The Swan's Nest: A Novel by Laura McNeal

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book: (summary from Goodreads)

A tender and engrossing historical novel about the unlikely love affair between two great 19th-century poets, Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett

On a bleak January day in 1845, a poet who had been confined to her room for four years by recurrent illness received a letter from a writer she secretly idolized but had never seen. “I love your verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett,” Robert Browning wrote, “and I love you too.”
 
Elizabeth Barrett was ecstatic. She was famous for her poetry but completely cut off from the kind of international travel that Browning used to fuel his obscure, unsuccessful, innovative poems, one of which was written from a murderer’s point of view. They began an affectionate correspondence, but Elizabeth kept delaying a visit. What would happen when he saw her in person? What was Robert really like? Could she persuade her father and brothers that he was honorable, even though she had never met his family? And what would happen if she gave in to Robert’s wild proposal that they go to Italy to see whether the sun could cure her?
 
McNeal brilliantly tells the story of how Robert and Elizabeth fell in love with each other’s words and shocked her conservative, close-knit family and the literary world. Sensitively and lyrically written, as rich as the lovers' own poetry, The Swan's Nest will sweep up readers in the triumphant story of two people forced to choose between a safe, stable life and the love they felt for each other.

my thoughts:

Wow! The Swan's Nest by Laura McNeal is historical fiction at its very best! The writing is terrific, the story is unputdownable, and the history is unforgettable. I loved reading this book! 

Okay, so what did I enjoy about this lovely novel? Here goes:

1. The book's cover. I just love the image and the way she's looking right at you. It's like you can tell she's hiding a secret or four. I love it!

2. The title. Led me to Elizabeth's poem, The Romance of the Swan's Nest. 

3. Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning's love story. I didn't know the details and was definitely intrigued. Love letters - over 500 of them! A secret romance. A secret wedding! Italy! Oh, my! I loved reading all about it!

4. The Barrett's family fortune from a Jamaican sugar plantation. Slavery, social injustice, racism all were divulged. Along with Elizabeth's brother's relationship with his 'housekeeper'. 

5. Elizabeth's tyrannical father who refuses to let his children marry. 

6. Elizabeth's illness, which kept her in bed and using drugs like morphine. 

7. Robert's proposal, secret visit, and LOVE for Elizabeth.

8. Elizabeth choosing to follow her heart.

9. A marriage that proved love is the answer.

Oh, what a wonderful story! True romance is at the core, but McNeal captures the the history of the 19th century so vividly - you can't help but find yourself time traveling and wandering alongside these famous poets. What a treat! 

I would happily recommend The Swan's Nest by Laura McNeal to anyone and everyone looking for their next historical fiction read - you will fall in deep with this book! Make sure to check it out!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!

Lovestruck in London by Rachel Schurig

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley.)

about book:

Lizzie Medina went to London to reinvent herself. Tired of being the quiet baby sister, and in no hurry to settle into a boring existence in suburbia, she escapes from home at the first opportunity. When she settles in London for a year of post-graduate studies, Lizzie is sure she’ll be able to start a whole new life. Immerse herself in the books she loves. Explore a new country. Work on her dream of writing a novel. She might even be able to find a little bit of excitement for once.
But falling unexpectedly in love with up-and-coming actor Thomas Harper causes Lizzie to re-think… everything. Just as she’s convinced herself this small-town girl from the Midwest can handle this great adventure, Thomas’s career suddenly explodes to superstar levels, and Lizzie finds herself forced to navigate the fame game of red carpets, catty co-stars, gossip magazines, and paparazzi. When she wished for a new life, she had no idea it would be anything like this!

