The Barefoot Queen by Ildefonso Falcones (History fans - this is a must read)

The year is 1748 and the time is bad, very bad for women everywhere. 

Caridad is a former slave who accompanies her master to Sevilla in Spain from Cuba. En route he dies and fortunately gives the girl her freedom. A freedom she knows nothing about. She has no idea how to live as a "free" person. She does not even consider herself as a person. Not even a chattel. She does not consider that she is worth anything - an animal in her opinion is worth more than her. 

This story is about Caridad and how she eventually throws in her lot or rather her lot was thrown in with her with the gypsies of Sevilla. Her chance encounter with them changes her life for not just her but also for Melchor who pities the woman and takes her back to his village. Much to the amazement, disgust and anger of his fellow gypsies Melchor takes her under his wing not for any ulterior motives but out of simple human goodness. He himself cannot understand why he does this but it is one of those inexplicable happenings which change life for both of them and also for the clan from which Melchor comes.

Intertwined with these two characters we also have the very forceful character of Ana and Jose - Ana the daughter of Melchor who has a constant battle with her husband and divided loyalties of whom to choose - father or husband. Her daughter Melagros whose beauty and sensuousness is not a blessing but a curse eventually leading to her almost total destruction. 

Historically fascinating as it reveals a period of history in Europe and Spain in particular where the gypsies are reviled, persecuted and hunted for over 150 years. The sadness of the story is enormous. But, you cannot put this book down. I am not one for sad stories but this was historical sadness on an epic scale. 

The courage, boldness and pride of the gypsies may have been their own downfall because this is what caused outsiders to dislike them. Their inability to integrate and become part of the common populace was their major drawback and this drew the ire of the aristocracy and the Emperor at the time. His edicts were far reaching and inhuman. It made the aristocracy not just cruel, but sadistic as well. 

Another over riding feature of this era was the treatment of women. There was virtually no position for women anywhere and if you did find a father who was fond of his daughter, the fondness or love was governed by dictates of the time. Melchor was different for his times and this set him apart. No one born in present day times would hanker to be a woman in the 1700s, even if you were aristocratic or from the king's family. 

The book was a fabulous read for me. I found it unput downable!

Sent to me via Netgalley for an honest review and through its publishers Crown Publishing.

Twelfth Night at Longbourn by Maria Grace

I won an Amazon gift card and this was my first purchase. I read about this book on Diary of an Eccentric and liked the review there.

Kitty is a bit of a whiner for me. She seems to be constantly whingeing about her fate after Lydia's infamous elopement. It has left her socially bereft. Her only friends seems to be the Lucas's and even here Maria pretends that she needs something urgently whenever she sees Kitty. Being offered a chance to go to Pemberley seems a god sent opportunity to just get away from the salacious gossip of the town and the nervous breakdown of her mother. Her father seems just indifferent. Only Lizzy could understand him and get him to smile.

Enroute to Pemberley with Miss Darcy and her new companion, Kitty encounters fresh problems. Miss Darcy is not compliant, polite in company and her companion rules that she is not fit to grace the august assemblies at Pemberley. Does this mean that Kitty goes back home? A fresh adventure awaits her with the Bingley's opportune arrival and Mr. Bingley offers to escort her along with his sister as chaperone back to Pemberley. The Bingleys have problems of their own with the behaviour of their sister Caroline so they have mutual stuff to grumble about!

Now it gets to the fairy tale part which was a bit too cloying for me. A pleasant read however. I like PP variations in whatever form. This was a good one and gave one of the hitherto ignored sisters a good airing. Why should Lizzy have all the fun?

Comfort me with Apples by Ruth Reichl

I didn't read the first book in the series - this one is the second and it was a download from Open Library. Had to wait twenty days for this one! But it did not matter as the sequel was very interesting as a stand alone. 

