A Northern Light (2003)

Mattie Gokey is one of the most engaging characters I have read about in fiction in a long time. She is intelligent and hardworking, yet conflicted about her goals in life. She wants an education, but isn't sure if it is worth the cost of leaving her home, her family and her boyfriend behind. At first glance that might not seem to be the most original of plots, but Mattie is an amazingly intense character who is living through a very hard time.

This story resonated with me because the decisions that Mattie has to make; dealing with loyalty, breaking promises, putting others first or doing what's best for her; these are issues that we all have to deal with at one time or another. Mattie struggles to find that balance between personal achievement and self-sacrifice. She has to determine what cost her personal achievements are worth, and whether it is okay to put her own goals ahead of the needs of others.

Mattie is very smart, extremely creative and has a love of learning (she learns a new word from the dictionary every day). She has a great skill for creative writing, and her teacher encourages her by exposing her to the works of other great writers and poets. It was hard at times, reading Mattie's story and knowing that if she stays on the farm or marries a local boy her creativity will be smothered by the tasks of daily life.

This book takes the form of two parallel storylines, both told by Mattie in the first person. One storyline is written in the present tense as Mattie works at the Glenmore Hotel during the summer that Grace Brown drowns in the lake. (The tale of Grace Brown is based the true story of her death by drowning in a lake in the Adirondacks.)

The other storyline is written in past tense and starts near the end of the school year before Mattie's graduation examinations. In this section we discover that when Mattie's mom died she made Mattie promise to stay and take care of the family. Initially this doesn't seem to be a problem, but then Mattie finds out that she has an opportunity to study at Barnard. Not only does she not have the money to go, but she knows that she should stay to help her family and keep her promise to her mother. She has an idea though - if she can just talk her father into letting her work at the Glenmore Hotel then she can save enough money for school (and she'll worry about her promise later).

Now, I already knew from the other storyline that Mattie found a way to work at the Glenmore Hotel, so it just seemed like I was waiting for the two storylines to come together; to discover how Mattie ends up there. As the story went on though, I realized that Mattie's tale was not so clear-cut. Trials and troubles arise, not to mention the complications of a love interest, all of which put her dreams of higher learning in jeopardy.

It's hard for me to convey how much I liked this book. I've never even been to the Adirondacks, yet as I listened to this story I could relate so much to Mattie that it felt like I was reading about someone I knew. The setting was so real that I felt like I had been there.

This book should be a classic in young adult literature right alongside books like Anne of Green Gables and The Girl of the Limberlost. I mention these two books because Mattie reminded me so much of their main characters. Mattie has ingenuity and a strong spirit like Elnora in The Girl of the Limberlost, and the brains and creativity of Anne from the Green Gables series.

I would not recommend this book for young children though, because Mattie does live through some terrible and unpleasant situations. Some of the topics discussed include: death, sickness, racism, sex, illegitimate children, and a very entertaining scene where the girls at the Glenmore Hotel get revenge on a dirty old man.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to young adults and adults alike. I was sad to come to the end of the book, hoping to stretch out my time in Mattie's world as long as possible.

Although I own a copy of this book, this review refers to the audiobook version of A Northern Light which I checked out from the library. I thought that the narrator was a very good fit for this audiobook (though I did read elsewhere that at least one reviewer didn't like the voice of the narrator). ( )

A wonderful story set in 1906 about a 16-year-old girl with too many adult responsibilities who has a chance to go away to college in New York, but must first find both the money and the courage to battle society, her family, and her heart in order to make it a reality. Definitely a book for book lovers. Recommended. ( )

(Note to self): I think I've already read this, looking forward to finding out if I'm right.

3.5/5

Due storie si dipanano nel romanzo: quella di Mattie, inventata, e quella di Grace Brown, tristemente reale.
Mattie, diventata dopo la morte della madre il sostegno del resto della famiglia, ha il sogno di andare all’università e lasciare una cittadina che non comprende lei e le sue aspirazioni.
Lavorando in uno degli hotel del luogo incontrerà Grace che le lascerà un plico di lettere da distruggere; leggendole, e ripensando al proprio passato recente, Mattie darà nuova voce alla storia di Grace e alla propria.
E’ un romanzo avvincente anche se alcuni (molti) elementi servono per sottolineare quanto poco invidiabile sarebbe la vita se Mattie restasse rinunciando all’università (l’immagine di Minnie con i gemelli, Royal che parla solo di granuturco etc…).
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This novel speaks about two stories: the former, the fake one, about Mattie and the latter, tragically true, about Grace Brown.
Mattie, being the support of her family after her mother’s death, aims at the university, leaving behind a town that does not understand her and her wills.
Working in one of the hotel she will meet Grace who will leave are a pack of letters to destroy; reading them, and recalling her recent past, Mattie will give a new voice both to Grace story and her own.
It’s an engaging novel, however some (lots of) elements are only useful to underline how poor Mattie life should be if she gives up her studies (e.g. Minnie with the twins, Royal talking only about corn etc…). ( )

I am really pissed off at the moment.
I bought A Gathering Light and... A Northern Light thinking (of course) that it was a sequel)

Well thanks for wasting my money. Why change the title of a book for Europe and the US? Cause hoping for people like me that are stupid?

lol I wrote the above months ago but hey I was right so I am not going to delete it.

I finished this book last night June 2 and i was sad that it ended, I wanted to read more.
It took me a while to get into it but once I did I really enjoyed it. I wish The Northern Light was indeed a sequel. ;) ( )