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The Barefoot Road
Vivienne Vermes' debut novel is a gripping read which will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction, thrillers and evocative themes. The book begins with a young woman found, emaciated and unconscious, in the mountains surrounding a village in Transylvania. When it is discovered that she is of an ethnic group which was violently driven out of the regions many years before, old wounds are reopened as the villagers are reminded of their role in the bloodshed. An uneasy peace is maintained until a young married man falls in love with the girl, and tension begin to rise within the community. The mysterious disappearance of a child causes this tension to mount into hysteria, driving the story to its chilling outcome.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 2, 2018
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 20, 2018
I really love the cover of this book. The naivete style of the drawing completely complements the story of a small, remote village deep in Transylvania with unworldly and unsophisticated people trying to address issues that they cannot name or begin to know how to deal with.
This is an adult fairy tale in the very best tradition of the originals, which were written as morality tales for children, but told in a modern style (although set in an earlier time) and dealing with very modern and relevant issues for our current society.
The book’s prologue tells of a previous violent purge by the village of an unwelcome minority group living on its outskirts. A generation later, this bloody past comes back to haunt them when a young woman of the same race comes back to the village and stirs up all their ancient fears and prejudices until history threatens to repeat itself.
This book is deeply affecting in its darkness and violence because, despite it being set in a remote place and time, the parallels with current tensions in our own society cannot be ignored and serve to stoke up the fear of the reader as they contemplate how the prejudice, ignorance and fear of the villagers, confronted by an alien in their midst, turn them ugly and their mob mentality is stoked by the rhetoric of a bigoted leader intent on ousting the people in the village with more understanding and liberal views who oppose him. Anything sounding worryingly familiar here?
This book is not a comfortable read. It is quite graphic and earthy in its portrayal of life in this small village and does not flinch from descriptions of sex and violence. However, this is not done gratuitously but is necessary in the context of the story to understand how and why these people act and react as they do. Life here is hard and poor and on the extremes of society, so the actions and behaviour and beliefs of the people are similarly extreme. There is no middle ground for them, just black and white, good and evil, known and unknown and their lives are governed in equal parts by religion and superstition. Their society is rigidly structured and the structure maintained by social standing and peer pressure and societal judgement and anything that threatens this order is regarded with suspicion and dealt with harshly. It is a gut instinct of pack survival – human beings at their basic, primeval reaction to perceived danger. The reader wonders how much more civilised we have actually become ourselves when we feel threatened.
Despite this, the book is also beautiful in the way it is constructed. The writing is poetic, even in its brutality, and the author really brings to life the people and the settings and the whole story in time and place. The prose is alive with description of landscape and flora and fauna to the point that you can feel the oppressive mountains, breathe the thick vegetative smells, hear the running river and the setting completely mirrors the people and the story being told. It is expertly done and it draws you in to the story and holds you tight, even in the throws of the most uncomfortable, uncompromising scenes. I was in the writer’s thrall from beginning to end and left unsettled and stirred and moved, saddened and enraged and altered by the experience of reading. I cannot say I loved the book, because it was too uncomfortable a reading experience for that, but it is a book I am glad I read and is one I won’t forget in a hurry.
This is an adult fairy tale in the very best tradition of the originals, which were written as morality tales for children, but told in a modern style (although set in an earlier time) and dealing with very modern and relevant issues for our current society.
The book’s prologue tells of a previous violent purge by the village of an unwelcome minority group living on its outskirts. A generation later, this bloody past comes back to haunt them when a young woman of the same race comes back to the village and stirs up all their ancient fears and prejudices until history threatens to repeat itself.
This book is deeply affecting in its darkness and violence because, despite it being set in a remote place and time, the parallels with current tensions in our own society cannot be ignored and serve to stoke up the fear of the reader as they contemplate how the prejudice, ignorance and fear of the villagers, confronted by an alien in their midst, turn them ugly and their mob mentality is stoked by the rhetoric of a bigoted leader intent on ousting the people in the village with more understanding and liberal views who oppose him. Anything sounding worryingly familiar here?
