I'm looking forward to hearing your comments! I won't
promise that all of them will be published on this webpage, but I will read and
respond to them all. Let me know if you don't want your comments made public.
I'm deeply grateful to all those who have taken the time
to write to me. You've inspired me to keep writing!
Readers'
comments are always appreciated at info@mindshadows.com
See
Reviews
"You have created a masterpiece. I loved
every moment I shared with Augusta, Chas, Jack and Ria. I am eagerly awaiting
the next Muskoka novel and in the meantime I am sharing my love of this one. My
mom vacationed on Lake Joseph as a child in the 1930's and waitressed at
Windermere house in the 1940's. She lived in Rosedale and travelled to Europe
and plays all those tunes on our piano. I am very appreciative for your
depiction of the first world war. My grand-mother lost two brothers in that war
and I've always felt that I had no real understanding of it. Today with the war
in the Middle East, I still feel as though I have no understanding again. This
novel gave me a glimpse of the horror of war, it felt like a first hand
account. I'm now enjoying the CD for The Summer Before the Storm, but
please publish your sequel soon. In the meantime I'm sure I will enjoy A
Place To Call Home ... [and} Moon Hall, so as you can see you have
an avid and dedicated fan." - Janet Porter, Lindsay, Ontario
"I found The Summer Before the
Storm to be a bigger-than-life family saga. It reminded me of R. F.
Delderfield's A Horseman Riding By. In my opinion, Gabriele Wills's
ability to evoke a feeling for the times and characters is equal to
Delderfield's. She has an amazing ability to portray multiple characters, most
of whom are quite wealthy, during an idyllic Muskoka summer as it was in
pre-war 1914. This summer contrasts starkly with how their lives are
dramatically changed by the onset of WW1. The reader will surely draw parallels
between the senselessness of this war and the current conflict in Iraq. I knew
this novel was far above average when I found myself neglecting important
business matters to sneak in another hour or two of reading. If you like grand
scale novels, this is the one. I anxiously await book two." - Robert
Schoenberger, Pittsford, NY
"I literally just finished The Summer
Before the Storm and wanted to write to you about it. I haven't had a
chance to collect my thoughts, but will do so in a little while so I can
provide you with a proper and detailed dissertation. In the interim, I just
wanted to say how lovely and yet how evil it was of you to end the book that
way. I had purposely delayed and found ways not to finish the story --
including starting to read the book again and even rereading your first two
novels -- knowing full well I would hate to finish this one (I just didn't know
how much). All that said, it was an absolutely wonderful read. I haven't been
that emotionally invested in a story in many years. Initially I had worried it
would not live up to your first two novels, but it actually turned out to be
even more enjoyable." - Amitav Dash, Guelph, Ontario
The Summer Before The Storm is
simply marvelous! Another wonderful story which captivated me from beginning to
end. Your vividly descriptive settings transported me to a new place each time
I read. It was like watching a movie in my head. Your fascinating and
intriguing characters are so real, so believable, each one unique and
passionate in his/her own way. I couldn't help but be drawn into the emotions
and circumstances of their lives. Once again, you have intertwined fact and
fiction into a compelling story that educates and stirs emotion. As I read, the
'Forward' of your book periodically came to mind, making me think about how
lucky the people are who have found their own 'Muskoka'. (You may have coined a
new phrase.) Congratulations on another fabulous story! I am anxiously awaiting
'Part 2'! - Nancy Graham Lindsay, Ontario
"The Summer Before The Storm was
fantastic. I loved it and I could not put it down. Having spent a lot of my
summers in the Muskokas, I was very interested with the history. My father's
family had a cottage in Gravenhurst, and I remember going there when I was
small. We still often go to the wharf where the R.M.S. Segwun still sails. I
cannot wait for book # 2. I have read every one of your other books and
couldn't put them down either. You are a fantastic author. I would recommend
this book to everyone." - Vicki Kraayvanger, Peterborough, ON
"The Summer Before the Storm: How
do I love this book? Let me count the ways". This book is more than a novel. It
is social history. It is about a privileged community living a hedonistic
lifestyle in a specific historical period in a real, specific summer retreat,
Muskoka, Canada. A very large cast of characters has been imagined. The larger
context for their story is world events and their shapers.
