P is for Potugal

I chose to read Baltasar and Blimunda by Jose Saramago for my P entry for Alphabet in Historical Fiction. The book is set in Portugal during the 1700's.

Here's the blurb:

Portugal, 1711: an amorous friar is pursued naked through the rubble-strwn streets of Lisbon; an enthusiastic procession of flagellants roars with pleasure over the damnation of adultery; a royal prince uses hapless sailors for target practice; and women dressed in colorful finery watch as lapsed converts and sorcerers are put to death by flames. In the midst of the terrors of the Inquisition and the plague, a seemingly mismatched couple discovers the wonders of love. This poetic tale, graced with exquisite historical detail and full of magic and adventure, is a tapestry of human folly and human will.

I'm probably going to sound like a broken record but it seems like I always repeat myself when I read a novel by Jose Saramago. It took me a while to get into the story because of my need to get used to the language, the size of the sentences and the characters dialogue. And once that happens the book was a pleasure to read.

The author is an amazing story teller, and I was hooked, I wanted to know more about Blimunda and Baltasar and Padre Bartolomeu Lourenco and I loved reading about the Royal exploits. The book had everything, it was funny, sad, sensual, thought provoking and it was all set during true historical events. I feel like I have a connection to this book, I've been to that convent in Mafra, and actually it's one of my favourites places to visit when I'm in Portugal. Knowing the background of the construction along with the fictional re-telling of the events was quite an experience.

Baltasar and Blimunda by Jose Saramago (4.5/5) Historical Fiction; Translated from the Portuguese by Giovanni Pontiero; Published as Memorial do Convento in 1982 by Editorial Caminho; Published: Harcourt Brace 1987; 1001 You Must Read (80); Year of the Historical (11); Alphabet Historical Challenge (16); Books 2010 (76);

M is for McNees

I read The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees for my "M" entry in the Historical Tapestry's The Alphabet in Historical Fiction Challenge.

I chose this book for two reasons. First, it's about one of my favorite childhood authors, Louisa May Alcott - I cannot count the times I've read and re-read Little Women, or how many versions of the movie I've watched. Secondly, the book hinted of a secret summer that may have influenced the author, either in a good or a bad way. Curiosity is the bane of existence ... just in a good way.

Here's the blurb for The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott (taken from the author's website):

Millions of readers across generations have laughed and cried with the March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, Little Women. And there has never been a more beloved heroine in the history of American letters than Jo March, Louisa’s alter ego and an iconic figure of independent spirit and big dreams. But as Louisa knew all too well, big dreams often come at a cost.

In her debut novel, The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, Kelly O’Connor McNees deftly mixes fact and fiction as she imagines a summer lost to history, carefully purged from Louisa’s letters and journals, a summer that would change the course of Louisa’s writing career—and inspire the story of love and heartbreak between Jo and Teddy “Laurie” Laurence, Jo’s devoted neighbor and kindred spirit.

In the summer of 1855, Walt Whitman’s controversial Leaves of Grass has just been released, and the notion of making a living as a writer is still a far-off dream for Louisa. She is twenty-two years old, vivacious, and bursting with a desire to be free of her family and societal constraints so she can do what she loves the most—write. The Alcott family, destitute, as usual, moves to a generous uncle’s empty house in Walpole, New Hampshire, for the summer. Here, a striking but pensive Louisa meets the fictional Joseph Singer. Louisa is initially unimpressed by Joseph’s charms. But just as Louisa begins to open her heart, she learns that Joseph may not be free to give his away. Their newfound love carries a steep price, and Louisa fears she may pay with the independence she has fought so hard to protect.

I was hooked right from the beginning. The story had a way of grabbing me and not letting go for a long period of time. I truly lost myself in this book. I was "transported" back to pre-Civil War America, and saw it through a young woman's eyes. For some odd reason it felt like I was truly there. There were times that I felt like I was reading Little Women, and then it hit me that maybe Louisa May Alcott took her family (four girls) as the model for the Marsh's.

