The Girl Who Couldn't Read by John Harding

4 Stars

The picture for this book is particularly small it seems, but as this is the only picture I could find on Google images of this version of the book, it will have to do! Anyway's... After picking this book up I didn't actually realise that this was a sequel to Harding's Florence and Giles (which I haven't actually read/heard of) but it can be read as a stand alone; which I believe makes reading this book much more interesting and a better read. 

So the premise for the book is that Dr John Shephard is working at an asylum and is treating a girl with amnesia who cannot read. Upon arriving at the asylum, John wants to use his ideas of treating the mentally ill with kindness as opposed to harsh treatments, and so the guy who runs the place, Morgan, allows him to choose one individual to carry out his treatment. Sounds like a nice little read doesn't it? And this is exactly what I was expecting... But not exactly what I got!

The book starts out quite easy going and reasonably quick to read but not too quick but not too slow either. During the first part of the book though I did really wonder about this John guy, his background and who exactly he was. You do eventually find out though. Although I haven't read the first book, I believe that if you have read the first one and then read the sequel, you will probably be a little confused as to how it is a sequel at first and want to know more than me as to who this John is etc. The book also has some parts in which I definitely wasn't expecting from the main character, especially after reading the blurb, but it certainly didn't put me off either.

Overall, the book gave me so many questions to ask and I did get all my questions answered in the end; it was enjoyable watching as the story unfolded and I found out who was who, and what was what. I do think I will read Florence and Giles at some point too, it may give me more of a background to its sequel, hopefully it is just as good a read too. 

Happy reading :)