My manuscript is finished and I have several people beta reading it. So far I’ve had positive reviews. Here is one:

The first chapter is extremely well written and the vivid imagery grabs the reader’s attention. You juxtaposition the grandeur of the majestic homes and the beauty of fall in Ontario against the darkness and loneliness of Peggy’s early life, especially when describing her dread of returning home every day after school. You also use other writing techniques effectively, such as alliteration, which grabs the reader’s attention and by the end of the first chapter the reader is swept up into wanting to know if Peggy will survive her life or be pulled down into the tradgedy of her parents. That part of the book was extremely well done.

As for the setting of the story, mainly Toronto and a few outlying areas, this again is one of your strengths. You paint both a vivid picture of the location, the houses, the clothes, and the characters, making it is easy to picture each timeline and locale vividly.

Peggy, Charles and Fanny were complex and rich, through your descriptors. We got an understanding for Charles’ parents and his struggles, with the way he was raised.

The message of a strong woman beating the odds to survive a horrible childhood, coming out a winner, shines through.

If you’d be willing to beta read the unedited manuscript, just let me know.