Rate this book

The Tale Of Briar Bank (2008)

by Susan Wittig Albert(Favorite Author)

3.96 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0425223612 (ISBN13: 9780425223611)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Berkley Hardcover

series

The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter

review 1: I loved this book.The conversations between the animals are great.And the backround story of the badgers were great too.I really like the multiple stories happening in one book.I think the author does A great job of making you feel like you're there in the village and A member of the community.I love that its essentially the same characters in all the books and not A whole new cast in each book.You really get to know the characters that way.And the mystery in each book has both A humorous and serious side,which I really like.
review 2: December 1909: snow is falling softly over the village of Sawrey and Beatrix Potter longs with all her heart to be there to experience the peaceful snowfall, supervise renovations at her newly purchased second farm and experienc... moree the Christmas celebrations in the twin villages. Defying her cantankerous mother, Beatrix heads off to the Land Between the Lakes with her guinea pig companions Nutmeg (an excitable young female) and Thackeray (a grouchy old gentleman who loves books and hates travel). Upon arriving at Hill Top Farm, Miss Potter discovers she is snowed in and there's no way of communicating with or returning to London. That suits her just fine for the moment. There's some excitement in Sawrey though, a local gentleman, Mr. Wickstead was found dead and there are rumors of a curse caused by his digging up a buried treasure. Mr. Wickstead was a collector of antiquities and a friend of Mr. Potter's. Beatrix is saddened by his death and surprised to discover Mr. Wickstead's long-lost sister Jane is the sole beneficiary of his estate. Mr. Wickstead's Fox Terrier Pickles knows the truth about his owner's death but no one will listen to him, not even the other village animals. There's another who knows the truth, Bailey Badger, a solitary creature who has an extraordinary story to tell his friends at The Brockery. Meanwhile Caroline Longford is blossoming under her new governess but still under the iron rule of her dragon of a grandmother. Miss Potter hopes the addition of two new guinea pigs to Caroline's family will help cheer the girl. Alas, Thackeray has other ideas. Also the Sutton family home is about to be foreclosed on and young Deidre Malone is determined not to lose her new home. Since Mr. and Mrs. Sutton are not very practical people, though very kind, Deidre takes it upon herself to save the day. This is the most unusual of the Cottage Tales thus far. Not only does it contain the usual mystery plot and the talking animal plot, there's a new creature introduced to the story that really stretches the credibility of the plot. The book cover illustration gives it away so readers won't be too surprised to discover the big secret. The secret of buried treasure would have been better without this new addition. There's another mystery that Miss Potter figures out that I felt was predictable. Having past experiences, I would think the villagers would be wary and aware of off-comers. As in the previous book, the narrator speaks directly to the audience, guiding the reader to and from various scenes. I found this very off-putting. I prefer to be a silent witness to events, not a silent witness being told what scenes to witness and where I am during the action. I think the author is attempting to mimic Beatrix Potter, E. Nesbitt and other children's writers of the period. It doesn't work in a modern, adult novel. Aside from a death scene, the book is family friendly. It's a nice, simple read that lacks action. I did not feel particularly compelled to find out what happens next. As usual, the descriptions and period detail are excellent but the story is weak. The series seems to be quickly losing momentum. less

Download links for: The Tale of Briar Bank

Advertising