I think what I most liked about the story was Louisa's inner battle about losing her independence and her need to write and follow the path that she always imagined and then falling in love with a man that in her mind would make her lose all her hopes and dreams.

Although I enjoyed the fictional life I am now curious on her real life, so I'll be searching for a biography.

Don't forget to visit Historical Tapestry for more M entries.

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees (4/5) Historical Fiction; Published: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam (4/2010); New Author; Alphabet Historical Challenge (13); Year of the Historical (10); Books 2010 (65);

L is for Lady

The next letter is the Alphabet In Historical Fiction Challenge is L. I chose to Lady Macbeth by Susan Fraser King. Let me start by saying that I don't like the Shakespearean play, I struggled with it, it was violent and vicious. But I wanted to know the "real" Macbeth. Yep, curiosity! It's the bane of my existence!

Here's the blurb for Lady Macbeth:

I am granddaughter to a king and daughter to a prince, a wife twice over, a queen as well. I have fought with sword and bow, and struggled fierce to bear my babes into this world. I have loved deeply and hated deeply, too...

Lady Gruadh, called Rue, is the last female descendant of Scotland's most royal line. Married to a powerful northern lord, she is widowed while still carrying his child and forced to marry her husband's murderer: a rising warlord named Macbeth. Encountering danger from Vikings, Saxons, and treacherous Scottish lords, Rue begins to respect the man she once despised--and then realizes that Macbeth's complex ambitions extend beyond the borders of the vast northern region. Among the powerful warlords and their steel-games, only Macbeth can unite Scotland--and his wife's royal blood is the key to his ultimate success.

Determined to protect her small son and a proud legacy of warrior kings and strong women, Rue invokes the ancient wisdom and secret practices of her female ancestors as she strives to hold her own in a warrior society. Finally, side by side as the last Celtic king and queen of Scotland, she and Macbeth must face the gathering storm brought on by their combined destiny.

From towering crags to misted moors and staunch fortresses, Lady Macbeth transports readers to the heart of eleventh-century Scotland, painting a bold, vivid portrait of a woman much maligned by history.

I loved the book! I was hooked right from the beginning. The way that it's written it almost felt like poetry. I was experiencing everything that Rue was, the fear, the pride, the need for revenge and the emotions just kept on pilling up. And the setting was breathtaking, even the winter was something to be experienced.

Like I mentioned before I was never a big fan of William Shakespeare's MacBeth. I can't really pinpoint exactly what turned me off of the play, it could have my teacher or could have been that I truly didn't want to read it back then. But now I am curious on how the bard perceived Macbeth and his lady, I wonder if the tales he heard and then created were so one-dimensional...Man, I might just have to re-read the play.

I truly enjoyed the characters, all of them, the good and the bad. Even though at times I had a hard time pronouncing and remembering names. I ended making notes on my bookmark. I found Rue, strong, independent, and intelligent, she was comfortable with her mother's paganism and she followed herself, she was high-spirited and proud of her heritage. I instantly liked Macbeth, he was strong warrior with a sense of honor and justice that was overwhelming at times. He wanted vengeance for what had happen to his father but had the patience to wait to strike. There was a kindness about him that was very appealing.

Wonderful book! I highly recommend it.

Lady Macbeth by Susan Fraser King (4.5/5) Historical Fiction; Published: Crown (2/2008); New Author; Alphabet Historical Challenge (12); Year of the Historical (9); Books 2010 (58);

The Jade Peony

Chinatown, Vancouver, in the late 1930s and '40s provides the backdrop for this poignant first novel, told through the vivid reminiscences of the three younger children of an immigrant Chinese family. The siblings grapple with their individual identities in a changing world, wresting autonomy from the strictures of history, family, and poverty.

Sister Jook-Liang dreams of becoming Shirley Temple and escaping the rigid, old ways of China. Adopted Second Brother Jung-Sum, struggling with his sexuality and the trauma of his childhood in China, finds his way through boxing. Third Brother Sekky, who never feels comfortable with the multitude of Chinese dialects swirling around him, becomes obsessed with war games, and learns a devastating lesson about what war really means when his 17-year-old babysitter dates a Japanese man.