This book is not a comfortable read. It is quite graphic and earthy in its portrayal of life in this small village and does not flinch from descriptions of sex and violence. However, this is not done gratuitously but is necessary in the context of the story to understand how and why these people act and react as they do. Life here is hard and poor and on the extremes of society, so the actions and behaviour and beliefs of the people are similarly extreme. There is no middle ground for them, just black and white, good and evil, known and unknown and their lives are governed in equal parts by religion and superstition. Their society is rigidly structured and the structure maintained by social standing and peer pressure and societal judgement and anything that threatens this order is regarded with suspicion and dealt with harshly. It is a gut instinct of pack survival – human beings at their basic, primeval reaction to perceived danger. The reader wonders how much more civilised we have actually become ourselves when we feel threatened.
Despite this, the book is also beautiful in the way it is constructed. The writing is poetic, even in its brutality, and the author really brings to life the people and the settings and the whole story in time and place. The prose is alive with description of landscape and flora and fauna to the point that you can feel the oppressive mountains, breathe the thick vegetative smells, hear the running river and the setting completely mirrors the people and the story being told. It is expertly done and it draws you in to the story and holds you tight, even in the throws of the most uncomfortable, uncompromising scenes. I was in the writer’s thrall from beginning to end and left unsettled and stirred and moved, saddened and enraged and altered by the experience of reading. I cannot say I loved the book, because it was too uncomfortable a reading experience for that, but it is a book I am glad I read and is one I won’t forget in a hurry.
September 21, 2018
“The Barefoot Road“… From the unique cover to the intriguing blurb, this book had the potential to be epic, and I did enjoy it a lot from beginning to end. I almost don’t know what to say fearing to give spoilers.
It had some twists and turns that got me thinking. The descriptions made the pace of the book sometimes slower and others quicker with the action and the feel of the plot and sinister tone of the all “village in Transylvania” and nomadic tribe aspect, made this novel even more powerful. And that change of pace and twists were something I quite enjoyed because of the writing style of the author.
Beside giving the pace a slower tone, the descriptions were also vivid and framed the plot with landscapes and the history, politics and gossips in the village and around. And that left me feeling like I was part of the story and it certainly left me wondering even more about the life of the people in the book, and that was because the plot had all the little elements of the description and storyline to give it force.
I believe that Vivienne had the mirror effect in some ways. It talked about human nature and that feeling of reality and possibility of happening in the future… it was heartbreaking and darker in some very specific moments that maximized the emotion the novel made us feel.
Well done Vivienne, for such a captivating book with chaos, reality, emotion, human nature that makes us wonder about life. And for that, I totally recommend the book. Don’t be scared about the unique cover, that just makes it all pop in the end, for me at least.
[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Vivienne for the eCopy of this book and for allowing me to join in the fun and by being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book.]
It had some twists and turns that got me thinking. The descriptions made the pace of the book sometimes slower and others quicker with the action and the feel of the plot and sinister tone of the all “village in Transylvania” and nomadic tribe aspect, made this novel even more powerful. And that change of pace and twists were something I quite enjoyed because of the writing style of the author.
Beside giving the pace a slower tone, the descriptions were also vivid and framed the plot with landscapes and the history, politics and gossips in the village and around. And that left me feeling like I was part of the story and it certainly left me wondering even more about the life of the people in the book, and that was because the plot had all the little elements of the description and storyline to give it force.
I believe that Vivienne had the mirror effect in some ways. It talked about human nature and that feeling of reality and possibility of happening in the future… it was heartbreaking and darker in some very specific moments that maximized the emotion the novel made us feel.
Well done Vivienne, for such a captivating book with chaos, reality, emotion, human nature that makes us wonder about life. And for that, I totally recommend the book. Don’t be scared about the unique cover, that just makes it all pop in the end, for me at least.
[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Vivienne for the eCopy of this book and for allowing me to join in the fun and by being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book.]
August 30, 2018
*3.5 stars*
The Barefoot Road was an engaging story about a woman who was hurt and left to die, who's later rescued by the healer's son.
I loved the storyline. It was beautiful and thought-provoking all at the same time.
Though the historical-ish naration put me off a bit, and I've realized that historical is not a genre I'm really fond of.
Sometimes, the descriptions were too much. I'm more of an action loving girl—in the sense that things should keep happening—and so this book was quite dull for me at moments.
And yet, I enjoyed reading The Barefoot Road, and I'm glad I got a chance to read it.
