Strands of Bronze and Gold

Gr 7 Up—Following the death of her father, 17-year-old Sophie is invited to stay with her eccentric and wealthy godfather, Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, at his beautiful but remote Mississippi mansion. At first, life at Wyndriven Abbey is idyllic, and Sophie is given everything she could wish for, but cracks soon appear in this perfect façade. Her seemingly charming godfather reveals himself to be a jealous, moody, and cruel man who isolates Sophie from the outside world and makes her a pawn in his twisted fantasies. Then there's the matter of his four previous wives: all had red hair, like Sophie's. All disappeared or died mysteriously. Sophie's only reprieve from her gilded prison are her secret woodland interludes with Gideon Stone, the nature-loving pastor she met by chance and develops feelings for. When she uncovers the murderous truth about her godfather's past, she knows she must escape Wyndriven Abbey at all costs. Nickerson makes a strong debut with this suspenseful reimagining of the Bluebeard legend that seamlessly weaves together elements of fairy tale, gothic romance, and pre-Civil War-era American history. Fans of Libba Bray's "Gemma Doyle" trilogy (Delacorte) will delight in this gorgeously atmospheric page-turner.—Alissa J. Bach, Oxford Public Library, MI