Mingling with life in Canada and the horror of war are the magic, ghosts, and family secrets of Poh-Poh, or Grandmother, who is the heart and pillar of the family. Side by side, her three grandchildren survive hardships and heartbreaks with grit and humor. Like the jade peony of the title, Choy's storytelling is at once delicate, powerful, and lovely.

The Jade Peony was one of those books that I lost myself in...I loved the setting, the 30's in Vancouver with immigrants and their children. The children grow up with the old country morals and tales while living in a different culture who doesn't necessarily understand where they are coming from. As a daughter of immigrants I can understand the confusion of blending the new and old.

Each sibling has a section in the book. Jook-Liang, the only sister, has a beautiful relationship with an elderly man, she loves hearing his stories and he loves to watch her perform. Jung-Sum, the middle adopted brother, struggles with belonging, remembering his biological parents and a sense that he is different from the other boys. And then there's the baby of the family, Sekky, who everyone think is brainless because of his health issues; he forms a interesting friendship with his babysitter and learns a difficult lesson very early in his life.

My only complaint was that it wasn't enough, I wanted to know what happened next.

The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy (4/5) Historical Fiction; Published: Douglas & McIntyre (10/95); New Author; Canadian Author; Canada Reads 2010; What's In A Name? (2); Year of the Historical (8); Canadian Book Challenge (12); Books 2010 (54);

Loving Mr. Darcy

DARCY IS HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE

Six months into his marriage to Elizabeth Bennet, Darcy is still awestruck by his beautiful wife and their unparalleled love and passion. For Darcy, each day offers more opportunities to surprise and delight his beloved bride.

LIZZY IS READY FOR ANYTHING

Elizabeth has quickly adapted to being Mistress of Pemberley, charming everyone she meets and handling her duties with grace and poise. Just when it seems life can't get any better, Elizabeth gets the most wonderful news.

TOGETHER THEY EMBARK ON THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME

The lovers leave the serenity of Pemberley, traveling through the sumptuous landscape of Regency England, experiencing the lavish sights, sounds, and tastes around them. With each day comes new discoveries as they become further entwined, body and soul, and a most sacred bond grows ever deeper.

Anyone that picks up this book expecting it to be a sequel of the novel will be bitterly disappointed, it is not a sequel to Jane Austen's P&P, but it is a entertaining fantasy of what might have happened to Lizzie and Darcy during their first year of marriage.

I read the first book, Two Shall Become One, recently and thought it was a good read, it was interesting and I liked the way the author showed the Darcy's as a newly married couple. In this book they travel from Pemberley to Darcy House in London, and it revolves around their life there. And we also see some favorites, the Bingley's are visiting as well. Miss Bingley is also there and there's a glimpse that she may be understanding that marriage is more than a way to improve social standing, there's love. Lady Catherine comes for a visit and let's say that Lizzy and Lady De Bourgh have an interesting conversation. The author also introduced new characters, which I loved reading about, Dr Darcy and Raja, both recently back from India and I found them to be the scene stealer's of this book.

I did feel at times that the author was going on too much about certain things, but otherwise I thought it was another good read.

Loving Mr Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley by Sharon Lathan (3.5/5) Historical Fiction; Published: Sourcebooks Landmark (2009); Series: # 2, Darcy Saga; Year of the Historical (7); Books 2010 (44);

I is for Ireland

The latest installment (the letter I) of The Alphabet in Historical Fiction which is hosted by the lovely ladies over at Historical Tapestry, gave me headaches. Seriously. For some reason I couldn't come up with anything that I could use for the letter I. So I went and asked a librarian. She looked at me strangely and suggested Ireland. Well, how I couldn't come up with that, I don't know. I went searching and found a Young Adult book, it's a fictionalized story of Richard and Aiofe, two legendary heroes of Irish history.