A memoir of good food, life and love of Ruth Reichl we enter the world of the restaurant critic. Having just embarked on this career which is a heady one (can't think of anything better than being allowed to eat at the best restaurants!) Reichl's book is a mix of beautifully descriptive food and meals interspersed with her personal life and marriage.

If you like good food, this is definitely one for you. Interspersed with receipes which one would certainly like to try - some of them simple ones this is a book for anyone who likes good food and restaurants.

Honestly written about her loves and her marriage as well, this is a very warm book.

Simon's Fel by P R Page

The cover is what actually drew me in. I am a sucker for pretty covers. The book did not disappoint either.

Lissy has been in an abusive relationship but her husband has died and for the last two years she has lived in a state of limbo. Not only her husband but her mother was a cold hearted, difficult woman who got together with Lissy's husband to manipulate and control Lissy to do exactly as they wanted. 

When Lissy finally awakens to the fact that she is not just free, but also quite independently wealthy she pursues her dream of a purchase of a cottage in the country. Moving to this little village, she sets about the complete renovation of her dream home and eventually moves in. Meeting a fellow villager who seems strange at the onset as he is antagonistic over the fact that she purchased the house as he too was trying to buy this, Lissy is at the same time very attracted to Simon. This is a feeling which is new to her as she was wary of all men. 

Lissy also finds a niche in the village - having found good friends who are supportive and caring, things which upto now were not part of her life.  The story unravels rather predictably but it was a very pleasant read for a holiday.

The book was sent to me by Netgalley via Troubador Publishing Ltd.

Mailbox Monday/It's Monday! What are you reading?

The mail was good to me!

             

I like this mix of genres.

I'm reading the Bina Shah book and have almost finished it. Excellent reading. I did read Benazir Bhutto's autobiography years back and found it fascinating - I found this book equally so. The centuries of history behind a particular person which has moulded Benazir Bhutto and made her what she was, was as good as the story.  Coming from a feudal family of Sindhis from a particular area of Pakistan and the history of that community is in itself a very good story.

The Abbot's Agreement by Mel Starr

The opening line in this one was a real eye catcher and it would be one which very few readers could resist. Especially if you are mystery book reader.

The book is one of a series written about Hugh a surgeon amongst other things in medieval England. The story revolves around an abbey and the vicious death of one of its young inmates. Seemingly random without an agenda Hugh and his sidekick Arthur on delving further find hidden motives amongst the occupants of the abbey, a young pretty woman in the neighbourhood and several young men outside the abbey all who could be responsible for the murder.

The who dun it was a simple story of deduction and method as to who the actual murderer was but the attraction in the story was also its writing and descriptive detail of how life was lived at that time in England. Slow paced but well written I enjoyed this book.

What you left behind - Samantha Hayes

The nightmare of parents is happening in the village of Radcote. A spate of teenage suicides happened two years ago. Seemingly random, it has raised alerts within the police community and when a young man is found dead by his motor cycle with a suicide note by his side, alarms are raised amongst many.

Freddie is young, vulnerable and unusually quiet. When his aunt Detective Lorraine Fisher comes for a vacation she realises that everything is not quite what it seems. Her sister has separated from her partner and whether this was the cause for Freddie's despair is also a possibility as Malc and the boy were unusually close. Unknown to the adults Freddie is a victim of  bullying and he does not know how to face up to his tormentors.  Although one other teenager is aware of what Freddie is going through, Lana is not going to come out with the truth as she feels that it will precipitate major problems both within her family and out, especially since once of the boys who committed suicide is her brother.

I could identify so much with Freddie - his wanting to just reveal all what he was hiding was so strong within in and at the same time he was terrified of what he had uncovered. He did not know whom to turn to and did not know what to do next. The dilemma of teenagers all over the world. What should one do, or should one try to be an adult and just deal with it.

A mystery thriller with elements of a family story as well. Secrets within a family well hidden and what happens when cracks appear and the whole sorry tale bursts out.

This was a book sent by Netgalley courtesy of  Crown Publishing.