Winter Shadows

Winter Shadows
By Margaret Duffie
Tundra Books, 2010. 327 pgs. Young Adult

In 1856, Beatrice Alexander has returned home from her boarding school to help care for her injured father and ailing grandmother. The most difficult task of all is dealing with her father's new wife, Ivy, who loathes her. In the present day, Cass, living in Beatrice's house, is miserable following her mother's death and her father's subsequent marriage. Jean, Cass's stepmother, seems to hate Cass and any reminders of her mother. Beatrice's and Cass's stories are woven together as they begin to see shadowy glimpses of each other and Cass even gets to read Beatrice's journal.

I found this book to be interesting but flawed. I enjoyed Beatrice's parts of the story somewhat more than Cass's. The present-day dialogue seemed stilted and abrupt in places; it just didn't really seem like someone would talk. Also, the reason for the connection between Beatrice and Cass seems a little weak, and the author introduced some issues that were never resolved and, in my opinion, should have been left out if they weren't going to be developed.

AE