Even though it was so painful and deeply emotional (I felt myself shivering inside), reading about what happened to Lenora when she got sick, her transformation through it all, especially the way her parents rejected her, I expected a rough start after reading about her beauty in the story with Eden. But not so suddenly and so much. The illness itself is terrible. Then there was the rejection of her parents. Surviving among other sick people. And that was just the beginning. Facing everything that had changed her life because of the illness that had physically changed her, although it later turned out that those scars weren't terrible, but she didn't know that at the time. Everything about the way she had lived before was gone. And then she chose the guy she thought was the rudest, why?. Well, that was the only explanation for why Garman was so rude, cold, and distant until almost the end of the book, because with those first words, she threw him in a box. Of course, he wasn't just like that; on the other hand, he was sometimes very gentle and caring, especially when he held her in his arms after nightmares or in bed.
@Gaby, you say complex, and for me, he was quite confusing. I was dying to read more about his inner monologue, but all I got was that he thinks she is really beautiful and that it would be great to have her in bed again.
He would say something vulgar or not say anything (which really annoyed me because I really have a problem with people not talking), he would just react, and then, when she was in a situation where she didn't know what was going to happen next, he would do the exact opposite, just lie next to her. If you remember, it was that first night after they got married. Throughout the book, I didn't know whether I liked or didn't like the guy.
Lenore's journey and transformation are really well portrayed. Learning through the loss of her previous life and the transformation of her character, relationships with others, through suffering. Unlike Garman, whom I didn't fully understand, or I can say I didn't understand at all. Why was he so distant from everyone (except his brothers Huw and Iv), closed off and cold? Why did he agree to run away with Lenore and marry her? The dowry wasn't the reason, as he later said he had his own money from the tournament. Also, he later explained that he liked how she bravely showed him her "disfigured" face. Is that the real reason?
And through all that trouble with his grandfather and family, I still don't know the real reason why he was so determined not to contact them. It's possible that I somehow lost part of the book due to my irritation with his reactions or his silence, so I probably had an internal monologue, and it seemed like I was reading.
The best part of the book, for me, was:
1. When Lenora came to the dinner after Garman's grandfather invited her, their conversation was truly remarkable; every word of hers was in its place.
2. The way Lenora cared for Bertha, who cared for her when she was ill. And that could be a better elaborated part of the book. Because Bertha was poor and full of despair because of the life that she lived, and Lenora lived an opposite life from Bertha. Maybe for Lenora, Bertha was the first true reason to start to feel gratitude. Anyway, the story for itself.
