The Flight of Gemma Hardy - Paperback

New York Times Bestseller

"An exceptionally well-plotted, well-crafted, innovatively interpreted modern twist on a timeless classic, one that's sure to delight the multitudes of Brontë fans, and the multitudes of fans that Livesey deserves." --The Boston Globe

"A suspenseful, curl-up-by-the-fire romance with a willfully determined protagonist who's worthy of her literary role model." -- People

The resonant story of a young woman's struggle to take charge of her own future, The Flight of Gemma Hardy is a modern take on a classic story--Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre--that will fascinate readers of the Gothic original and fans of modern literary fiction alike, with its lyrical prose, robust characters, and abundant compassion.

Set in early 1960s Scotland, this breakout novel from award-winning author Margot Livesey is a tale of determination and spirit that, like The Three Weissmanns of Westport and A Thousand Acres, spins an unforgettable new story from threads of our shared, still-living literary past.

Front Jacket

Taken from her native Iceland to Scotland in the early 1950s when her widower father drowns at sea, young Gemma Hardy comes to live with her kindly uncle and his family. But his death leaves Gemma under the care of her resentful aunt, and she suddenly finds herself an unwelcome guest. Surviving oppressive years at a strict private school, Gemma ultimately finds a job as an au pair to the eight-year-old niece of Mr. Sinclair on the Orkney Islands--and here, at the mysterious and remote Blackbird Hall, Gemma's greatest trial begins.

Back Jacket

Taken from her native Iceland to Scotland in the early 1950s when her widower father drowns at sea, young Gemma Hardy comes to live with her kindly uncle and his family. But his death leaves Gemma under the care of her resentful aunt, and she suddenly finds herself an unwelcome guest. Surviving oppressive years at a strict private school, Gemma ultimately finds a job as an au pair to the eight-year-old niece of Mr. Sinclair on the Orkney Islands--and here, at the mysterious and remote Blackbird Hall, Gemma's greatest trial begins.