STAIRCASE TO THE MOON is one of those books that had the potential to be completely amazing--one of those historicals' you think about long after they're over, but it just missed the mark.
The book is set in the Australian Outback just prior and during World War I. Because her mother died when she was young, Emily grew up with her father, uncle and three brothers in a very strict and overprotective environment in her father’s tailor shop. When her brothers and father arrange a marriage for her with a much older (and gross) man, she escapes her home to take a seamstress job in the Australian Outback. This job ends up being a Godsend for her. he family has three daughters and one son, whom she's immediately attracted to, but not long after she arrives, the war starts and the men of the household she has come to love, end up leaving for Europe as part of the Australian Army.
This could've had everything. Emily was strong and determined. She was capable and helped push the other women in the house and motivate them to take care of themselves when the men were away. I think what was missing for me was a more personal connection with the characters, especially the main character. There was a void I'm not sure I can put my finger on, other than that the reader wasn't made to truly FEEL much from Emily. In fact, there is a romance toward the end that could've been so incredible, but it was just kind of "blah" because I couldn't emphasize with and feel the connections and emotions of the characters. Also, added detail and drawn out scenes where it wasn't needed drug the book down. If it weren't for these negatives, the book could've been epic. Instead, I was left thinking the book was just okay and feeling slightly disappointed.
PURCHASE
When her conservative family tries to force Emily into an arranged marriage with a much older, wealthy man, she decides to take destiny into her own hands and escape her strict father and overbearing brothers. She embarks on a ship to North-Western Australia to take up employment as a private seamstress for a large and rich farming family, who welcome her with open arms. Surrounded by the breathtakingly beautiful and remote landscapes of the Kimberly region, Emily starts to believe that happiness and love really are possible in her new life. But storm clouds are gathering, and as the men of Kimberley march off to war in Europe, Emily must step up to prove herself against all the odds. And that’s when things start to turn out different than she ever could have imagined...
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