The Tenth Gift

In an expensive London restaurant, Julia Lovat receives a gift that will change her life. At first glance it is a book of exquisite 17th-century embroidery patterns belonging to a woman named Catherine Ann Tregenna. Yet in its margins Julia discovers faintly written diary entries that date back to 1625. They reveal that Catherine and others were stolen from their Cornish church by Muslim pirates and taken on a brutal voyage to Morocco to be auctioned off as slaves. Captivated by this dramatic discovery, Julia sets off to North Africa to determine the authenticity of the book and to uncover more of Catherine’s mesmerizing story. There, in the company of a charismatic Moroccan guide, amid the sultry heat, the spice markets, and exotic ruins, Julia will discover buried secrets. And in Morocco, she will lose her heart just as Catherine did before her.

Though they live almost 400 years apart, the stories of these two women converge in an extraordinary and haunting manner that will make readers wonder—is history fated to repeat itself?

I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the overall book, but there were several things about it that I couldn't wrap my mind around. I won't go into detail because it will probably spoil the book for others, so I'm keeping mum.

But the one thing that I enjoyed the most about the book was that there was a mysticism about it...Two women connect with each other but they live 400 years apart. And Julia traveling to Morocco and discovering its culture and people, added to that.

The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson (3.5/5) Fiction; Historical Fiction; Published: Crown (5/2008); 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (116);