My Five Word TL:DR Review: Absolutely brilliant.  A Top Read

The Rush is quite literally one of my favourite books so far this year.  I’ve read and enjoyed this author before but I confess for a moment this didn’t seem like my go to sort of book, although I do like to mix in historical fiction.  I’m so glad I didn’t miss the opportunity to read this though.  Its gripping, the writing is literally beautiful, it’s set in a period that is traditionally all about the men and yet this story brings to us three women struggling for various different reasons and whose lives will eventually become intrinsically locked.  I loved this book.  I loved it.  I think without doubt it will be one of my top reads of the year.

I love reading stories like this, they bring to life this gritty reality and in this particular instance the characters are also (loosely maybe) based on real people.  The Klondike Gold Rush is a part of history that I’ve not read too much about.  I think I’ve seen it made all glamorous in the big screen but Lewis brings to us a story that is raw, scary and more often than not brutal.  She writes with such beauty but at the same time gives the story this stark reality and gives us three characters that you absolutely can, and will, root for.

So, I don’t think I’ve ever read a story that paints in such dramatic colours why this was called ‘the gold rush’.  I mean, I’ve heard it described like that but I just never really understood the true meaning – like everyone is literally ‘rushing’ to get in on this strange phenomenon, desperate not to miss out and in the process taking massive risks (albeit while pushing their fellow neighbour into the mud or under an oncoming avalanche).  The result is a cut throat, male infested world where dog eats dog and man kills man.  And more and more people are racing to become a part of this cut throat world in the search for gold. I mean, it’s crazy.

In this male dominated society however there are females.  Of course there are.  Wives following husbands on the promise of something better, sisters following loved ones under threat and business women who saw the potential early and got lucky.

Ellen, Kate and Martha.  Ellen followed her husband with the promise of a better life, she is swiftly coming to the realisation that her husband doesn’t really have a clue.  Kate is a journalist, brought up free spirited by her parents she is following in her sisters footsteps, a sister under threat with the clock ticking.  Martha, known as ‘Ma’, owns her own bar.  She was one of the first settlers and has other property but also secrets.

These three women are all going to find their paths crossing in, I will say, a really satisfactory way.  I would be lying if I said there wasn’t sorrow in these pages, because there really is, but at the same time I think it would be unrealistic to write this story without some elements of tragedy.

I’m not going to tell you about the story other than to say there is a murder.

The three central characters all make for fantastic reading.  Not to mention there’s this sort of element of the ‘fantastical’ introduced by a ‘seeing’ woman who seems to play a part in bringing the three together.

The setting is well described and absolutely shocking in its brutality, and I’m not just talking about the savagery of humans right now but also the indominatabilness of nature that sometimes is absolutely unrelenting.  The things that some of these people put up with for the promise of gold was quite simply jaw dropping – and so many of them failed.

And then of course you have the greed.  The few people with power who are always going to exert pressure and take from others.

Now, I think, to be honest, that I’m doing this book a massive disfavour and possibly making it seem a little dull.  But, please take my word for it – this book is anything but dull – my review, maybe so – this book – not at all.

All I can do is implore you to read this.  It’s so, so, good.  I hope this is adapted to the main screen and I seriously hope that whoever is responsible does the book justice.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating.  Five of five shiny golden stars