Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
I picked up Mister Pip off a library shelf on a whim and found myself enjoying it. The book is set on an island that was having some political unrest. The only white man on the island starts teaching the local children by reading Great Expectations to them. The story is told through the eyes of Matilda, approximately 14/15 years of age. Her mother is very religious, her dad lives in Australia. The people of her village are mainly woman, elderly, and children because the majority of the men have either run off with the rebels to fight or have died. Matilda's voice comes alive when she talks of how she has come to enjoy Mr. Dickens and hearing about Pip.
Lloyd Jones's choice of language is easy to read, yet absorbing. The only reason this book took me a while to read was time constraints in my schedule. There are some very descriptive scenes a little more than 3/4 the way into the book that may be considered a little too vivid for someone on the younger side, but over all, the book is well written.
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