Konnichiwa Hivers! It's your one and only ridgette again. Is your day beautiful? Did something pleasant happen? Today, I'm going to share a book review of a novel about a woman who certainly experienced a lot of difficulties in life. Her life was really not the ideal one—it was far from it, actually. But life certainly has a way to balance everything, for just when she thought that she'd be alone for the rest of her life, she met him. Will they stay together despite the things they will discover about each other? Or will they play safe and save their hearts from possible heartaches?
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Courting Susannah was one of the random books that I've purchased online during those months that I have stayed inside our house due to the pandemic. Even though I have a lot of things to do at home, there are times that I get bored because I'm used to reading books every day. Our school library was my comfort place before; I went to it immediately after my classes were finished and even in my free time, so I really got separation anxiety when the pandemic came. Yeah, I can still read online novels and stories through reading applications and platforms, but reading a physical book is really different. The experience of reading a physical book was way more satisfying, so I decided to buy books online.
I ordered a bundle of books for a cheap price, but the twist is that I didn't get to choose which book the seller would send to me. That wasn't a problem because I'm not a picky reader. I usually try to read a few chapters from the novel before judging whether it is worthy of reading. When the bundle of books came, I was excited because all of it was new to my eyes, and that's where I'd discovered Courting Susannah. Actually, it's not the first book that I have read from the bundle, but upon reading the first few chapters, I really got hooked on it. It somehow takes me to another era, and I'm really glad I've read it.
About the Book
"I can't stand it any longer. Say you'll be my wife before I'm forced to carry you off over one shoulder like spoils after a battle!"
Susannah was speechless with mortification, while Aubrey's hazel eyes twinkled with mischief as he watched her reaction to his performance.
"I shoulda sold tickets," Maisie commented from the doorway that led to the dining room and the kitchen beyond.
Courting Susannah is a novel written by Linda Lael Miller, and it was published in 2000 by Pocket Books. The novel is about Susannah McKittrick, a woman who left her hometown, Nantucket, for the boomtown of Seattle to care for a newborn child. The newborn child was left motherless after her dearest friend died. Although the tiring trip to Seattle depleted both her energy and savings, she was certain that she had done the right thing, but the certainty of her decision became less sure when she met the infant's reluctant father, Aubrey Fairgrieve, who seems embittered towards the concept of love and marriage and also indifferent toward the newborn baby Susannah is so eager to care for.
As the story progressed, Susannah gradually discovered what lay beneath the bitter facade of Aubrey. Slowly, she came to see a gruff yet handsome man from a new perspective. But when Aubrey made a practical offer, she hesitated, for it was far from the genuine proposal that she longs for. If he really wants to win her, then he will have to learn to trust her once more—and woe her with the strong passion that she desires. Will he cling to his past and the trauma that kept him from his happiness, or will he learn to let go of it and see what the future holds for him?
How It Started
It all started when no one answered her rings, so Susannah invited herself inside the grand house. Exhausted, half-starved, a stranger in a strange land, and probably unwelcome, Susannah navigated her way inside the grand house. While navigating herself around the rooms, she heard the soft, tentative cry of a baby. Instantly, she listened to where the cry came, and just when she was near the two double doors, they sprang open, and a man appeared with a small, furious bundle squalling in his arms. The moment he saw her, he angrily demanded who she was, and that's the moment she met Aubrey Fairgrieve, a man who would later make her feel new heights of affection and passion.
How It Ended
Doubts clouded Susannah's mind as she continued to ponder her feelings for Aubrey. Why can't just Aubrey admit that he loves her? Was she just Julia's substitute? She decided that she couldn't go on pretending that loving him was enough, so she confronted him. Still chained to his trauma, Aubrey refused to admit that he loved her, and that argument somehow led to a bitter resolution, with both of them hurt.
But one night, a horrible thing happened: some men attacked the house and burned it. Susannah protected the baby, so she let Ellie, the maid, take her. When Aubrey heard of this, he immediately rushed inside his mansion, and there she rescued Susannah. Great relief almost crushed him when he knew that Susannah was alive and his daughter was safe with the maid. After almost losing Susannah, he realized what he truly felt for her. He passionately confessed his feelings for her, and with the once-grand mansion that lay in ruins, they vowed there to start a new beginning. A journey towards knowing and loving each other more.
A lot of things happened between the beginning of the novel and the ending of it. The characters were beautifully written, and I really learned something from them. Susannah taught me not to sell yourself short because you shouldn't be content if you know you can have better. Susannah has been deprived of almost everything, but the good thing is that that didn't push her to seek her value in other people. She knew that Aubrey wasn't ready to recognize her value in his life, so she decided to try to distance herself because she knew she couldn't be with a man who couldn't value and love her wholeheartedly.
On the other hand, Aubrey taught me the significance of letting go of the past. Like him, we sometimes encounter experiences and people who really leave trauma in us. This trauma will be like a festering wound, and if we don't treat it and face the pain, it will grow worse, and later we'll find ourselves restrained from doing the things we like because of this untreated wound. Dwelling on it only prevents you from fully experiencing the present and, as well, from living in the future. That's why, like Aubrey, we must find ways to face our own trauma, and let's slowly heal it with the people whom we cherish.
Overall, the story was entertaining. The novel took me to a different era, which is 1906, and I was astonished at how the author elaborately described the settings and, as well, how she had written the characters in a manner appropriate for the era where the story took place. Honestly, there are times that I stopped reading it for awhile because the narration was quite long and elaborate. I find it dragging to read because I'm used to less-narration-more-dialogue-type novels, but nevertheless, I finished it. It was the usual happy ending with all the promises and stuff, but still, I find it satisfying since I've read all the challenges that the characters have to overcome just to end up with that kind of ending. Indeed, if you're looking for a historical romance novel, then Courting Susannah is definitely for you, and I rate it 3.9/5.
That's all for now, bookworms. See you again next time for my next book review—and take note, it's not spoiler-free!