Set In Stone

I recently read Set In Stone by Linda Newbery. It was published in 2006, but I only came across it recently and something about it caught my eye. It's historical fiction, set in late 19th Century Sussex, England at an English country home. The narrative alternates between Samuel Godwin, a young artist who has come to the home to tutor the teen daughters of Mr. Farrow, the homeowner, and Charlotte Agnew, the governess of the girls. Samuel reminded me of Nick Carraway (The Great Gatsby) in his honesty, honor, curiosity and overall congeniality. He was also very sentimental in a similar manner to Carraway. What I liked about the story is that it started off like a Jane Austen novel, then it became mysterious (ah hah!) and then scandalous (yay!). The writing is beautiful and the setting is haunting. Well done!