Day 5 – A Book That Makes You Happy

Usually my first criteria for choosing a book is not for the fact that it will make me happy.  I look for a well-written book that will expand life for me, and impart some sort of wisdom or life lesson.  That said, I occasionally come across books that leave a happy kind of feeling and I Capture the Castle was one of those books.

Written by Dodie Smith of 101 Dalmations fame, this book is narrated by Cassandra, a witty and whimsical teenager who lives in a castle with her father, Mortmain, a one-book-wonder author, her stepmother, Topaz, a young model and her sister, Rose, who tends to have a blighted view of life and the circumstances in which they find themselves.  Cassandra’s view of her unusual life is so fresh and naive, yet is touched with such wit and vivacity, that you can’t help but be pulled into her world.  
So for a “feel good” novel that imparts wisdom as well, I Capture the Castle, can’t be beat!