Here's the blurb for Strongbow: The Story of Richard and Aoife by Morgan Llywelyn:

More than eight centuries ago, a boy named Richard de Clare was born in a castle in Wales. The son of the powerful and warlike Earl of Pembroke, Richard - nicknamed Strongbow after his father's death - was trained as a ruthless fighter and a daring leader. But the life of a warrior proved to be a lonely one for Richard. And, as it turned out, a luckless one, for Richard one day found himself stripped of both his land and his title.

Then came news from faraway Ireland of a king, Dermot Mac Murrough, who has lost his kingdom and was willing to pay a handsome sum to any nobleman who could raise an army to reclaim it. Here, at last, was an opportunity for Richard to restore his honor. His reward? A bounty of land...and the hand of Mac Murrough's daughter in marriage, none other than the wild and willful Princess Aoife.

Together they fought - side by side - to defend their land and their people.

And changed the history of Ireland forever.

I'm not a huge fan of first person narrators, but this book was different. The narrator alternated between Aiofe and Richard each chapter. You got a different perspective in each chapter and I found that very informative. I felt that the author focused quite a bit on the role of daughters as property and also their roles as wives. Basically they were pawns in a elaborate game of chess. I liked that Aoife was such a strong character, it made her likable, she fought her own way. And I also found her struggle to understand her father's other persona to be believable.

I found it easy to read. I'm not sure on how accurate the history and the timeline but regardless it was a good solid read and I may just start reading more about Ireland.

Strongbow: The Story of Richard and Aoife by Morgan Llywelyn (3.5/5) Young Adult Historical Fiction; Published: Tor (1992); Year of the Historical (6); Young Adult Reading Challenge (3); Alphabet Historical Challenge (9); Books 2010 (41);

Two Shall Become One

A honeymoon can last a lifetime

Beginning on their wedding day, Pride and Prejudice's Darcy and Elizabeth are two people who are deeply in love with one another and are excited to begin their marriage.

Their courtship was tempestuous; misunderstandings and misgivings nearly tore them apart. But now that they've seen each other without prejudice, their trust, attraction, and delight in each other grows with every passing day. Both are inexperienced and innocent, sharing moments of shyness and boldness as they discover the kinds of intimacies that a newlywed couple shares.

As their love story unfolds, they reveal their innermost secrets and feelings, embracing each other in a marriage filled with romance, passion, humor, and drama that will keep you spellbound.

Have you read the reviews of this book on Amazon? They're all over the place. Some love it and other hate it. I don't buy books very often but before I decide to buy I do research: I read reviews. And Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One by Sharon Lathan definitely sparked my curiosity. Ok, not only the reviews but the fact that the book is the sequel to the movie (starring Keira Knightly) and not the original P&P.

And with that in mind, I actually enjoyed the book. I found it to be an entertaining read, one of those that you can relax on the couch, enjoy the silence and just read... It wasn't a complicated read, it was a simple look into the life of a newly married couple. Getting to know each other intimately, getting used to their nuances, experiencing their first disagreements, etc...

I found it interesting that I imagined Darcy and Elizabeth as the same people as the movie. It was interesting and a little strange, it seemed to me that I was invading their privacy. Funny, isn't it?

I will be looking forward to the next book, Loving Mr Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley.

Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One by Sharon Lathan (3.5/5) Historical Fiction; Published: Sourcebooks Landmark (2009); New Author; Series: # 1, Darcy Saga; Year of the Historical (5); Books 2010 (40);

The Day the Falls Stood Still

Steeped in the intriguing history of Niagara Falls, this epic love story is as rich, spellbinding, and majestic as the falls themselves.

1915. The dawn of the hydroelectric power era in Niagara Falls. Seventeen-year-old Bess Heath has led a sheltered existence as the youngest daughter of the director of the Niagara Power Company. After graduation day at her boarding school, she is impatient to return to her picturesque family home near Niagara Falls. But when she arrives, nothing is as she had left it. Her father has lost his job at the power company, her mother is reduced to taking in sewing from the society ladies she once entertained, and Isabel, her vivacious older sister, is a shadow of her former self. She has shut herself in her bedroom, barely eating--and harboring a secret.

