Of course, there are still many obstacles, some of his own making, that stand between this couple and any hope they may have of happiness together. There are many scenes in this book where Caldwell brought me to my emotional knees but the one where Edwin realizes the significance of Gertrude's tiny pet is especially poignant and his unique gifts to her fully illustrate how completely he has come to understand her how much his heart is opening to her.
It is her kindness, her daring, her stubborn determination that pulls him out of the darkness and back into the light. At the center of that realization is Gertrude, a woman he's spent years hating, though not knowing. Ever so slowly, she unveils layer after layer until both the reader, and Edwin himself, begin to realize there is still goodness in his soul. She understands that at his core, Edwin is a man who has become mired in his grief and guilt, to the point where he's lost the ability to see beyond it. Actually, that's exactly what he's become by the time Gertrude invades his house but Caldwell has other plans for our hero. He could have easily become an unlikable, irredeemable villain, closed off from the world, filled with cruelty, and bent on revenge. What can I say about Edwin? My heart bled for what he's been through. I want to hug her, laugh with her, encourage her and celebrate her. She truly is a gentle warrior, filled with light, wit, humor, strength, and a very loving, and forgiving, heart. But she's never understood just how strong, or special, she really is. She taught herself to read then became self-educated. Born to the streets, a throwaway scrap of humanity, she's never known true love, never been told, or shown, that she has value, never had a name until she was 12 years old. Gertrude is one of my all-time favorite heroines, in the top 10 at least, possibly the top 5. Characters who, even as I read their final words, I know I will return to revisit, time and time again.
Characters who linger in my mind long after I turn the last page. Those stories that pull me from my world into the world of the author's creation, fully immersing me in the hearts and minds of the characters - characters I come to know and love and wish I could meet in person. Then there are those few that are special, that check my boxes, engage my mind, capture my heart.
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