The Romanov Brides delves into the captivating tale of two sisters from the Grand Duchy of Hesse – a small territory in western Germany - who married The Romanov Brides delves into the captivating tale of two sisters from the Grand Duchy of Hesse – a small territory in western Germany - who married into Romanov royal family and altered history.
In 1882, during a visit by their Russian cousins Paul and Serge to Dramstadt, Ella is charmed by Serge, and ten-year-old Alix becomes a fervent advocate for Ella’s marriage to Serge. However, their youth leaves them naïve about live in Russia, and the rest of the family is largely against the union.
With their father’s consent to the marriage, he extracts a promise from Ella to maintain their faith and to support her future husband publicly. Privately, however, he encourages her to be independent and express her own views. Concerned about Ella’s accommodating nature, he fears she may lack the fortitude to assert herself. This worry is echoed by her uncle, who questions the wisdom of raising children in a nation indifferent to its people. Ella’s eldest sister, Victoria, also probes Serge about Russian governance.
In a candid conversation, Serge reveals to Ella his preference for solitude or the company of his regiment, admitting that he had not desired female companionship until meeting her. He vows to respect her innocence and trust, flattering Ella but raising suspicions in her family about his motives.
Approaching seventeen and thus marriageable age, Alix is caught in the plans of her grandmother, the Queen of England. Ella, after a revelation in Jerusalem, argues against letting religious differences impede marriage. This stance irks their father, who views it as disrespectful in light of the wars fought over religion. Alix, smitten with Nicky during her Russian visit, is torn, especially as Nicky faces his own father’s disapproval due to Alix’s minor noble status and reluctance to convert to Orthodoxy.
This enthralling narrative portrays the sisters’ defiance of family and faith to bridge vastly different political realms. The skillfully crafted story weaves intrigue and mystery within a rich historical context, featuring lavish palaces, exquisite gowns, and stunning jewelry. The prose is masterful, evoking awe and immersing the reader in a history that continues to captivate.
Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
The Woman at the Wheel imagines the story of Bertha Benz, whose husband built the first prototype automobile, which eventually evolved into the MercedThe Woman at the Wheel imagines the story of Bertha Benz, whose husband built the first prototype automobile, which eventually evolved into the Mercedes-Benz marque. She lived in the shadow of her husband. This story celebrates her contribution to his success.
Second half of 19th century. From a young age, Bertha Ringer is fascinated by her father’s work as a master builder in Pforzheim, Germany.
Bertha is bored with every man her mother tries to push her way until she meets Carl Benz. Despite her mother’s skepticism, Bertha is fascinated with his idea of the horseless carriage. His old clothes don’t scare her. It’s his mind that fascinates her.
The storytelling beautifully exposes his passion and his drive, and her strong believe in him. Her belief is so strong that she invests her dowry and inheritance in him. The path to success is not easy and meanwhile they need to make a living. They work as equal partners. They invent components for carriages, farming equipment, buildings, furniture and various other things to improve other’s work in producing higher quantities.
There are many hurdles on their journey. The new improved equipment is not cheap, it’s not easy to convince the buyer and see the vision of rising production. With each partner, his shares dwindle, and after a while each partnership fails until he becomes an outsider in his own company. With growing family, he needs to figure out how to support them and support his dream of horseless carriage.
The vivid imagination and the contrast in time periods create memorable scenes. Bertha’s mother had her dreams, but creating a horseless carriage is pretty much ridiculous. There are many others who see it as something foolish. To be against such skepticism, one must have an extraordinary drive to achieve such goal. But there is one partner, Bertha, that is not only his strongest supporter, but also is the driving force to his success. Despite the ridicule, resistance, and ever-dwindling resources, they persist with experimenting with the design.
It’s amazing to be witnessing the account of such extraordinary journey, to witness first hand such grit and determination of achieving something most couldn’t even imagine.
Spellbinding.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
The Great Passion beautifully imagines a story behind Bach’s writing of the St. Matthew Passion. It explores grief and music, and how music helps to cThe Great Passion beautifully imagines a story behind Bach’s writing of the St. Matthew Passion. It explores grief and music, and how music helps to cope with grief - in this case resulting in a masterpiece of musical composition.