The night of her return, Bess meets Tom Cole by chance on a trolley platform. She finds herself inexplicably drawn to him--against her family's strong objections. He is not from their world. Rough-hewn and fearless, he lives off what the river provides and has an uncanny ability to predict the whims of the falls. His daring river rescues render him a local hero and cast him as a threat to the power companies that seek to harness the power of the falls for themselves. As their lives become more fully entwined, Bess is forced to make a painful choice between what she wants and what is best for her family and her future.

Set against the tumultuous backdrop of Niagara Falls, at a time when daredevils shot the river rapids in barrels and great industrial fortunes were made and lost as quickly as lives disappeared, The Day the Falls Stood Still is an intoxicating debut novel.

I love discovering new authors, especially Canadian ones, and when I saw this book under the debut area I just had to have it. But what really caught my eye was the title, The Day the Falls Stood Still, the story is set in Niagara Falls during the years of 1915 to 1923. I live about an hour and half from the Falls...so it's basically in my backyard.

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan is a love story. It's a love story between two people, Bess and Tom. But it is also a story about Tom's love for the Niagara River and the Falls. And it revolves around the beginning of the Hydro-Electric powerhouse and in the introduction of electricity to the public. There's also Bess and Tom's experience with WWI. Bess is a seventeen year old girl when she falls in love with Tom, a river man. Tom has an ability to understand the river and to predict dangerous events on the river, and if needed he rescues people. He also pulls out bodies when accidents happen. When a tragedy occurs in Bess's family she turns to Tom and by doing so she brings more hurt to her family. But Bess follows her heart.

I found it beautifully written and so compelling. It had me in tears several times, and I was truly amazed on how I felt the hurt, the fear and the anger of these characters. I highly recommend this book!

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan (4.5/5) Historical Fiction; Published: Voice (8/09); New Author; Debut; Canadian Author; Year of the Historical (4); Canadian Book Challenge (9); Books 2010 (39);

H is for Harper, Karen

For the latest installment (the letter H) of The Alphabet in Historical Fiction which is hosted by the lovely ladies over at Historical Tapestry, I had a hard time figuring out what to read, so I went to my TBR pit and found Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper. I have a number of her historicals in my TBR pit but I never read them before...shame, shame...but I have read her contemporary suspense novels which I enjoy. I didn't know what to expect of her historicals, I have heard great things about them (considering a have number of them) but I was afraid that I wouldn't enjoy them.

Here's the blurb for Mistress Shakespeare:

In Mistress Shakespeare, Elizabethan beauty Anne Whateley reveals intimate details of her dangerous, daring life and her great love, William Shakespeare. As historical records show, Anne Whateley of Temple Grafton is betrothed to Will just days before he is forced to wed the pregnant Anne Hathaway of Shottery. The clandestine Whateley/Shakespeare match is a meeting of hearts and heads that no one—not even Queen Elizabeth or her spymasters—can destroy.

From rural Stratford-upon- Avon to teeming London, the passionate pair struggles to stay solvent and remain safe from Elizabeth I’s campaign to hunt down secret Catholics, of whom Shakespeare is rumored to be a part. Often at odds, always in love, the couple sells Will’s first plays and, as he climbs to theatrical power in Elizabeth’s England, they fend off fierce competition from rival London dramatists, ones as treacherous as they are talented. Persecution and plague, insurrection and inferno, friends and foes, even executions of those they hold dear, bring Anne’s heartrending story to life.

Spanning half a century of Elizabethan and Jacobean history and sweeping from the lowest reaches of society to the royal court, this richly textured novel tells the real story of Shakespeare in love.

I loved the story! I'm amazed that I enjoyed it so much, who would have thought....Let me explain, I enjoy Shakespeare as much as the next person, but during a class I took at University I had to dwell into his history, which there's isn't much, his life and works don't mesh together and there's a lot of historians that believe that Shakespeare the author was a completely different person. And let me say I do not know enough to have an opinion.

