A+Curse+Dark+as+Gold

//**A Curse Dark as Gold**// **by** Elizabeth Bunce http://www.elizabethcbunce.com/elizabethcbunce/Home.html

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A Curse as Dark as Gold is the story of a cursed family, one very determined daughter and a quite mysterious mill. The book takes placein the 1700s, in a small town called Shearing. Here lives the Miller family and their long held family business Stirwaters Woollen Mill. The book opens with the tradgic death of James Miller. His sudden death leaves daughters Charlotte and Rosie to step up and run the mill all by themselves. Meanwhile, Rosie and Charlotte's stuck up Unlce Wheeler comes to live with them as serves as a constant nag critic to the Miller girls. The business stays strong with Charlotte in charge but one day a man comes with quite an offer. The man is from Pinchfields, Stirwater's rivil mill in Harrowgate. The man tries to purchase the busines but is throughly turned down. Afterwards a young banker named Randall Woodstone comes arrying bad news. The bank needed money from James Millers loan, or they would take the mill. Charlotte makes a deal with him buying more time. The mill itself is a very peculiar place, though to carry a curse, along with the whole Miller family. All those working at the mill are incredibly superstitious. Charlotte will hear none of this of course, and ignores the constant blame and banter on the curse. Though the business goes through rough times, Charlotte strives on. She vows to do anything for Stirwaters, anything. One night, while preparing for leave for Harrowgate the next morning, a mysterious man comes to the mill. The man says his name is "Jack Spinner." Mr. Spinner then demonstrates his secret skill....spinning straw into pure gold. Charlotte strikes a deal with him, giving him her mothers ring. She provides the man with a room full of straw, which ocernight he transformsinto hundreds of spinndles of gold. Charlotte sells her new treasure tobegin to pay off the mills debt. Shes a hero. During this time, her uncle continues to try to get her to sell Stirwaters. A suprise romance then comes Charlotte Millers way, the bank Randall Woodstone proposes to her. Charottle agrees and they are married. After their honeymoon, the Woodstones come home to a plagued Stirwaters. Ice had come and killed or shattered everything. The curse, people said. Bad things continue to happen, and once again Jack Spinner comes to Charlottles aid. Spinner tells Charlotte that she will never get rid of him, she worries for her unborn child....

ponse: I personally really liked this book. It was very dark at times and honest. I found Stirwaters to be a very intriguing place. Elizabeth Bunce does an excellent job of decribing a magical place with many interesting charaters in it. Charlotte Miller was by far my favorite character, though i found her sister Rosie to be very entertaining. Charlotte is extremely strong and determined. She works hard and seems almost fearless. I also enjoyed the way that Bunce was able to capture human emotions so well. From the fear of the curse to the new spring of romance, i thought she did a great job.