The Flight of Gemma Hardy is a retelling of Charlotte Bronte’s beloved Jane Eyre. Livesey stays close to the classic, yet conjures up a majestic Scottish and Icelandic backdrop. Rich history, mixed with beautiful writing, make this novel hard to put down! Main character Gemma suffers many a hardship, but is strong and wise beyond her years. Her optimism in such dismal circumstances really touched me. Readers will enjoy Gemma’s search for a home and family.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 4 religious exclamations; 7 mild obscenities
Violence/Gore: 2 incidents of verbal threatenings. Violent scenes include a character being punched, hit and kicked by a family member, violently shaken by an adult and attacked by other schoolgirls.
Sex/Nudity: Numerous incidences of kissing and hand-holding; 2 non-sexual depictions of nudity; several sexual references, including allusions to adultery and prostitution, a man trying to entice a girl into his car, a couple laying on the grass. A man touches a woman’s thigh against her will. There are 4 implied and/or reported accounts of sexual activity, as well as references and discussions about homosexuality. There is 1 incident of a man touching a woman underneath her shirt.
Mature Subject Matter:
Seperation, homelessness, homosexuality, death of a family member, death of a friend.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Characters smoke and drink throughout the novel.