But that's the beauty of fiction, and this one really made me like the man, the actor, the poet, and the play write. Don't get me wrong I found him to be selfish, frustrating and often times an idiot, but he was human. He made mistakes and he tried to fix them. He was honorable in his own way. The true star of the book was Anne Whateley. She was a childhood friend, later his love and the one that he truly wanted to marry. She had no choice but to along with his marriage to the other Anne (Hathaway), I could understand her anger and sadness. She had to live with the decisions that were made for her and Will. She was a strong and independent woman in a time that you didn't see it often. She ran her father's business. And she was also a true admirer of Queen Elizabeth. But the one thing she wanted the most was to be recognized as the true Mistress Shakespeare.

Not only were the characters wonderfully written but the setting of the late 1500's and early 1600's London felt real. I'm not an historical expert but I felt like I was truly experiencing London in that era. She gave me a glimpse on how people lived, concerns about family life, property and social standing, and along the way I also experienced the fear of the plague.

Definitely a keeper!

Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper (4.5/5) Historical Fiction; Published: Putnam Adult (2/09); Year of the Historical (3); Alphabet Historical Challenge (8); Books 2010 (34);

E is for Eve

For my fifth installment of The Alphabet in Historical Fiction which is hosted by the lovely ladies over at Historical Tapestry, I read Eve: A Novel of the First Woman by Elissa Elliott.

Here's the blurb of the book (taken from Amazon):

It is the world’s oldest tale: the story of Eve, her husband, Adam, and the tragedy that would overcome her sons…. In this luminous debut novel, Elissa Elliott puts a powerful twist on biblical narrative, boldly reimagining Eve’s journey. At once intimate and universal, timely and timeless, this unique work of fiction blends biblical tradition with recorded history and dazzling storytelling. And as it does, Eve comes to life in a way religion and myth have never allowed—in a novel that explores the very essence of love, motherhood, faith, and humanity.

In their world they are alone…a family haunted by banishment, struggling for survival in a harsh new land. A woman who has borne and buried children, Eve sees danger shadowing those she loves, while her husband drifts further and further from the man he was in the Garden, blinded by his need to rebuild a life outside of Eden. One daughter, alluring, self-absorbed Naava, turns away from their beliefs. Another, crippled, ever-faithful Aya, harbors a fateful secret, while brothers Cain and Abel become adversaries, and Dara, the youngest, is chosen for a fate of her own.

In one hot, violent summer, by the shores of the muddy Euphrates, strangers arrive on their land. New gods challenge their own. And for Eve, a time of reckoning is at hand. The woman who once tasted the forbidden fruit of paradise sees her family unraveling—as brother turns on brother, culminating in a confrontation that will have far-reaching consequences for them all.

From a woman’s first awakening to a mother’s innermost hopes and fears, from moments of exquisite tenderness to a climax of shocking violence, Eve takes us on a breathtaking journey of the imagination. A novel that has it all—romantic love, lust, cruelty, heroism, envy, sacrifice, murder—Eve is a work of mesmerizing literary invention by a singular new voice in fiction.

If you search the reviews on Amazon about this book you'll find that it runs either hot or cold. Either you love it, or you dislike it, there's even one that calls this book blasphemous. And who can resist reading a book that is considered blasphemous? Ok, I'm making light of someone's opinion, but you're reading a fictionalized account of the first woman, and the main point is: it's fiction. There's no way for us to really know what happen then, but speculating cannot hurt any in my opinion.

It's not only Eve's voice in this narrative, you have the added perspective of her daughters. The beautiful Naava, the nurturing Aya and the inquisitive Dara. Each one of them brings light onto what actually triggered Cain and Abel's final fatal disagreement and how each of them were directly and indirectly involved in it.

I loved the way the author was able to bring out the characters emotions, the wonder, the confusion, the delight, the anger and the fear, were so believable and so tangible that it felt that I was right there experiencing them along with the women.

I found the novel very poetic and I'm seriously considering buying a copy for my shelves. I enjoyed it that much.

