By Sandra Perez Gluschankoff
Publisher: Martin Sisters Publishing
The book is skillfully written to capture the story of two women and their connection over four centuries in time. The author does an excellent job of weaving in Jewish persecution during the Spanish Inquisition and also brings in the Political Dirty War of Argentina during the 1970s. Could it be because the author uses her own background (intertwined with various rich cultures such as Romanian Jews, Middle East cultures, born and raised in Argentina, being versed in Judaic studies) to make the book so intriguing? I would say that this is definitely a contributing factor. Not only does she write a wonderful story using her background knowledge, but she has created characters and events to splendidly connect the dots throughout the book and make it sound convincing.
Her use of “spirituality” to tie the characters from one century to another is interesting. It is just enough that it makes the story plausible, but not too much that it becomes intrusive. The plot is intricate and will keep you guessing as to what is coming next. Just when you thought you had it figured out, the author adds a new twist.
The beginning of the book draws you in quickly. The story begins with a little boy named Salomon being dumped into a linen sack to sail off on a ship. How much more intense can a beginning get? Although there is an abundance of characters, they all have a purpose and add to the story. The author does an excellent job of making the characters interesting and quickly gets the reader to connect with the various personalities.
The book is written with a third person point of view, which works well for this plot as the reader travels back and forth between centuries and characters. I couldn’t imagine it working quite as well had it been done with a first person point of view. The romantic scenes are not overdone and are quite comfortable for most readers. The violent scenes, although some would consider descriptive, are necessary to the overall plot and theme of the book and most definitely add to the intrigue of the story.
The author’s gift for weaving characters, plot, and scenes effectively is what makes this book out of the ordinary. If you are looking for a historical fiction book that includes lots of suspense and page turners, then this is definitely one to read this year. I doubt that you will be disappointed.
Source: Book was provided by author for review. It was reviewed by Corina Martinez Chaudhry.
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