Through the Gate

by Kay Jordan

Canada’s West Coast history comes alive in this classic, coming-of-age story.

Fifteen-year-old Elsie stumbles onto the scene at her new job—serving the affluent Dunsmuir family in Craigdarroch Castle alongside her widowed mother. Elsie feels her future has never been so bleak. Feeling trapped in her new life, she uncovers a hidden talent for acting that catapults her to the forefront of the family’s parties. But when she discovers an audience of one with a Chinese male servant, it threatens any plans she has to escape the castle. Through the Gate is Kay Jordan's debut novel.

364 pages, Paperback

Published July 30, 2020

Reviews

[Mike Bonkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction, both in a specific region-era way, and in a general Victorian period way.
There's so much that I enjoyed in its thought-provoking portrayal of colonial life, class structure, racial and immigration discrimination, gender equality, privilege, contentment, workers' rights, apathetic affluence, family tensions, and youthful ambition. All of these issues were presented so gently, yet obviously, in the smooth flowing narrative of the story. I think that the gentle style of portraying these issues is what makes this novel appealing to all ages.
The story line kept me hooked, while there were many moments where I was compelled to pause and think on the bigger issues that the characters were experiencing.
It was a fun and thought-provoking read.

[Millie Florence · Rating 4 out of 5]

“This uniform is one of my many costumes - a temporary role in the grand scheme of life.”

Through The Gate is a historical fiction novel following young Elsie - a housemaid at Craigdarroch Castle who dreams of becoming an actress.

Elsie is spunky, imaginative, and free-willed. She’s a fun and amusing heroine, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about her. The setting of Craigdarroch Castle was cozy, magical, and reminiscent of Downton Abbey. I could picture the ballgowns and spiraling stairs, the tower rooms, and the bustling kitchen.

Unfortunately, the book is rather slow-paced. The blurb summarizes the first two-thirds of the story, and in my opinion, the whole book could have been half the length - either that, or it could have used a few subplots. There just wasn’t a lot going on that furthered the plot and thus it took me a long time to read. Sure, there were ‘things happening’, but I believe that every scene in a book should move the plot forward, and not every scene did.

Also, although this book is marketed as middle grade, the romance was not something I would be comfortable reading aloud to my younger siblings. There’s not a lot of it, and Tai and Elsie are a nice couple, but the descriptions of kissing and her thoughts about him physically were a bit much for a middle-grade age group. If the book was YA it would be fine, but it’s just too much for middle grade.

Aside from this, however, you can tell the book is very professionally edited and proof-read, and a novel set at a castle in Canada is new and refreshing. Also, the talk of the history of 1890, the year the book is set, is well worked in and never feels forced. I learned a lot of interesting tidbits I didn’t know before, which is always a plus when it comes to a historical novel.

All in all, it's a strong start to a writing career for Kay Jordan. I would recommend the book to 14+ who want to dwell for a while in 1890s Craigdarroch Castle.

[Heather Barksdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Through the Gate” introduces Elsie, a fifteen year old girl, living in Canada in the late 1800s. After her father dies, Elsie and her mother go to work at a castle for the Dunsmuir family. Her mother is grateful for the opportunity, but Elsie is less than thrilled.

Overall, I enjoyed the tale. The main character of Elsie was every bit the dreamy, angsty, and emotional teenage girl I wanted her to be. The budding romance was sweet while also emphasizing the importance young girls and women place on even the most benign of relationships. The environment of the castle was intriguing and the cast of characters was very individualized with unique personalities and motivations. This story was more of a coming of age tale so it dragged along in places and did not focus on a main event... the rest of this review can be found at heatherlbarksdale.com

I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Through the Gate
Author: Kay Jordan

Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 22
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 22 readers:
22 would read another book by this author.
22 thought the cover was good or excellent.
22 felt it was easy to follow.
22 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
21 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
22 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
“I thought this story was excellent. I was gripped by the castle setting and the way the author described everything.” Girl reader, aged 15
“I think if you lived locally to this castle, you would find this story super-interesting. The best character is Elsie. She’s sort of brave but often sad in the book. I think she often feels trapped.” Boy reader, aged 14
“The cover is amazing and it made me want to read the book. It was different to what I thought it would be, but not in a bad way. I think the author knows how to write in a compelling way with plenty happening and offering the reader an interesting historical setting. The characters develop in the story and the ending is exciting too.” Girl reader, aged 16
“I enjoyed this novel and I will try to find other books by this author.” Girl reader, aged 13
“Life in the castle was very interesting. I felt it was good not only as a novel but also as a history lesson.” Boy reader, aged 15

