The Squire of Sandal-side

4.5 stars
A tale of family and home set in the mid-19th century. Sandal has been in the family for generations and is in the story almost as a character itself. Charlotte is ultimately the focus of the novel, and I did enjoy her tale. She does all she can to honor her family while her sister proves herself to be less than concerned with others' feelings, and her brother is away spending more money than he ought of his inheritance.

My favorite part is that you feel like you know the family when you finish a Barr story. All the interesting little details are there, the herbs on the floor, the stress of bad news, the cook's dismay at “a little pudding” being required...you can identify with it all, though the description is done with a light hand. A few words suffice.