In 1727, after the passing of his mother, thirteen-year-old Stefan Silbermann is sent by his father to Leipzig to sing and learn the organ and work with proper musicians. At school, Stefan continues to be grief-stricken. He is homesick and with his red hair he is a target of teasing. Later with his angelic voice and favoritism shown by the school’s cantor, John Sebastian Bach, Stefan becomes also a target of bullying.
Bach’s family takes Stefan under their wing. They show him love which he knew from his mother, but was missing from his father. No matter how crowded Bach’s house is, there is always room for love and showing kindness and charity. The love of Bach’s family shines throughout this story.
As they prepare for the performance of the Passion, the true meaning of passion comes touchingly through the story. When a tragedy strikes the Bach’s family, Stefan witnesses someone else’s grief and the solace of religion and music. Stefan is told that no matter how deep the grief is, the suffering is not to dwell on it, but to learn and grow from it. You draw a moral lesson from the tragedy, and even when you morn, you still need to carry on with your life. Being an example for all to see is exactly what Passion is about.
Deeply moving characters bring depth and wisdom as they question the greatest mystery – the life itself. John Sebastian Bach, through the eyes of the children, isn’t always easy to live with, but the children know that they are loved, and that’s the best legacy to leave your children.
Beautiful exploration of grief and love as a young boy gifted with an extraordinary singing voice, deeply feels the loss of his mother. He sees the world without his mother “so much more raw, exposed and frightening, with so much less protection and solace from the fearful enormities of what lay ahead.” He misses his mother’s vivacity, a taste for adventure and surprise. But under the tutelage of Bach, he learns to be resilient.
The Great Passion is a finely crafted mystery of life itself and how one can be transformed through grief, music and love. With profound exploration of characters, bringing remarkably authentic and compelling depiction of musically talented family; and how their music transforms not only them, but also the others, by giving people comfort through music.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com ...more
The First Mrs. Rothschild brings a story of Gutle who married Meir Amschel Rothschild – a German-Jewish banker and the founder of the Rothschild bankiThe First Mrs. Rothschild brings a story of Gutle who married Meir Amschel Rothschild – a German-Jewish banker and the founder of the Rothschild banking dynasty.
Frankfurt, 1770. Gutle, daughter of a Jewish moneylender from Judengasse, is engaged to Meir Rothschild after her father’s two rejections. The noble title given recently to young Rothschild changes her father’s mind.
Meir studied in Hanover and saw how different Jewish ghetto was there. The one in Frankfurt is much more oppressed. This experience gives him a different perspective. He sees that the power is in the money, which carries dignity, and he plans on earning plenty of dignity. He sees it as a powerful thing, breaking the walls of the ghetto and setting Jews free.
The atmosphere of the ghetto is very vividly portrayed and its history, and that’s what initially grabbed my attention.
Gutle is not a grasping character. She comes across as needy and constantly needing her husband’s reassurance that he loves her. When an opportunity comes for her to learn bookkeeping, she hesitates as her hands are full with household chores. Then, her successful bookkeeping lasts for about a paragraph. And then, it’s back to her chores, children and telling about Meir.
Meir is a very interesting character. He is very ambitious and driven, and he caught my attention. However, the style of writing is telling, not showing. For example, Meir “continues to address the heads of Holy Roman Empire with requests to remove the decrees, widen our street, and allow Jews out of the ghetto.” This is exactly what I wanted to be shown, developed in the story, not told in one sentence.
The story is set during volatile times, including Napoleonic wars. The historical background, especially of the ghetto history, is very interesting. However, I found Mrs. Rothschild uninspiring. I wished the story was told from the POV of Mr. Rothschild and shown. ...more
This brilliantly written story of three very different women, not only in character, but also social status, set against brewing history leading to WWThis brilliantly written story of three very different women, not only in character, but also social status, set against brewing history leading to WWII and its aftermath as war ends, is rich in historical details and dips deep into human character, touching reader’s emotions.
Marianne is a niece-in-law of a countess, living a privileged life. The book opens with prologue and countess giving a harvest party in November 1938 at which Marianne meets Benita, a young woman to be married to Marianne’s old and good friend.
Seven years later, in June 1945, WWII ends and both women, Marianne and Benita, make their way from Berlin to Burg Lingenfels (American controlled zone) to her husband’s great-aunt’s castle. At the same time, the story of Benita and her to be husband is being revealed and moves back to pre-war Germany, revealing Hitler’s ideology of racial cleansing with Aryan children seen as master race and the role of BDM (German League of Girls) to serve and carry Nazi world views.
