First fiction from French historian Armel (and biographer of Marguerite Duras): a skillful, knowledgeable, and moving...
A subtle and quietly compelling double look back: at the life of Piero della Francesco (d. 1492), then, from there, at the life of the Queen of Sheba in the tenth-century b.c.
From the moment Piero first sees the young Silvia, he wants to marry her, and he does so, even though she’s an orphan of mysterious origin, raised by monks. The marriage is happy except for two things: the pair remain childless; and Silvia fears that if Piero heeds those calling him to Rome to pursue his painting there, he will be tainted and corrupted by that sinful place. So, to keep him at home, she begins the Scheherazade-like tactic of writing the story of the Queen of Sheba from notes (provided by Fra Bartolomeo, one of the monks from her childhood) said to be those of a traveler to the east. What Silvia hopes is that her story will inspire Piero with ideas for paintings that he will start on right away, not in Rome, and so vivid is the tale she writes that Piero is indeed obsessed by it—as is Silvia, the teller of the tale, as the story becomes wholly intertwined with the novel itself. When Sheba’s king dies in battle, his daughter Bilqis is only 16, yet she must take over the reins of government as he had trained her in the years of her growing up. Like Silvia, Bilqis is lovely and sensitive; like Silvia, she has a mysterious mother; and, like Silvia, she loves a great man: Piero in Silvia’s case, King Solomon in that of Bilqis, whose long journey to Jerusalem—on diplomacy—and her stay there in the court of Solomon, both as diplomat and lover, are beautifully realized. The fate of each, Silvia and Bilqis, must be left for the reader to learn.
First fiction from French historian Armel (and biographer of Marguerite Duras): a skillful, knowledgeable, and moving double-historical.Pub Date: July 15, 2004
ISBN: 1-59264-053-2
Page Count: 180
Publisher: Toby Press
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2004
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.
At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.
When Solène Marchand takes her 12-year-old daughter to a concert by the hottest boy band on the planet, she doesn't expect to fall in love with one of the singers.
Middle-aged art gallery owner Solène hasn’t dated since her divorce, but when her ex-husband buys their daughter and a group of her friends tickets to Vegas and a backstage concert experience, then backs out at the last minute, she steps in as escort. The five guys in the wildly popular English boy band August Moon appeal to women of all ages, but Hayes, the brains behind the group’s success, flirts with Solène at the concert meet and greet, invites them to a party after the show, then pursues her once she gets back to Los Angeles. He’s only 20 and he’s incredibly famous; his attention is flattering and heady. The two fall into an affair that’s supposed to be light and easy, but before long they can’t ignore their intense emotional attachment. Solène is hesitant to tell her daughter, but when she procrastinates, Isabelle learns about it through an online tabloid, which damages their relationship and leaves Solène open to censure from her ex. Then, once the affair goes viral, she experiences the darker side of Hayes’ fan base. What started out as a jaunty adventure turns into an emotionally fraught journey, and Solène must decide what she’s willing to risk for her happiness and what she won’t risk for her daughter’s. Actress Lee, who appeared in Fifty Shades Darker, debuts with a beautifully written novel that explores sex, love, romance, and fantasy in moving, insightful ways while also examining a woman’s struggle with aging and sexism, with a nod at the tension between celebrity and privacy.
A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.Pub Date: June 13, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-12590-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: April 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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