The Barefoot Road was an engaging story about a woman who was hurt and left to die, who's later rescued by the healer's son.
I loved the storyline. It was beautiful and thought-provoking all at the same time.
Though the historical-ish naration put me off a bit, and I've realized that historical is not a genre I'm really fond of.
Sometimes, the descriptions were too much. I'm more of an action loving girl—in the sense that things should keep happening—and so this book was quite dull for me at moments.
And yet, I enjoyed reading The Barefoot Road, and I'm glad I got a chance to read it.
June 28, 2018
Love, hate, and tragedy in Transylvania
“Barefoot I take the road in front of me
I could walk far, but for the fear
Of who walks behind me.”
Set in Transylvania in an unknown year a small village leads a quiet life of work and community. I would put the period as somewhere between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, before the dawn of cars and technology, when people believed in spirits and witchcraft. Life is simple and the greatest worry for the villagers is their unreliable and drunken priest.
In the mountains above the town, Paraschiva lives an isolated life with her forty-year-old son Pavel, a man with the mind of a child. Paraschiva is getting on in age but has value to the village in her role of healer, through which the villagers can lay aside suspicions that she is a witch.
Into their lives comes a girl who Pavel finds frozen and emaciated in the high mountains, clutching the bundle of her dead baby. He carries her back to his mother, who nurses her back to health. She comes from a different people, one which has been persecuted in times gone by; a fact that the villagers would rather forget.
But there are dark forces in the village in the form of Radu Surdu and his followers who wish to rid the village of their troublesome priest, and who stirs up old fears and hatreds amongst the villagers.
In the middle of this is Ioan Trifoi, a married man with a young and innocent daughter, who supports Paraschiva by delivering supplies to her isolated home. While doing so, he happens upon the girl who is recovering there and finds himself falling in love with her.
The villagers initially tolerate the girl until she introduces Ioan's daughter and her friend to her songs and dances which identify her as foreign and suspicious. Wild tales are invented and one of the girls goes missing, which gives the opportunity for Surdu and his followers to take the law into their own hands.
This is a beautifully written book, almost poetic in its language, and graphical in its depiction of a time, not that long ago, where fear, suspicion and wild accusations could change the path of history.
A great read, written with real sensitivity, it portrays the human condition at its best and its worst.
Pashtpaws
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
“Barefoot I take the road in front of me
I could walk far, but for the fear
Of who walks behind me.”
Set in Transylvania in an unknown year a small village leads a quiet life of work and community. I would put the period as somewhere between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, before the dawn of cars and technology, when people believed in spirits and witchcraft. Life is simple and the greatest worry for the villagers is their unreliable and drunken priest.
In the mountains above the town, Paraschiva lives an isolated life with her forty-year-old son Pavel, a man with the mind of a child. Paraschiva is getting on in age but has value to the village in her role of healer, through which the villagers can lay aside suspicions that she is a witch.
Into their lives comes a girl who Pavel finds frozen and emaciated in the high mountains, clutching the bundle of her dead baby. He carries her back to his mother, who nurses her back to health. She comes from a different people, one which has been persecuted in times gone by; a fact that the villagers would rather forget.
But there are dark forces in the village in the form of Radu Surdu and his followers who wish to rid the village of their troublesome priest, and who stirs up old fears and hatreds amongst the villagers.
In the middle of this is Ioan Trifoi, a married man with a young and innocent daughter, who supports Paraschiva by delivering supplies to her isolated home. While doing so, he happens upon the girl who is recovering there and finds himself falling in love with her.
The villagers initially tolerate the girl until she introduces Ioan's daughter and her friend to her songs and dances which identify her as foreign and suspicious. Wild tales are invented and one of the girls goes missing, which gives the opportunity for Surdu and his followers to take the law into their own hands.
This is a beautifully written book, almost poetic in its language, and graphical in its depiction of a time, not that long ago, where fear, suspicion and wild accusations could change the path of history.
A great read, written with real sensitivity, it portrays the human condition at its best and its worst.
Pashtpaws
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
April 29, 2018
3.5 / 5 stars
First of all, thanks to netgalley for this free copy.
For most part, it was a good read. There was a good amount of potential in this book. I liked the writing style of this book. I could actually imagine I was in that place while reading it. The main protagonists and antagonists were realistic. The story mostly revolved just within a village yet a lot was happening— family and village drama, conspiracy between powerful men, how religion was used to manipulate the villagers, betrayal, bloodshed.
