Darjeeling inheritance is a historical romance, emphasis on the romance. In my twenties I would have loved this book. The more the romance the better,Darjeeling inheritance is a historical romance, emphasis on the romance. In my twenties I would have loved this book. The more the romance the better, if there was an historical setting that was a bonus. Today in my sixties I find my reading tastes have done a 180. While enjoying some romance in a book,I’m looking for more historical detail and depth then this book offers. This is not said to slam the book, simply to point out a fact that may bias my review. The book is a simple story, simply told. The main character is an 18 year old woman, Charlotte who has returned to India after an absence of 11 years during which she attended school in England. Upon her return she finds her much loved father died two days prior, leaving her the family’s tea garden as her inheritance. Being 1930’s India she is told she will not be able to successfully run the business because she a female. She is left with two choices sell the garden or marry a neighbors� son and merge the two farms. She cannot imagine selling so she chooses the later BUT can she go through with marriage to a man she does not love or is love possible? This is the dilemma Charlotte faces. Of course my summary does not include the twists and turns present of which there are quite a few. Unfortunately I was able to predict them at about a quarter of the way through. The writing in general, with the exception of a few run on sentences, was nicely done. The main characters were adequately developed and the pacing of the book was even with each scene moving the plot forward. I cannot recommend this book for readers like myself who are looking for more complex themes and storylines. However if a simple nicely told romance is what your looking for this just might be the book for you.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Heywood Press, through net galley. This fact in no way influenced my review.
Merged review:
Darjeeling inheritance is a historical romance, emphasis on the romance. In my twenties I would have loved this book. The more the romance the better, if there was an historical setting that was a bonus. Today in my sixties I find my reading tastes have done a 180. While enjoying some romance in a book,I’m looking for more historical detail and depth then this book offers. This is not said to slam the book, simply to point out a fact that may bias my review. The book is a simple story, simply told. The main character is an 18 year old woman, Charlotte who has returned to India after an absence of 11 years during which she attended school in England. Upon her return she finds her much loved father died two days prior, leaving her the family’s tea garden as her inheritance. Being 1930’s India she is told she will not be able to successfully run the business because she a female. She is left with two choices sell the garden or marry a neighbors� son and merge the two farms. She cannot imagine selling so she chooses the later BUT can she go through with marriage to a man she does not love or is love possible? This is the dilemma Charlotte faces. Of course my summary does not include the twists and turns present of which there are quite a few. Unfortunately I was able to predict them at about a quarter of the way through. The writing in general, with the exception of a few run on sentences, was nicely done. The main characters were adequately developed and the pacing of the book was even with each scene moving the plot forward. I cannot recommend this book for readers like myself who are looking for more complex themes and storylines. However if a simple nicely told romance is what your looking for this just might be the book for you.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Heywood Press, through net galley. This fact in no way influenced my review....more
Slewfoot is a tale reminiscent of the Salam witch trials.but it’s so much more. If you think this is a simple retelling of Salem you’d be so wrong. WhSlewfoot is a tale reminiscent of the Salam witch trials.but it’s so much more. If you think this is a simple retelling of Salem you’d be so wrong. What if there really were devils in this world. And magic existed hand and hand with nature? What if devils could be conflicted? All are questions explored by Brom The story centers on Abitha, a young wife who grew up in London and was sold into marriage,by her father, to a Puritan man living in Sutton , CT. Abitha finds that the life is hard but life amongst the Puritans is even harder. Though the marriage was arranged real affection grows between the couple. The main problem they face is the debt they owe her husband Edward’s brother Wallace. Once it is paid they will own the farm they are working on. Wallace despises Abitha because she is a strong outspoken woman in a society that believes women are inferior to men and should not speak unless spoken to. When Edward dies in an “accident� the pressure to bring in the crop alone intensifies. Add to the story that a blood craving spirit is awakening and you have a great tale going. I truly loved this book. Bron does an excellent job defining each character well, even the minor ones. As you can see from the description above,which only touches the surface of the storyline, Bron has created a rich complex plot. I read this using an audiobook. I highly recommend this choice! The narrator is a very talented actress who creates each scene as if she were staging a play. I was fully immersed in each chapter. I give it 4.5 stars.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Macmillan Audio and net galley. This fact in no way influenced my review.
Merged review:
Slewfoot is a tale reminiscent of the Salam witch trials.but it’s so much more. If you think this is a simple retelling of Salem you’d be so wrong. What if there really were devils in this world. And magic existed hand and hand with nature? What if devils could be conflicted? All are questions explored by Brom The story centers on Abitha, a young wife who grew up in London and was sold into marriage,by her father, to a Puritan man living in Sutton , CT. Abitha finds that the life is hard but life amongst the Puritans is even harder. Though the marriage was arranged real affection grows between the couple. The main problem they face is the debt they owe her husband Edward’s brother Wallace. Once it is paid they will own the farm they are working on. Wallace despises Abitha because she is a strong outspoken woman in a society that believes women are inferior to men and should not speak unless spoken to. When Edward dies in an “accident� the pressure to bring in the crop alone intensifies. Add to the story that a blood craving spirit is awakening and you have a great tale going. I truly loved this book. Bron does an excellent job defining each character well, even the minor ones. As you can see from the description above,which only touches the surface of the storyline, Bron has created a rich complex plot. I read this using an audiobook. I highly recommend this choice! The narrator is a very talented actress who creates each scene as if she were staging a play. I was fully immersed in each chapter. I give it 4.5 stars.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Macmillan Audio and net galley. This fact in no way influenced my review....more
This is the hardest review I’ve ever had to write. Isabel Allende is a favorite author of mine, having read 4 of her books 2.5 disappointing stars ⭐️,
This is the hardest review I’ve ever had to write. Isabel Allende is a favorite author of mine, having read 4 of her books which I enjoyed very much. In addition this book has generated mostly 4 and 5 star reviews. I feel I must have read a different book since I can’t agree. Since i’m definitely in the minority here PLEASE take the time to check out other reviews before deciding to not read this book! The storyline is simple. It is 2020 and Violeta is 100 years old and feels her death drawing near. She wishes to leave her life story with her grandson,Camilo so writes him a long letter detailing all she has seen and experienced along the way. I should probably not have requested this title since I’m the type that prefers to be shown what happened not told. The letter format was almost all tell and no show. Also for a good amount of he book Violeta recites the events with a flat, almost monotone voice. It felt like she was relating events that had nothing to do with her. I did chose this book since Chilean history is not something.I was very familiar with. Violeta’s life is literally bookended by pandemics. She was born in 1920 the year the Spanish Influenza Reached Chile. She expects to die in 2020 the year the world was overtaken by Covid 19. In between those years the world experienced much turmoil and I looked forward to learning a great deal of history while reading. Unfortunately this did not happen. For example WWII and the immediate aftermath was literally handled with one small paragraph stating that it didn’t affect her directly so she paid no attention when “the men� were discussing it. What a wasted opportunity! It is well known that many German war criminals escaped Europe to South America surely a great adventurous story could have been crafted to boost a pretty boring storyline. Despite a very promising beginning where Violetas� character appears to be a strong, intelligent and courageous young woman who is willing to challenge the social traditions that stifle women once she meets Julian this all changes. Julian is a charming pilot that comes into her life early in her marriage and sweeps her off her feet and away from her husband. Julian is a flawed character. He is a hard drinking, womanizing man who is often away flying anyone who wants service even those from the criminal world. Their relationship soon becomes abusive. He is physically abusive to her and emotionally and verbally abusive to their children. Try as I might I could not understand her decisions for staying. She was not dependent financially, she was financially secure and didn’t need him for her livelihood. I think it was more that she seemed to be addicted to the passion they had for each other. She rarely if ever discussed her love for him, that I could understand, but she does talk a great deal about their sexual connection and lust for each other. After an altercation she’d be ready to end the relationship but he would seduce her into bed and she would stay. I do understand domestic violence well and know that each woman stays for reasons that are unique to her relationship. I just never could discern her reasons. I am very empathetic to any person caught in such a destructive and dangerous relationship I just couldn’t extend that empathy to her. I could give other examples of why I did not like the book but to do so I would have to include spoilers. That is something I won’t do. I can only repeat that my opinion is definitely in the minority here and you should take that into account when making your decision.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Ballantine Books and NetGalley. This fact in no way influenced my review.
Merged review:
2.5 disappointing stars ⭐️,
This is the hardest review I’ve ever had to write. Isabel Allende is a favorite author of mine, having read 4 of her books which I enjoyed very much. In addition this book has generated mostly 4 and 5 star reviews. I feel I must have read a different book since I can’t agree. Since i’m definitely in the minority here PLEASE take the time to check out other reviews before deciding to not read this book! The storyline is simple. It is 2020 and Violeta is 100 years old and feels her death drawing near. She wishes to leave her life story with her grandson,Camilo so writes him a long letter detailing all she has seen and experienced along the way. I should probably not have requested this title since I’m the type that prefers to be shown what happened not told. The letter format was almost all tell and no show. Also for a good amount of he book Violeta recites the events with a flat, almost monotone voice. It felt like she was relating events that had nothing to do with her. I did chose this book since Chilean history is not something.I was very familiar with. Violeta’s life is literally bookended by pandemics. She was born in 1920 the year the Spanish Influenza Reached Chile. She expects to die in 2020 the year the world was overtaken by Covid 19. In between those years the world experienced much turmoil and I looked forward to learning a great deal of history while reading. Unfortunately this did not happen. For example WWII and the immediate aftermath was literally handled with one small paragraph stating that it didn’t affect her directly so she paid no attention when “the men� were discussing it. What a wasted opportunity! It is well known that many German war criminals escaped Europe to South America surely a great adventurous story could have been crafted to boost a pretty boring storyline. Despite a very promising beginning where Violetas� character appears to be a strong, intelligent and courageous young woman who is willing to challenge the social traditions that stifle women once she meets Julian this all changes. Julian is a charming pilot that comes into her life early in her marriage and sweeps her off her feet and away from her husband. Julian is a flawed character. He is a hard drinking, womanizing man who is often away flying anyone who wants service even those from the criminal world. Their relationship soon becomes abusive. He is physically abusive to her and emotionally and verbally abusive to their children. Try as I might I could not understand her decisions for staying. She was not dependent financially, she was financially secure and didn’t need him for her livelihood. I think it was more that she seemed to be addicted to the passion they had for each other. She rarely if ever discussed her love for him, that I could understand, but she does talk a great deal about their sexual connection and lust for each other. After an altercation she’d be ready to end the relationship but he would seduce her into bed and she would stay. I do understand domestic violence well and know that each woman stays for reasons that are unique to her relationship. I just never could discern her reasons. I am very empathetic to any person caught in such a destructive and dangerous relationship I just couldn’t extend that empathy to her. I could give other examples of why I did not like the book but to do so I would have to include spoilers. That is something I won’t do. I can only repeat that my opinion is definitely in the minority here and you should take that into account when making your decision.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Ballantine Books and NetGalley. This fact in no way influenced my review....more
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