Hello everyone, and a good day to you all. Before I begin this book review, I'd like to say that this is definitely an unexpected turn of events.
Why?
Because I don't read romantic fiction! I just don't! But I found myself reading this book, and my oh my! Amazing!
- Title: This Quiet Sky
- Author: Joanne Bischof
Direct link to the book here in .epub format. Without further ado, let's get started!
There was nothing extraordinary about Tucker O’Shay’s dreams. Go to college. Become president. Fall in love. And pretend like he has enough time to get it all done...
16 year old Sarah Miller doesn’t expect anything out of the ordinary when she begins her first day at the one-room-school house in her new hometown. But when she meets 17 year old Tucker O’Shay — the boy with the fatal illness who volunteers to tutor her in algebra — she finds herself swept up in a friendship that changes the way she sees the world and a love that changes her life.
He clears his throat. “Teneō, -ēre…tenuī, tentum.” His chest rises and falls with each word and he leans back a bit, drawing his shirt taut across his abdomen. “To hold.” There’s a dash of amusement to the curve of his mouth as he continues with “ārdeō, -ēre, ārsī’. To burn.” Tucker wets his lips again, eyes still closed. “To be on fire.”
Mercy.
I’m mesmerized. (page 54)
I mistakenly stumbled upon this book when I was going through the site that I sometimes get my books from. There was nothing exceptional about the cover design (as you can see for yourself), but there was something about the name that hooked me. My interest piqued, I clicked on it and read about it. Then I made up my mind to download it and read (I'm a very fast reader and it's a really small book. A novella even)
I started reading this book, and wow! was I blown away. I read the whole book in under 2 hours! Bischof writes with so much tenderness, and it washes over you when you read her books. She was able to paint a very beautiful picture and keep me on my toes from page one!
But it’s the young man beside me that makes this night unforgettable. The people who love him.
Tucker leans in to whisper again. “Do you hear the cavalry?”
I smile and whisper back that I do. (page 73)
Set in the 1880’s in Rocky Knob, Joanne Bischof effortlessly takes you back to the time of whitewashed buildings and foot worn paths and handmade dresses. Her descriptions are charming and nostalgic. Told from the perspective of 16 year old Sarah Miller, a brave and beautiful girl who doesn't demand too much of the world, we meet Tucker O'Shay when he is asked (or he volunteered) to tutor her in algebra. Masterfully weaved together with tragedy and hope, love and loss, this book was still able to satisfy my grandiose appetite for reading.
Spoiler Alert! Rumour has it that there's a good chance my review contains parts of this story you'd rather discover for yourself.*
It's obvious from the start, to both Sarah and we readers, that Tucker is dying, and the inevitable looms overhead. Yet they can't stop themselves from falling in love. Their love story is unavoidable. You see it coming, knowing it's going to be difficult to read seeing as Tucker might not survive, but Joanne Bischof did a wonderful job with the tragic story.
This sweet and tender little book tugged at a piece of my heart, and changed my views on some issues. Not necessarily concerning romance, but other things as well. (Don't ask me what). A quick read it may be, but I can definitely assure that it will stay with you for a long time.
It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. - Tennyson.
To get the book directly, click here
“I want to be your friend, Tucker.” Always.
He looks away. “Go home, Sarah.”
Another tear slips and I brush it away. Slowly, I nod. There’s nothing else I can think of except the truth. “I’ll miss you.”
His gaze still on the distance, a muscle trips in his jaw. Finally, looking down, he rubs his forehead with his palm. It’s easier to step away when I can’t see his face, so I turn.
My dinner pail bumps my leg as I walk. I forgot I was holding it. His dirt drive seems much too long, and having run here, all that energy that kept me going the last two days, that got me here so quick, has vanished. My legs are shaking. I want to lie down and cry, but I have to keep walking because I can’t stay here. (page 79)
In conclusion, to those of you that love to read, I recommend this book. Romance might not be your thing, it certainly isn't mine, but "This Quiet Sky" will keep you turning the pages for more. To those of us who don't read, who used to, or who are probably too busy to pick up a book, give this a try. It's really short but extremely worth it. Might just be what you're looking for...
Thanks for reading this review!
(In no way do I claim ownership to the above pictures and quotes) Would have cited my sources, but I'm so fucking lazy today I'm extremely busy. 😀😀
Again, to download the book directly, click here
Gracias!