Green Dolphin Country (Capuchin Classics) in Retro Reads

May 25, 2019 Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: through-the-generations, historical-romance

4.5★

While there is a lot wrong with this book, there is so much that is right!

The Le Pastourel sisters, growing up in the picturesque town of St Pierre in Guernsey,

are separated by more than the five year age gap. Marguerite is sweet, sunny & good natured, Marianne is highly intelligent, passionate and strong willed. Both become infatuated with newcomer,William. Does a handsome face and boundless good nature make him a worthy choice for either sister? (view spoiler) ...more

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Jun 13, 2018 Moonkiszt rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure-seeking-consequences, romance-tragic-starxd, indigenous-peoples, comin-of-age, death-grief-loss-processing, geo-europe-environs, writerswriting, far-from-home, gods-he-she-they-it, mademecry

Green Dolphin Country
by Elizabeth Goudge

Author Elizabeth Goudge was a favorite of my mother’s. I was introduced at an early age to her writings, and by the time I left for college, had read most of her books, and haven’t looked back. Busy, of course, with other projects and life cycles. Quarantine has changed some of that, and so a revisit to Elizabeth Goudge has her back in my reading list, thanks to retro reading groups.

This read can and should be categorized as a romance, which normally wou Green Dolphin Country
by Elizabeth Goudge

Author Elizabeth Goudge was a favorite of my mother’s. I was introduced at an early age to her writings, and by the time I left for college, had read most of her books, and haven’t looked back. Busy, of course, with other projects and life cycles. Quarantine has changed some of that, and so a revisit to Elizabeth Goudge has her back in my reading list, thanks to retro reading groups.

This read can and should be categorized as a romance, which normally would knock it off my lists. But, my fellow readers, I had forgotten what a good story this is. It is the one of the best, if not the best, love story! It finds solutions for the hopeless, and brings reconciliation over the long timeline that spreads across generations, life and death, continents, cultures and spiritual leanings.

There are two sisters – one is a bossy powergirl, and the other a whimsical free spirit. There are parents aplenty, servants, a handsome boy, ship’s captain and devoted crew, doctor, Maoris, a million year old parrot (seems to be!), and missionaries. The setting is in the Channel Islands and New Zealand. Since it is over many years, besides love tucked in regular life, there are lots of deaths of all sorts, threatened cannibalism, marriages, babies, nuns and convents, native gods and territorial battles, clipper ships and sooooo many fancy dresses. The time period is mid-nineteenth century.

When I first opened my recently acquired old copy of this book, as my choosing mind battled between this book and another, I found this note opposite the table of contents:

Though this book is fiction, and the characters not portraits, it is based on fact. That a man who had emigrated to the New World should after the lapse of years write home for a bride, and then get the wrong one because he had confused her name with that of her sister, may seem to the reader highly improbable; yet it happened. And in real life also the man held his tongue about this mistake and made a good job of his marriage.

The Convent of Notre Dame du Castel has no existence in actual fact, though it is true that monks from Mont Saint Michel crossed the sea in their frail little boats and founded a hermitage on the island of Guernsey. Le Creux des Faies exists today, and the footprints of the fairy Abbesses are still to be found imprinted on the rock, and Marie-Tape-Tout still guides fisherman home.

To all lovers of New Zealand it will be immediately obvious that the writer has never been there, and she most humbly asks their pardon for the many mistakes she must have made. She would also like to acknowledge her debt to “old New Zealand” by F. E. Maning.

What can be more compelling than that note? I couldn't resist. My choice was made. I read on. If anything has caught your attention here, I encourage you to pursue the path ahead. It is a great read.
...more

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Jan 27, 2020 Mela rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: internet-archive, historical-period-long-19th-century, historical-romance, historical-fiction, region-british, region-pacific-islands

I feel guilty. I honestly believe that this book had solid historical parts. But for some reason, I lost interest in them. Somewhere around two hundred pages, I started skipping and skimming descriptions of events, places, etc. I struggled with it because I love historical fiction. But I couldn't keep my attention. I don't know why. Perhaps, there was something in a way of writing that didn't speak to me. I would like to read about the history of New Zealand (the clash with Europeans), but it wo ...more

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Dec 05, 2022 LeahBethany rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars rounding up. The writing of Elizabeth Goudge is very lyrical and she has a way of expressing certain sentiments that just speaks to the soul. There were moments in Green Dolphin Street that I thought, "I'm glad I'm reading this even though it's slow," but those moments were not as frequent as I had hoped. I had read The Dean's Watch by this author and those moments were quite frequent and I was hoping for more of them in this book. Even though the novel was slow at times, the story was ...more

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Nov 15, 2023 Michele rated it liked it · review of another edition

Elizabeth Goudge is my favorite author, but I struggled to get through this book. Parts of it dragged for me and I found one of the characters tremendously annoying! I enjoyed the beginning and the end, and was challenged to think about love and humility. In the middle (p. 254) of the book there was an incredibly moving passage concerning how the Lord saves us. For that alone, I am glad I read the book.

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Jan 17, 2016 Sana Souames rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, france, classics, 2016, seafaring, island, elizabeth-goudge, clean-romance, guernsey, i-own

Ce romans est un gros pavé et il regorge de descriptions sur tout, les lieux ,les habits, les sentiments humains et si des fois ces descriptions sont gênantes c'est tout de même bien écrit, l'auteur a ce don de parler directement à notre imagination, en lisant le livre on a l'impression d'y être, on sentirait presque le vent souffler. Ce roman nous raconte principalement la vie des 3 personnages principaux pendant 50 ans et comment une petite erreur à boulversé leurs vie, mais il évoque aussi la ...more

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Jan 08, 2022 Erin rated it really liked it

This year I would like to actually finish the many books I have started. This was my first. Having Covid this week, I finally took on the challenge. I’m so glad I did. This book is more like an event - 575 pages of small print following Marianne, Marguerite, and William from childhood to old age as they each grow, make mistakes, and learn that love is really giving to another and being full of humility. Wow!

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