First of all, thanks to netgalley for this free copy.
For most part, it was a good read. There was a good amount of potential in this book. I liked the writing style of this book. I could actually imagine I was in that place while reading it. The main protagonists and antagonists were realistic. The story mostly revolved just within a village yet a lot was happening— family and village drama, conspiracy between powerful men, how religion was used to manipulate the villagers, betrayal, bloodshed.
September 24, 2018
*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the author and Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Resources blog tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Let me just start by saying how much I love the book cover! It’s not often that I care much one way or another about what a book looks like, as I tend to dive right on in to the words, but in this case I was absolutely enthralled by the bright, bold colours and rough, rustic innocence of the style. It really brought to mind old-fashioned fairy tales and the deep, bloody magic they promise. And just like a fable of old, The Barefoot Road tells a story of the dark and light within us, along with the blood and bones.
This is a story of us and them, because they are different, worse, better (damn them!), the same; the shame, fear, jealousy, desire steeping in a sadly familiar brew of poisonous hatred and suspicion.
Paraschiva’s simple son brings trouble down the mountain to her door in the form of a strange woman with beauty in her form and sorrow in her heart. The newcomer stirs the rustic village and the storm clouds build overhead, until inevitably someone, something must break.
Or maybe, not. Perhaps the trouble was already there in the village, in the hearts all along, and Mariuca’s only contribution was her beauty and the joy she found in life, so at odds with responsible, respectable village life. Maybe it was that a village man loved her and the village children emulated her. Or just the golden hue of her skin.
There are two sides to every tragic story and Vermes here shows us both. There are no heroes and villains, sirens and angels; just human nature at its best and (more often) worst.
I loved the setting and characterisations and really felt that the author brought the little, closed community to life. Though set in an unspecified past in Transylvania, the action could really be transplanted to any place or time and still be current and recognisable, which made me feel very sad. It seems that these bloody cycles in history repeat themselves and no lessons are learnt from them, as we are seeing again in the present political world climate.
Vermes painfully and accurately skewers how quick we are to turn on one another and the hypocrisy of accepting the ‘right kind’ of strangers whilst heaping blame on whichever flavour of the month is the ‘wrong kind’. However this is not a preachy, po-faced lecture, but a beautifully entertaining and ominously tense story. I was reminded of books like Joanne Harris’ Chocolat and Toni Morrison’s Beloved.
Although this was not easy to read, mentally or emotionally, it really resonated with me and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written story about division and racial tension.
Before it happened, nobody could have imagined it. After it happened, many denied it. Others said it would never happen again.
– Vivienne Vermes, The Barefoot Road
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
Let me just start by saying how much I love the book cover! It’s not often that I care much one way or another about what a book looks like, as I tend to dive right on in to the words, but in this case I was absolutely enthralled by the bright, bold colours and rough, rustic innocence of the style. It really brought to mind old-fashioned fairy tales and the deep, bloody magic they promise. And just like a fable of old, The Barefoot Road tells a story of the dark and light within us, along with the blood and bones.
This is a story of us and them, because they are different, worse, better (damn them!), the same; the shame, fear, jealousy, desire steeping in a sadly familiar brew of poisonous hatred and suspicion.
Paraschiva’s simple son brings trouble down the mountain to her door in the form of a strange woman with beauty in her form and sorrow in her heart. The newcomer stirs the rustic village and the storm clouds build overhead, until inevitably someone, something must break.
Or maybe, not. Perhaps the trouble was already there in the village, in the hearts all along, and Mariuca’s only contribution was her beauty and the joy she found in life, so at odds with responsible, respectable village life. Maybe it was that a village man loved her and the village children emulated her. Or just the golden hue of her skin.
There are two sides to every tragic story and Vermes here shows us both. There are no heroes and villains, sirens and angels; just human nature at its best and (more often) worst.
I loved the setting and characterisations and really felt that the author brought the little, closed community to life. Though set in an unspecified past in Transylvania, the action could really be transplanted to any place or time and still be current and recognisable, which made me feel very sad. It seems that these bloody cycles in history repeat themselves and no lessons are learnt from them, as we are seeing again in the present political world climate.