Eve: A Novel of the First Woman by Elissa Elliott (4.5/5) Historical Fiction: Biblical; Published: Delacorte Press (1/09); New Author; Year of the Historical (2); Alphabet Historical Challenge (5); Books 2010 (13);

The Teahouse Fire

When I was nine in the city now called Kyoto, I changed my fate. I walked into the shrine through the red arch and struck the bell. I bowed twice. I clapped twice. I whispered to a foreign goddess and bowed twice. And then I heard the shouts and the fire. What I asked for? Any life but this one.

The story of two women whose lives intersect in late-nineteenth-century Japan, The Teahouse Fire is also a portrait of one of the most fascinating places and times in all history - Japan as it opens its doors to the West. It was a period when one's choice of kimono could make a political statement, when women stopped blackening their teeth to profess allegiance to Western ideas, and when Japan's most mysterious rite - the tea ceremony - became not just a sacramental meal, but a ritual battlefield.

We see it all through the eyes of Aurelia Bernard, an American orphan who has just turned her back on the only family she has left: the abusive missionary uncle who has brought her along on his mission to Christianize Japan. One night in 1866, fleeing both her uncle and a fire that sweeps the city, she takes shelter in Kyoto's beautiful and mysterious Baishian teahouse, a place that will open entirely new worlds to her - and bring her a new family.

It is there where she discovers the woman who will define the next several decades of her life, Shin Yukako, the daughter of Kyoto's most important tea master and one of the first women to openly to teach the sacred ceremony known as the Way of Tea. Taking Aurelia for abandoned daughter of a prostitute rather than a foreigner, the Shin family renames her Urako and adopts her as Yukako's attendant and surrogate younger sister. Yukako provides Aurelia with generosity, wisdom, and protection as she navigates a culture that is not always accepting of outsiders. From her privileged position at Yukako's side, Aurelia aids her in her crusade to preserve the tea ceremony as it starts to fall out of favor under pressure of intense Westernization. And Aurelia herself is embraced and rejected as modernizing Japan embraces and rejects an era of radical change.

An utterly absorbing story told in an enchanting and unforgettable voice, The Teahouse Fire, is a lovely, provocative, and lushly detailed historical novel of epic scope and compulsive readability.

What I can say after such a blurb? Well, let's see...It's wonderful novel, the story is beautiful and compelling, the history is interesting and thought provoking, and I have incredible desire to learn more about a culture and nation that never really interested me much before. It's not my first time reading a novel set in Japan, I read Memoirs of a Geisha, but this book really brings the culture to light in my opinion. It makes me want to learn more and to experience the tea ceremonies.

I loved experiencing Aurelia/Urako's growth and discoveries. I felt that her confusion and her need to be accepted as more than a servant to be utterly understandable and painful as well. I'm glad I had tissues handy while I was reading this book, I used them often.

Although the story was wonderful with all the little twists and turns, I find that the true star was the setting. Japan in the midst of Westernization was a time confusion and of radical ideas, and the author brought out those emotions beautifully.

I first saw this book over Opalescent Essence and I cannot thank Carrie C. enough for reviewing, you can her review here. I loved it! I highly recommend The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery.

The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery (5/5) Historical Fiction; Published: Riverhead Hardcover (12/06); Favorite Reads 2010; New Author; Year of the Historical (1); Books 2010 (6);

Year of the Historical: A 2010 Reading Challenge

Yes! Another historical challenge! I couldn't resist!

Year of the Historical: A 2010 Reading Challenge is being hosted by kmont from Lurv A La Mode. Basically you have to read 12 historical books in 2010. Here's some info taken from Lurv A La Mode on the challenge:

Want more specifics on the kinds of books this challenge can encompass? We’re talking straight historical (English, French, Ancient History – The Clan of Cave the Bear, etc.); and historical romance (Regency, Georgian, Medieval, American, paranormal historical…). If the book takes place in a notable, or even a more obscure, history in time, it’s game. These can be adult themed or young adult. They can be rereads or new-to-you authors. They can be ones you’re reading for other challenges too.

My 12 Books:

1. The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery - set in the late 19th century Japan

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.


You can get more info and sign up the challenge by visiting here.