sometimes difficult, I was surprised how easy it was to follow the story and relax at reading.
This book is suitable for learners who can read a higher level comfortably. Also, if you read a lower level and want to develop your reading skills, I can tell you that this book will be perfectly suited to you, especially with the useful words at the bottom of each page.
I did not find this book difficult at all and more importantly, I enjoyed getting to know the characters. I found myself sometimes reading rather than going to sleep, when I should have slept some hours ago!
Nicky Roberts
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