Vermes painfully and accurately skewers how quick we are to turn on one another and the hypocrisy of accepting the ‘right kind’ of strangers whilst heaping blame on whichever flavour of the month is the ‘wrong kind’. However this is not a preachy, po-faced lecture, but a beautifully entertaining and ominously tense story. I was reminded of books like Joanne Harris’ Chocolat and Toni Morrison’s Beloved.
Although this was not easy to read, mentally or emotionally, it really resonated with me and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written story about division and racial tension.
Before it happened, nobody could have imagined it. After it happened, many denied it. Others said it would never happen again.
– Vivienne Vermes, The Barefoot Road
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
December 19, 2018
Blurb: A young woman is found, emaciated and unconscious, in the mountains surrounding a village in Transylvania. When it is discovered that she is of an ethnic group which was violently driven out of the regions many years before, old wounds are reopened as the villagers are reminded of their role in the bloodshed.
An uneasy peace is maintained until a young married man falls in love with the girl, and tensions begin to rise within the community. The mysterious disappearance of a child causes this tension to mount into hysteria, driving the story to its chilling outcome.
TheBarefootRoad6CoverWrap250318P300QWell, when I read the blurb for The Barefoot Road, it immediately appealed to me. It’s described as ‘a fable for our time about racial division, set in historical Transylvania’. Questions immediately arise: when are racial and ethnic division going to be things that can be left in historical times? Why do we still need stories like this for ‘our time’?
The story is set in a Transylvanian village in a time unknown to us. We can imagine that it’s many years ago. Truth be told, it could be present day, in a place that’s cut off (or that has chosen to cut itself off) from the rest of civilization… who knows? Its isolation adds to the sombre atmosphere.
The townsfolk are simple people, going about their everyday business; happy to do so uninterrupted and unperturbed by goings on elsewhere that they’re unaware of. Until an event occurs to throw their stable world off kilter: An outsider is found nearby, close to death, and brought into their midst in strange, inexplicable circumstances. They have no place for an outsider. There were outsiders in this village before, long ago … but they have made sure they are gone … long gone.
Slowly, their behaviour becomes that of a mob. We see elements leading up to it, when the self-appointed ‘leader’ attempts to rabble rouse by raising support to expel the less than perfect priest, but surprisingly a lone, brave voice speaks out basically saying ‘let he who is without sin cast the first stone,’ reminding the villagers that all of them are guilty of imperfect character at times, and that their priest is only a man, after all.
But even this outspoken voice for the underdog falters, and the story takes on more sinister undertones as the dark side of human nature takes hold and adults fail to acknowledge their responsibilities.
Taking the guise of a humble, unassuming fable, I believe that The Barefoot Road is a critical social commentary that has huge relevance, and is deserving of a great deal of recognition for its depth of perception and insight into human frailty and limitation.
We are all residents of that Transylvanian village. We are all the outsider.
4.5 well deserved stars for this one!
An uneasy peace is maintained until a young married man falls in love with the girl, and tensions begin to rise within the community. The mysterious disappearance of a child causes this tension to mount into hysteria, driving the story to its chilling outcome.
TheBarefootRoad6CoverWrap250318P300QWell, when I read the blurb for The Barefoot Road, it immediately appealed to me. It’s described as ‘a fable for our time about racial division, set in historical Transylvania’. Questions immediately arise: when are racial and ethnic division going to be things that can be left in historical times? Why do we still need stories like this for ‘our time’?
The story is set in a Transylvanian village in a time unknown to us. We can imagine that it’s many years ago. Truth be told, it could be present day, in a place that’s cut off (or that has chosen to cut itself off) from the rest of civilization… who knows? Its isolation adds to the sombre atmosphere.
The townsfolk are simple people, going about their everyday business; happy to do so uninterrupted and unperturbed by goings on elsewhere that they’re unaware of. Until an event occurs to throw their stable world off kilter: An outsider is found nearby, close to death, and brought into their midst in strange, inexplicable circumstances. They have no place for an outsider. There were outsiders in this village before, long ago … but they have made sure they are gone … long gone.
