By: I.C. Rivera
Publisher: El Yunque Publishing
This is an intriguing fictional story that revolves around an Assyrian refugee in the Netherlands named Samir and an Hispanic girl Isabel who moves to the Netherlands on a whim. Isabel leaves her job in the states because she doesn’t get a promotion that she has been working towards and believes it is rightfully hers. The promotion is given to her best friend and this is the catalyst that will change Isabel’s life forever. This move will take her on a ride of her life that she hadn’t bargained for.
The author does a wonderful job of weaving in a page turner plot along with page turner characters. Not only does the author interlace a great plot throughout the book, but she wonderfully introduces a character who is living between two worlds – Samir. The author captures the feeling and thinking of many refugees throughout the world caught in this scenario. Ms. Rivera does an excellent job of providing background information of all her characters, which makes the story come together. It is these very characters that will make you want to continue reading chapter after chapter to see what will happen next.
The descriptions and scenes are so right on and just altogether well written. You feel as if you were in the Netherlands experiencing a different culture, yet you are also immersed into the characters feeling what they feel as the story progresses. The angle that the author takes with the plot is intriguing and this approach added to the overall story line. There is action, romance, intrigue, and history all rolled into one; all the elements for a good read. You can tell that the author did her homework.
If the author’s goal was to tell a vibrant and relevant story, she did just that. The story will make you think about the lives of refugees around the world and what they go through not only from a physical standpoint, but from an emotional point of view. It is so poignant to the current times and what is happening today with refugees around the world.
The book is 288 pages long and packed with the elements of making you curl up on the sofa with a warm blanket on a cloudy day. This is a great book to buy and one to read at your leisure. I am glad to have it on my bookshelf.
Source: Book was provided by author for review. It was reviewed by Corina Martinez Chaudhry.
