The cover of The Valley by Helen Bryan ignites a certain longing for the beauty of memories, of stories and of life. Yet, the story itself did not translate the same imagery as the cover. I'm not one to abandon a book, nor am I one to read the synopsis right before or during the reading of said book. With The Valley, I had to keep re-reading the back description every hundred pages or so, to see if what I'm expecting would indeed happen. Unfortunately, the author's writing does not sit well with me. It seems choppy and I just couldn't get into it at all. There were too many superfluous lines that just seem unnecessary to get the story across. However, that's just me.  A novel of 643 pages, in my eyes needs to be telling much more than a story. It needs to include character development with the appropriate level of activity, reaching one or more climax to a turning point in the overall story. And yet, The Valley falls short, mostly because I find it dry, and many times tempted to not finish it. However, I have to admit that, even though I did not not finish, I skimmed versus my usual thorough indulgence in a historical novel. With that said, my review is just that - my review, and may not reflect those who really enjoy a historical novel that depicts the time during the formation of the "New World."  If you want to give it a try, the publisher had graciously provided a copy to one reader of this blog. Scroll down to enter the giveaway to win a copy of The Valley.
NOTE:  I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, through TLC Book Tours for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own. For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.


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