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Reviewed by Tracy A. Fischer for Readers' Favorite
Wow. Just wow. I’m not sure if that’s enough of a statement for a review, but those were my thoughts when I finished Don Gutteridge’s book, Lily’s Story. The beautifully wrought historical epic follows our protagonist, Lily, as she traverses through life, from her childhood with a difficult father to her life as an old woman. In between, she experiences a whole lot, from the Underground Railroad that brought American slaves to the safety of Canada, to the Riel Rebellion, to the Great War and the flu epidemic that threatened the lives of all it touched. Add to that all of the human elements of Lily’s story, births, marriages and deaths, connections and losses, friends and foes, and you have one very powerful and complete story.
Lily’s Story is not a book that you can read all in one sitting. Weighing in at 828 pages, Don Gutteridge’s novel is a masterly work that deserves time and attention to devour. That being said, once you start Lily’s Story, you won’t be satisfied until you reach the end. Gutteridge’s ability to draw characters that are so realistic, so likeable, is second to none. His descriptions of Lily’s home in Ontario are so beautifully rendered that it is almost as if the landscape, the environment, becomes another character. Lily’s Story would appeal to any lover of fiction, but especially historical fiction of epic proportions. It is my great pleasure to highly recommend Lily’s Story, and I look forward to reading more by Don Gutteridge in the future.
