The Strength of the Sun

by Catherine Chidgey

Book Overview

A mysterious letter-writing campaign bears unexpected consequences in this gifted young writer's intimate exploration of loss and discovery Every contact leaves a trace. But when Colette receives a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805069313
• ISBN13: 9780805069310
• Release Date: March 2002
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.2" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

What happened?

I enjoyed this book. The writing is captivating. Chidgey wrote a very intriguing novel, so intriguing that I read to the end to find out if Patrick Mercer was a murderer, but to no avail. I felt like there were clues that this was the case, but never any clear connection between Patrick and the missing girl. Do any other readers agree with my theory?

Well Done

The Strength of the Sun is a well-told tale with interconnecting stories filled with characters whose lives unwittingly overlap. Everyone's life essentially changes to take a different path, the day of a solar eclipse and Chidgey uses the imagery of the sun very well throughout the novel. There are two sort of nagging questions in the novel. The first concerns Colette, a young woman who keeps receiving mysterious letters about the recuperation the friends of a man in England. Colette is intrigued, as the reader will be. The second concerns the mysterious disappearance, years earlier, of Laura, the teenage daughter of Malcolm and Ruth-who have hired Colette to watch their young son. This novel is a quick read-but it's not light by any stretch of the imagination. Just a pleasant, thoughtful novel. Enjoy.

who was the "man"

This book keeps you guessing from the start to the end we don't know if the characters live happily everafter. Good developement and an easy read. Now for my question! Who was the "man" and what was his brilliant plan? I just didn't get it, even after re-reading his part 10 times. can anyone help!!

Excellent writing but lacks clear conclusion

The Strength of the Sun is a beautifully written book with a message about the desire people have to "connect" with each other. The story lines are nicely interwoven, and the two mysteries (how Colette knows the injured Patrick, and what happened to Ruth and Malcolm's missing daughter) are compelling. I enjoyed trying to figure out how these separate stories were going to come together. Chidgey's repeated uses of the metaphors of the sun, fire, and mirrors are well crafted. Furthermore, the book is short enough that it can be read in a single day, which is gratifying because the main characters are so likeable and I wanted to know what happened to them. This desire to know what happened to the characters leads to my only real issue with this book: it does not seem to come to any conclusion. I was left feeling that the characters were stranded in a place much like that in which they started. While they are wiser in some ways, and one of the mysteries is solved, the other is left open for the reader to guess what will happen. Also - and I realize this is probably a silly concern - one character constantly refers to "Meccano." Not knowing what this is (other than possibly some form of Legos), I wish Chidgey had described its physical characteristics a little better, but I suppose that knowing that it is a form of interconnected blocks is enough to get her point. Ultimately, the book is a good read.