One for Sorrow by Mary C. Sheppard
I was so enchanted by this tale weaved out by Sheppard that I
ignored its faults when I was reading it. One of them is the family
pattern of being handicapped either mentally or physically. Out of
the four immediate family members, the father is near deaf, the
daughter is near blind, and the mother is seriously depressed.
Only one of them is relatively healthy. This truth came out in the
end. I was quite shocked. They all acted in undesirable ways
because of being disabled. Therefore, they turned into a loving family
after finding the cure (a bit of eye rolling here). Another flaw is that the
main character, Issy’s dreadful life conditions resolving into such a perfect
ending is somewhat implausible. But on the whole, the delightful characters
and intense plotline make up for it. It’s also quite unique. I’d never come across
a book set in Newfoundland before. The setting is so detailed. I learned a lot
about the life there. All in all, I looked forward to reread it soon.

