I read this book in anticipation of a trip to Otago, where we plan to visit the Larnach Castle. I was interested in knowing more about the family that lived there and this book fit the bill. Unfortunately, I didn't love the rambling style (read like a journal entry). And, while the characters initially appealed, they quickly grew quite tiring. My issue with the characters however, can not be blamed on author Owen Marshall as this is an account (though thfictionalised) of real people.
Essentially, this tells the story of a young bride who marries the much older William Larnach and subsequently falls in love and pursues an affair with his son Dougie (with very severe consequences). The two characters in many ways seem oblivious to the consequences of their actions, so I struggled to form a connection with either of them. The book is told from the perspective of the bride Conny and Dougie, each of whom ultimately seem very self-involved. I did initially appreciate the suffragist angle related to Conny, but even that could only take her character so far before she became distasteful.
I suppose that I'm happy that I did this read in advance of our trip, but don't know that I'd recommend the book to anyone else.
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