I Capture the Castle
Dodie Smith
Paperback
(Red Fox, Jan. 1, 2000)
The appeal of the book is that of a time of innocence . . . When a girl of 17 could still be all but untouched by sexuality. At the same time it captures the pangs of growing up and unrequited first love. (Observer)"A book for everyone who is young, poor, fed up and yearning for something exciting to happen" (Irish Times)"This book has one of the most charismatic narrators I've ever met" (J. K. Rowling) Cassandra Mortmain is no ordinary teenager. She belongs to an extraordinary family including a father suffering from writer's block and a lute-playing stepmother, Topaz, who communes with nature near the wild, tumble-down castle that is their home. Cassandra's diary reveals how their lives are changed forever two American brothers arrive to lay claim, not only to their home, but also their hearts.