I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Cassandra Mortmain’s story packs a lot into six months. I Capture the Castle is Cassandra’s journal in which she tells of her family living in the ruins of a castle and what happens when the Cottons come into their lives. Cassandra’s journal starts out as series of innocent, often funny observations about life in the castle, and her family but when the Cottons inherit their landlord’s estate, Cassandra’s story becomes a coming of age story. In those six months, she goes from being a fairly carefree innocent young lady to helping her sister “win” a man and getting her heart broken along the way. Smith’s novel leaves us wondering what the future holds for Cassandra and her quirky family and friends and hoping it is wonderful because Cassandra deserves it. Cassandra’s narration is the best thing about I Capture the Castle. It is frank, honest, funny, and heartbreaking.