To Sum It Up:
‘A wonderfully enchanting story for young adult readers. A SILVER MEDAL WINNER and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[J. Else · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1890, Elsie and her mom are hired as servants for the Dunsmuir family, and they move into the family’s home, Craigdarroch Castle, on the coast of western Canada. While her mother is grateful for the opportunity, 15-year-old Elsie feels trapped. The Dunsmuir family own the mines her father died in during a tragic accident. Her only escape comes in the form of a Chinese servant who tends to the horses and laundry. Then the son of the Dunsmuir matriarch arrives from San Francisco. Elsie dreams of becoming an actress, and there’s a thriving theater business in San Francisco. Perhaps this visiting family member can make her dreams come true if he’ll hire her. While she practices performing in front of her Chinese friend, Elsie must be careful: their friendship is forbidden and could cost Elsie everything.

Elsie struggles with a sense of freedom and losing the memories of her father, while working for the Dunsmuirs, which is a beautifully-narrated journey. Overall, though, Elsie comes across as slightly immature. She talks back to her employers, sticks her tongue out at people, and goes through the Dunsmuir’s personal items. These actions feel too entitled for the time period and her station.

The story tackles multiple issues of growing up. Elsie becomes familiar with one of the Dunsmuir daughters, until Elsie’s love of performance threatens the daughter’s own need for attention resulting in bullying. Secondly, Elsie must deal with the racism against a Chinese servant she befriends who’s treated as less than human by everyone. The third is Elsie’s grief for her father. These issues are tackled sensitively and in a way that younger readers will relate to and understand. However, the ending comes about rather abruptly. I’m unsure if there’s a sequel coming, but many issues are left unresolved.

Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...

[Kimberly Furnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was engaging the whole way through. I found the main character Elsie to be creative and engaging. More than anything, the novel made the castle come alive. I have visited several times, but before reading the book I had never really experienced it as a real home with real people.

After reading Through the Gates I read the new Twilight (from Edward's perspective) & it bored me to tears. So much so that I stopped reading it. I was disappointed I couldn't just pick up the sequel to this book. Because that's my only fault with it: I would absolutely love to read a sequel! Though I suppose that isn't really a fault.

Definitely recommend this book!

[S.E. Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth every penny of the purchase price. I had the pleasure of reading this lovely piece of work just recently. From eye catching cover to intricate drawings inside. You could tell this author painstakingly prepared every inch of her work.

I found myself wanting to share with my granddaughter of a similar age to the main character after Chapter five. She's old enough to read it on her own, but I could see it as one of those books that grandparents and parents alike would love to share with their children.

The writing is such that it's a book meant to be savored, but I gobbled it up in three heaping sittings. It captivated from the first page and the storyline urged me to read on. I finished in a three-day time span. It would have been two if I hadn't forced myself to not read on through the night.

Elsie, the main character was so vivid, I could envision her expressions, her escapades. I laughed and felt pained when she did. I found myself loathing the characters she did. Other things I adored about this book. It was a candid look at the differences between the working class, and upper society. There are other charms, but those lead to spoilers. Please consider this for your next purchase. You won't be disappointed.

I'm looking forward to more about Elsie from this author. I'm invested. Put me on preorder for book two!

[Jenna Levere · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book at the Historic Craigdarroch Castle when I visited this summer. I kinda knew this book would be too young for me so I didn't find it overly engaging but nonetheless, I still wanted to read it because I loved exploring the castle myself.

My favourite part was definitely reading about the ins and out of the castle and recognizing/remembering certain rooms that I stepped foot in. I love old historical places, and learning about the Dunsmuir's in this case.

I also geeked out over the woodwork in the castle so whenever they mentioned the floor to ceiling wood paneling in the book, I knew exactly what they meant. I also enjoyed recognizing certain places mentioned in Victoria.

I appreciated reading a book set in the 1890's because part of me thinks I would like living in that era. Especially if it were in a castle, so I got to live out that fantasy a bit by reading this book.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful novel about a young girl who goes to work, as a maid, along with her mother, at a castle on Vancouver Island, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

This is s charming coming of age story, set in a real house, well castle, technically! At the time of this story, Craigdarroch castle was in the middle of nowhere, but is now fully surrounded by a beautiful city.

Having visited the castle several times, it was fun to read about the family, even as fiction. I actually purchased this book in the gift shop!

This is technically a young adult novel, but as a 64 yo woman, I still enjoyed it immensely!! Perhaps being able to vividly picture all the rooms, so clearly helped, but I would argue that even without such knowledge of the place, it’s still a fun story!

Enjoy!!!

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction is not a genre I often pick up, but in the case of Through the Gate I’m glad I did. This was a fun, engaging story that I couldn’t put down. I found myself invested in Elsie and enjoyed being drawn into the past of the city I live in. Definitely worth the read.