Yes, I have a bookcase full of truly great books for you, but first, I want to apologize for my erratic posts of late.
I've barely had time to breathe this summer-- began a 2nd business, husband laid off and underfoot, both my kids starting college in the fall, extra chauffeur duties driving my daughter to her performances in Richard III all over the Puget Sound, taking care of my aged mother.... and that's just for starters. I guess you could say that my time has not been my own.
However, even though I haven't been writing many reviews, I have read tons of marvelous books this summer, and I wanted to tell you about one of the best today,The Wandering Heart
I'll admit it. I picked this one up because the melodramatic painting of a woman and a Crusader on the cover--The Meeting on the Turret Stairs by Frederic William Burton caught my eye.
I wasn't expecting much, but when I flipped through the pages, I happily discovered that the cover is deceiving,and there's much more here than meets the eye. This is not a typical frothy historical romance.
I'll also confess that when I read the About the Author blurb, I was a little dismayed.
Mary Malloy is a professor of Maritime History and has written four books non-fiction studies in that field.
When the novel began with a main character, Elizabeth Manning, a professor of Maritime History who specializes in the voyages of Captain James Cook, well, I thought this was not going to be my cup of tea.
Boy, was I wrong. The Wandering Heart
Professor Manning is invited to England by the aristocratic Hatton family to study and document the journal their ancestor Francis Hatton kept while on a voyage with Captain Cook.
When she arrives at the Hatton estate, Elizabeth finds not only the never-published journal (the sort of thing to make an academic's heart skip a beat), but also his cabinet of curiosities. It's packed with artifacts from Francis' life of travels, and full of mysteries, too.
As Elizabeth Manning immerses herself in the papers and treasures, she uncovers the family's fascinating and tragic history that goes back to the time of the Crusades. It begins with a misplaced heart whose story reverberates in poetry and painting-- and obsession-- throughout the lives of generations of Hatton women.
Then there's Francis' story of dark deeds and guilt that unfolds as Elizabeth pieces together the puzzling clues to this family's history. Add to that Elizabeth's own story and her odd connection to the Hattons and you get one complex suspenseful novel that is nearly impossible to put down.
Malloy adroitly weaves an unusual and unpredictable tale that combines past and present, romance and mystery, the Old and New Worlds, curses, fate, and intrigue. And she does it all with careful attention to historical detail and great writing. There's food for thought, too, in Malloy's exploration of the depths of the human heart.
If you love a good story with ideas that linger, you'll find great pleasure in The Wandering Heart
I was surprised and thrilled to learn that it's the first of a planned trilogy. Surprised because it stands completely on its own and lacks that annoying coyness of most first installments. I'll be watching for the next book.
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