Lizzie must now determine if her love—and her confidence—are strong enough to get her through the complications of dating a movie star. Even if she and Thomas are able to pull through before she has to leave London, how will she deal with the inevitability of returning to a life at home that no longer feels like her own? Will she follow her family’s wishes or follow her heart? Will the Lizzie she discovered in London be strong enough to help her pursue her dreams?

my thoughts:

I was lovestruck with Lovestruck in London!  This fun, lovely story about a young woman pursuing her dreams was fantastic.  It was the perfect summer read - it had romance, friendship, family, and self-discovery.  Plus, it was all set in London - one of the best cities in the world.  Oh, and it just so happened to read like my life story at times, which was one of the main reasons that I loved the book.  I'm serious - I couldn't believe how similar to Lizzie I was (it was crazy!)  Of course, I never fell in love with a movie star, so that part of the story was just fun to read about.

Lizzie Medina is twenty-three and supposed to be a teacher, but she's not ready to face that world just yet.  So, she convinces one of her friends to head with her to England so that they can get an MA in literature.  Because where else should you go when you want to study Brit Lit, right?  Of course, her large overly-opinionated family is not happy with her decision, but they support her nonetheless and are convinced that after Lizzie's year away she will come home and start working.  Once in London, Lizzie finds herself falling in love with a city that is filled with so much possibility, adventure, and excitement.  Lizzie even finds herself a boyfriend and winds up falling in love for the first time.  Life is perfect in London (except for the paparazzi - her boyfriend's a movie star after all), but Lizzie is homesick.  She misses her family like crazy.  So, to cheer her up, Thom (Lizzie's bf) books two tickets to Detroit for Christmas - he wants Lizzie to spend the holidays with her family (and he wants to go with her).  Being at home is heaven for Lizzie, except for her father's dour demeanor and her sister Maria's mean comments (they both don't like her boyfriend and can't understand these life choices Lizzie seems to be making).  Anyhow, Lizzie continues to enjoy her London life, until it is time to go home.  Thom doesn't want to her to leave and offers her a home and a job to get her to stay.  But Lizzie is set on returning to the States and start her job search - she can't let her family down.  She wants to be with Thom, she wants to make her family happy, and she can't seem to figure out what will make her happy - so life in Detroit is not a happy one.  And that is all I will say, because I want you to read this one for yourself.  You just have to find out what life Lizzie chooses.

Okay, so what about this book was similar to my life that made me think I was reading about my own life?  Well, for one thing, I'm of Mexican descent - just like Lizzie's family!  Another huge thing was that I went to England to study for my MA in literature (except I was 22 not 23), and my best friend went with me.  No, I didn't fall in love with a movie star, but I had my share of crushes whilst there.  Plus, I could understand Lizzie's desire to please her family and choose them over herself.  I've done the same and still do. This book really made me look at myself and where I'm at now.  It made me think about those years I lived in England (yeah, I went back and lived there for a few years and got another degree) and I couldn't help but marvel at the carefree, adventurous side of myself that truly enjoyed experiencing a foreign country with my best friend.  Plus, I enjoyed how this book focused on a character that came from a Mexican family, it was refreshing and so familiar to me.  This book made me feel like my culture was the norm and I loved that about it.  Lovestruck in London is now one of my favorite summer reads.

So, yes I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is a fan of chick lit, women's fiction, and fiction in general.  You will love this book!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley.

