An Amazon book review by Ann Marie Grumm
An appropriate setting: The beautiful Caldera : The result of a most violent past
The plot summary that comes with the book: An electrifying novel tracks a woman's journey from the horrors of Charles Taylor's Liberia to abject poverty and self-exile on a Greek island, where she must grapple with a haunted past and find a way back into human society
Library Girl gives this story Five Stars, October 30, 2013
A Cauldron Of Events gives rise to a Coming Of Age in the Santorini Caldera
The Result of a MOST Violent Past : The MOST Beautiful Caldera : A MOST appropriate setting
An unfolding story that had me reaching for the dictionary and google searching. This was one of those books I wanted to get home to. I was conflicted. l needed to find out just what had happened to Jacqueline and I was longing for a particular resolution. All the while, I was taken on a peaceful journey throughout the beautiful island of Santorini in the Aegean by this young vagrant. Because I didn't get the resolution I was longing for, a disturbing ending left me vexed for a day or two. I wanted a "happy" ending for Jacqueline. I wanted her to be reunited with her friends and her family. I wished I had someone to discuss this story with.
After some self-deliberation, I came to realize that that final revelation of events was our young protagonist undergoing catharsis. This story has a hopeful ending, afterall. It all depends on how you look at it. Perhaps the experiences of your own life is what you bring to a story like this. This is a story of survival, healing and hope.
This review is based on an advance copy.
An ideal choice for book discussions and book clubs.
