Review: The Binding

The Binding by Bridget Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW

Emmet Farmer is recovering from an illness, he’s still very weak but he’s back working on the farm with his sister Alta. But then a letter arrives and he is sent away to be an apprentice to Seredith, a binder.

Poor Emmet, a little naive has no idea why he isn’t allowed to read books, but Seredith explains that books hold memories, real memories taken from people willingly, so they can forget...

He starts to recover his health and is slowly learning how to make the books, but not yet the actual ‘binding’......

There is tragedy and fear as when he leaving the cottage to work for a commercial binder, he sees a book with his name on it....what has he forgotten? Why does he fear, on one hand yet on the other feel drawn to Lucian Darnay?

The story is told from the perspectives of Lucian and Emmet, switching between the present and the past to show what memories have been bound in this stunning, beautifully written tale of love and loss.

The idea of binding sounds so wonderful, to have awful, tragic or maybe violent memories removed, put into a book to be kept safe, BUT as with all things, this could and would be abused by the morally corrupt for their own ends. The idea that people could also sell their memories for a ‘trade’ Binding for others enjoyment is just repugnant, but I’m sure it would happen. I loved the idea that novels are just made up memories and are therefore frowned upon.

Bridget Collins has created a thought provoking tale, I wonder, if you could have bad memories removed, would you? Who would you trust to hold the book safe and not pass it to others to read......not a pleasant thought really is it ?

I loved the characters and Emmet and Lucian are just wonderful and I was so engrossed in their tale, and loved them both due to Bridget Collins captivating, spellbinding and emotive writing, I may have left a little of myself in The Binding with them....a beautiful, must read book.

I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review

#TheBinding #NetGalley


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