When I came across The Blue Castle a few years ago, I thought it was merely a young adult romance. I don’t read romance novels now. I’ve read them enough for a lifetime when I was a young adult myself. 🙂 But recently when it came to my notice again, I thought I’ll give it a try. I told myself that I would endure it because it was a work of L.M. Montgomery and because my bookshelf is in want of Canadian literature. The first few chapters, however, were enough to set me straight. This wasn’t a romance novel. Of course, it has romance but the story goes deeper than that. I was pleasantly surprised and a tad bit annoyed for judging a book too hastily by its cover.
The Blue Castle is a story of courage, of finding one’s inner strength to fight fear, of standing up to family bullying and oppression, of finding life and living it on one’s own terms, and finally of healing with the help of nature and love. The story is simple, perhaps too simple, but that didn’t in any way impede the strong message of hope that is conveyed. In the present trying times, there are moments that our courage fails us when we lose hope that there could be better times ahead for us. In these moments of despair, Valancy Sterling gives us hope to journey through life amidst many adversaries.
What this simple story with its powerful message did to me is beyond the power of any word. I both laughed and cried over it. It is very rare in a book to arouse emotions of opposite poles. It also transported me away from this burdensome reality, and away from this mundane life and the claustrophobic surroundings into the magical realm of nature with its breathtaking lake views, the wilderness of the woods, and the pleasant atmosphere of peace and quiet and oneness. Sometimes books have the healing power which none other has. It uplifts your spirits and makes you more optimistic. The Blue Castle falls into that lot. Perhaps it is my present mood that makes me feel so strongly about this book, but honestly, I loved it. I feel I read it at the right moment when I needed to be reminded that despite the present chaos around you there is hope yet for better and happier times.
Rating: 5/5