With story of Marianne, the effects of after war are being revealed, Berlin’s division of zones (American or Russian), the robbery of Red Army, and the fate of prisoners of war. As story re-tracks to the time of war, it reveals resistance movement and the plan to assassinate Hitler and horrific account of mass murder of Jews in the area south of Lublin, Poland, known as “Jewish Action.”
Soon after the women arrive at the castle and settle down, Marianne picks up Ania and her sons from Displaced Persons Camp and hosts them at the castle, bringing the subject of Europe’s DP camps’ dilemma and local people volunteering and hosting displaced persons. At the same time, Ania’s story surfaces of fleeing from east to west, fleeing from uncertainty of horrific stories of Red Army approaching west.
As second part of the book moves to five years after the war, 1950, and women move out of the castle, it seems as the story is about to change its tone and Ania’s story keeps missing. But then it moves back to post WWI and reveals Ania’s childhood and rationale behind her choices.
This story of three very different women who are bind by shattered world is engrossing to the very end and takes a turn you may not expect. This richly detailed story in history and rationale of why those horrific events ever took place is moving with lasting effect.
This is a story of two historical characters: an early 16th century German reformer, Martin Luther, who believes that “God’s mercy is not for sale. ItThis is a story of two historical characters: an early 16th century German reformer, Martin Luther, who believes that “God’s mercy is not for sale. It’s free…” and a woman, Katharina von Bora, noble knight’s daughter, who becomes a nun, due to a lack of dowry to get married, as this is “the surest way to get to heaven.”
He is an excommunicated monk, who attracts crowds wherever he moves, such is his pure remarkable love for God, “…given freely, not forced.” She with the other nuns flee the convent as words of Luther reach many cloisters about “cloistered life wasn’t necessary for their soul’s salvation.” He “awakens their desires that had been forced into slumber.” Now they want to experience the new words preached by Luther, “…Marriage is not only honorable but necessary…Men and women, who were created for it…”
The fleeing nuns find shelter at a monastery, where Luther resides. He feels responsible for finding them new homes and that’s what he does. Except for a bossy woman from a noble family, Katharina…
The author recreates a valid atmosphere between nobles and peasants, their clashes, and interaction seen through conversations between Luther and Katharina. But above all, she paints well a picture why Luther is so passionate about the Reformation; the abuses of the Church had been going for far too long.
Overall, this is an interesting story and pretty well-written. I gave it four stars as there is too much arguing between Luther and Katharina to a point that it is hard to be believable, especially when both of them are ordained for religious duties.
Set in the Middle Ages (1098-1179), this is a true story of a fascinating woman Hildegard von Bingen also known as Saint Hildegard and Sibyl of the RhSet in the Middle Ages (1098-1179), this is a true story of a fascinating woman Hildegard von Bingen also known as Saint Hildegard and Sibyl of the Rhine. She was a German Benedictine abbess, writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, visionary, and polymath.
Hildegard von Bingen is promised to the church at the age of eight as a companion to a young woman, who chooses to be entombed in a small room. Cold and hungry young Hildegard, living the life she didn’t choose, dreams of roaming the forest and the happy times she spent with her brother. Through a screen she becomes a friend with a young monk, who tells her that she can find her happiness even here. One night she receives a vision from a Lady, who tells her, “You are here for a purpose, though you don’t understand it yet.” And that’s where she’s starting to see some meaning in her life, even though living behind the walls never makes sense to her.
After 30 years, when the sainted magistra dies, Hildegard sees an opportunity for ‘freedom’ and speaks up. Seen as not fit for an anchorite, she is allowed to live as a nun. A new chapter in her life starts. The knowledge she gained from studying herbs, now she applies to patients under guidance of a master physician. She even collects the herbs herself, which brings her the greatest joy.
I wished there was a bit more to the story about the time she spent at the last abbey. That was another chapter in her life, and the happiest.
Despite her harsh youth, she finds joy and true friendship. She achieves what only a handful of women had achieved at her time. She was a daring woman.
The thoughts and observations pouring out of the main character, make this story very real. A bit dark at some points, and yet making it a very interesting read....more
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