The author's
familiarity and love of Muskoka is obvious. Her meticulous, scholarly research
is evidenced by an extensive bibliography. The inclusion of the words of the
songs of the period was inspired. Many readers will relate to Vera Brittain's
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH listed in the bibliography. For this reader, in the England
part of the book V. Woolf's MRS. DALLOWAY came to mind.
Re the actual story
.. the listing of the characters and their relationships at the beginning of
the book is a handy and necessary accessory. I liked the heroine, Victoria
(well named) .. a defier of convention who encouraged others to be the same.
She was not a crusading suffragette. She was, rather, a toned down feminist.
Her premonitions kept the reader engaged as did Jack's strategic moves. Other
interesting personalities, to mention only a few were autocratic Augusta (well
named); Helena and Lizzie "on the make" and Phyllis, the venomous prune.
It
was a given that those who found themselves overseas would find ways to stay
connected. The reader knows there is more of this story to be told... I eagerly
await volume 2." - Muriel Cluett, Toronto, Ontario
"I just finished the Muskoka book and it
was fantastic!! Congratulations on another great book! ... many points in the
book brought me to tears.... I love history but tend to find the war stuff
quite boring - however you made it all interesting by connecting it to great
characters! Thanks for a great read." - Colleen McKay, Ajax, Ontario
"I just finished reading a signed copy of
The Summer Before The Storm. I have summered on Lake Rosseau for over 50
years. The Eatons' cottage was close by and we heard lots of stories about 'The
Big Boathouse' that housed their steam ship, The Wanda. Your book
brought back many memories. My grandfather came up every weekend in his
Ditchburn from the Gravenhurst wharf." - A Muskoka cottager
"I thoroughly enjoyed The Summer Before
The Storm from start to finish!! A reader always knows you have a good book
in hand when there is a compelling urge to sneak ahead a couple of pages!!! I
can only imagine the task it is to assemble such a rich cast of characters,
develop their roles in the story and wrap them all up in a book. You have a
wonderful talent!! Of course, I am always looking for those architectural gems
and am never disappointed!! Congratulations Gabriele, and continued success." -
Allan Dracup, Cavan, Ontario.
"I got up at 5A.M on Saturday morning to
read the last bit of The Summer Before The Storm . I didn't want to spend the
whole day doing mundane chores without knowing how it ended. I'm totally
addicted! I enjoy your writing style, and love your /my characters, and resent
the fact that I cannot continue my relationship with them right away. I'll read
anything, it's an addiction, but most of the stuff I read leaves me feeling
like I've wasted my time. Like a food addiction, I usually stuff it quickly
into my mouth and swallow without chewing. I chewed and savoured every word in
your book. I loved it! Get cracking on number 2!!!" - Susan Salvati,
Mississauga, Ontario
"This is another fabulous read. You have a
way of drawing the reader into the lives and emotions of your characters. Your
characters are so very real. I felt I was right there with them. It is also
meaningful to me to have signed copies of your books. I can hardly wait for
your next Muskoka novel. Keep on writing! " - Marie North, Courtice,
Ontario
"Your thorough research in combination
with deep personal memory has given your story an authentic richness. Your book
has succeeded where many others have failed, for it is evident you lived enough
of the 'Muskoka life' to enrich so many of your images. You successfully wove
your own personal tapestry of granite, water, sky, sun, wind, waves, the
exhiliration of running freely in the magnificent company of nature with
daringly delightful individual souls, each of whom had stories to tell, lives
to live as part of and seperate from the Muskoka backdrop. Your sholarly
imagination provided the chinking that has held the story so firmly together. I
especially love how well you captured the tensions and contrasts of an era when
the world had seemingly gone mad, families were uprooted, lives changed while
others were destroyed. The world was being redefined, yet Muskoka prevailed to
bring comfort and joy amidst times of tumultuous upheaval. I hope the next book
in the saga is well underway for certain lives must continue, changes must
occur, disasters and wars must meld with the beautiful, romantic, sustaining
images of Muskoka. A Muskoka that will not relent despite what the fates might
have in store! Well done!" - Marilas McInnis, Lindsay, Ontario
"Excellent as always, can't wait till the
next one! The Summer Before The Storm is definitely a page turner. The
characters, setting and story are so real and vivid. How wonderful it is that
there is more to come!" - Eunice Lay, Toronto, Ontario
