LITTLE NELL-BARRI BRYAN

Below is my review of 'Little Nell'. It was an excellent quick read that left me satisfied.


True to its title, this story is all about Little Nell. As a young child she is an orphan that is sent on a train to be basically auctioned off to the highest bidder. Having quite a temper and a very un-lady like mouth, there are not many takers; until John comes along that is.
John’s family is falling apart right before his eyes. His dear, loving wife is slipping further into madness with each passing day due to the fact that their three year old daughter Nell has died. Deciding that he must do something about it to save his family he takes his two sons, David and Richard with him to meet the orphan train to try and find a replacement daughter. They find this spitfire with the same blue eyes and red hair and change her name to Nell. John’s wife is just unstable enough to believe that her daughter has come back to her.
Years later John has died and once again Sarah is mentally unstable. David, Richard and Nell are now grown adults. Thinking that John and Sarah are her biological parents, Nell is confused. She has been experiencing feelings of an un-sisterly like kind towards her brother Richard for quite some time. She is pretty sure he feels it too, seeing the way that he looks at her and the kisses he steals. Nell is mad at herself, and feels worse when her brother David catches on to the two of them, reminding them how incest is a sin. With Nell being the only member of the family who doesn’t know this well kept secret, she continues to struggle with her feelings. Things get even stickier when outsiders find out about their attraction to each other and try to butt in. Will Nell and Richard ever get to be together and be happy? Will Nell ever find out the truth about her upbringing?
Barri Bryan does a great job writing this story. It is quick, to the point, and the reader is dragged into the drama from page one. Your heart can’t help but go out to Nell, who has so many feelings coursing through her; confusion, shame, and excitement. Barri Bryan does an excellent job of making her characters very real like with very real emotions that the reader can relate to.
I read this book in one sitting because I could not find a pause in the story that felt appropriate to walk away from. This is a great story for a rainy or snowy day when you are cooped up in your home looking for something to entertain and keep you occupied for hours. Her writing is clear and concise, and her characters are loveable and not easily forgotten.

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