Slowly, their behaviour becomes that of a mob. We see elements leading up to it, when the self-appointed ‘leader’ attempts to rabble rouse by raising support to expel the less than perfect priest, but surprisingly a lone, brave voice speaks out basically saying ‘let he who is without sin cast the first stone,’ reminding the villagers that all of them are guilty of imperfect character at times, and that their priest is only a man, after all.
But even this outspoken voice for the underdog falters, and the story takes on more sinister undertones as the dark side of human nature takes hold and adults fail to acknowledge their responsibilities.
Taking the guise of a humble, unassuming fable, I believe that The Barefoot Road is a critical social commentary that has huge relevance, and is deserving of a great deal of recognition for its depth of perception and insight into human frailty and limitation.
We are all residents of that Transylvanian village. We are all the outsider.
4.5 well deserved stars for this one!
September 25, 2018
"The Barefoot Road" a novel by "Vivienne Vermes". I had heard that, "never judge a book by its cover." But it would not be wrong to say that you can do this with this book, the story is as brilliant as the cover is beautiful.
Cover of The Barefoot Road, a beautiful painting decorated with different colors, which attracts the book.
The silent dark night, the flames of fire rising from inside the house, and blood flowing on the road, on one hand fear-less couple Everything that creates an eagerness to overturn the pages of the book.
The title of the book "The Barefoot Road", is as much as Catchy and is as fascinating as cover.
It is not difficult to guess the book from the book's title and cover page, that this book is a great collection of struggles and inspirations.
Blurb of the story is described as ‘a fable for our time about racial division, set in historical Transylvania’. The story begins with a young woman found, emaciated and unconscious, in the mountains surrounding a village in Transylvania.
This story is a critical social commentary which has huge relevance. Language is simple and lucid easy to comprehend any kind of reader's. Narration is cool and engaging through out the book. Pace is perfect neither to slow or fast. Writing of the story is fascinating, and it keeps the reader involved.
Cover of The Barefoot Road, a beautiful painting decorated with different colors, which attracts the book.
The silent dark night, the flames of fire rising from inside the house, and blood flowing on the road, on one hand fear-less couple Everything that creates an eagerness to overturn the pages of the book.
The title of the book "The Barefoot Road", is as much as Catchy and is as fascinating as cover.
It is not difficult to guess the book from the book's title and cover page, that this book is a great collection of struggles and inspirations.
Blurb of the story is described as ‘a fable for our time about racial division, set in historical Transylvania’. The story begins with a young woman found, emaciated and unconscious, in the mountains surrounding a village in Transylvania.
This story is a critical social commentary which has huge relevance. Language is simple and lucid easy to comprehend any kind of reader's. Narration is cool and engaging through out the book. Pace is perfect neither to slow or fast. Writing of the story is fascinating, and it keeps the reader involved.
September 24, 2018
https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...
I really enjoyed this book, it had a good theme and I found it to be really enjoyable. The cover for this one really suits the book and the setting for the story was perfect too, the author really brings it to life.
It is well written and had some good character development. I won’t say I was a huge fan of them but they did all work together very well and they helped to carry the story through to the ending, which I really think suited the book.
4 stars from me for this one! A historical fiction book with a difference – I really enjoyed it!
I really enjoyed this book, it had a good theme and I found it to be really enjoyable. The cover for this one really suits the book and the setting for the story was perfect too, the author really brings it to life.
It is well written and had some good character development. I won’t say I was a huge fan of them but they did all work together very well and they helped to carry the story through to the ending, which I really think suited the book.
4 stars from me for this one! A historical fiction book with a difference – I really enjoyed it!
April 21, 2018
I received this as a review copy from NetGalley. I'm a big fan of historical fiction and this certainly didn't disappoint.
It was also refreshing to read a novel set in Transylvania that doesn't involve vampires, it does still show the fears and superstitions that were rife at the time and how easily peoples opinions can be swayed.
A very good read and I would definitely recommend it to all historical fiction fans.
It was also refreshing to read a novel set in Transylvania that doesn't involve vampires, it does still show the fears and superstitions that were rife at the time and how easily peoples opinions can be swayed.
A very good read and I would definitely recommend it to all historical fiction fans.
August 23, 2018
This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"The prose and attention to detail is magnificent. The descriptions are vivid and authentic. Each character is well drawn and very human."
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"The prose and attention to detail is magnificent. The descriptions are vivid and authentic. Each character is well drawn and very human."
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews