I kept putting off reading this book because it didn’t fit into the right spot: I wanted it to be a fairly light and untaxing read but the 17th century setting loomed in my mind as something heavy and oppressive. Lots of fun once I got going with it though, it’s nicely weighted - neither very light or very heavy, gives you plenty to think about without forcing you to think about it.

Despite being set in 1610 it’s got quite a bit in common with Joanne Harris’s earlier books, the central character reminded me of the central character in Chocolat whose name escapes me now, they have the same kind of shadowy past though we find out more about Juliette in this book. The setting is very close to the setting of Coastliners in everything but time.