The Pact

Just finished reading this Picoult book and am not sure how I really feel about it. The Pact is called a love story, and centers on two teenagers, Emily and Chris. Both children and their families have been friends with each other for about 18 years (since the Golds (Emily's family) moved in next door to the Hartes(Chris' family) ). Each family has watched this young couple grow into each other and become completely attached to one another in a way that expands beyond young love. However, both families are devastated by a phone call they each receive in the middle of the night concerning their children. Once at the hospital, the Golds find out that their daughter Emily is dead and the Harte's find their son to be the remaining survivor of a suicide pact. Soon we are thrust into the middle of an investigation into the murder of Emily Gold and the trial of Chris Harte. Along the way we flash back to moments from the past that show us the types of people that Chris and Emily have grown up to be and the ways in which their undying love towards one another has affected their lives. The parents of both children are at a loss to comprehend how this idea of suicide could even have been entertained by their children. Clinging to the past and what they believe to be true, both sets of parents attempt to deal with the grief of their losses (Emily, friendship, family, marriage, etc.) in their own ways. In the end we find out that Emily was sexually abused as a child and that her feelings towards Chris were love, but more like sister/brother love. She did not want to marry Chris and be with him in such an intimate way any longer and longed for freedom. However, upon finding out she is pregnant she decides that the only way to handle the situation is to commit suicide (so that she can escape from her unhappy life). Emily gets Chris to agree to borrow one of his father's guns and to be there with her when she ends her life - Chris agrees to do as Emily wishes, in the hopes of stopping her from killing herself. In the end Chris realizes that Emily's pain is too much for her to bear and so he decides that he will help her by pulling the trigger, yet he cannot bring himself to do it and so Emily presses her fingers atop of Chris' and the gun goes off and she dies, while he faints away. Chris is found not guilty and is released from prison. The Gold's move away and the Harte's remain a family. Emily of course remains in Chris' heart. The End. Okay, so it sounds like an interesting read, but for some reason I just can't place it as a good read. The Pact is filled with serious issues that are heartbreaking to read about and Picoult does a fine job addressing them. The writing is simple and the plot engrossing. However, I'm feeling mixed about this book - part of me likes it, but another part of me can't quite grasp what about it I liked. Oh well, I'll chalk it up to another book off of my TBR list and get on with my reading.
For a lighter read I am now about 1/4 way through Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella and I'll be picking up Sense and Sensibility afterward. Must get on with those challenges. Until the next post - Happy Reading!!

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

I finished Hedgehog last night and was bawling for quite some time after I had put the book down. I felt sad, betrayed and angry - Sad because Madame Michel died, betrayed that Barbery killed Madame Michel at the end and I was angry because Madame Michel was not going to live the happy life I had envisioned for her and Kakuro. Today, I am still haunted by the end and still feeling sad over the loss of Madame Michel. Perhaps its my current mood, but this book just really affected me emotionally. Elegance is about two fascinating characters whose views of life and death are skewed by their class/social status and by their disconnection with people. Madame Michel is the concierge of a posh hotel, where the twelve year old Paloma resides with her family. Both Madame Michel and Paloma hide their true selves from the people around them, in the hopes of remaining invisible. Madame Michel hides her vast intelligence from the posh residents in order to maintain the decorum that she is a mere concierge who only knows about opening the door, delivering the mail and taking care of the garbage. Behind her door, nestled in her loge, she reads and reads, toils the time away with her fat cat, Leo (named afer Tolstoy), and has tea with her one and only friend, Manuela (the housekeeper for several of the families residing in the hotel). Paloma is an extremely smart kid who loves all things Japanese and plans to committ suicide by her thirteenth birthday by taking pills (after she has set the apartment on fire). She hides her intellect from her family because she does not want them to know just how smart she is, or they will then begin to pay even more attention to her, and she will no longer be able to hide and scribble her thoughts on movement and life. Both of these characters draw you into their worlds in such a way that you do not want to leave. And then you are introduced to the man who opens the minds and hearts of both Madame Michel and Paloma - the new Japanese tennant, Kakuro Ozu. Kakuro quickly surmises that Madame Michel is not who she seems and that Paloma is not your average child. Through Kakuro we learn so much more about Madame Michel and Paloma and you begin to see the hope of a lovely future for all three of these wonderful characters. Paloma realizes that she does not want to die and Madame Michel meets the man who opens her heart and mind to the possibility of being herself and being comfortable with who she really is, an intelligent, beautiful woman. And then wham! Madame Michel gets hit by a dry cleaning bus and that is the end of her future with Kakuro, Manuela, Paloma, Leo and herself. I know there is meaning behind this sudden death, but I am not quite there yet, in wanting to actually contemplate it, because I am still mourning my happy ending. This book was beautifully written and the characters were brilliant and I can honestly say that I would consider this to be one of my favorite books. There is so much in the book, that I am forgetting to mention, but that is alright, because truth betold, I am more interested in the way the book made me feel. I was surprised at how attached I had become to the characters and how heartbroken I felt for their loss upon hearing of Madame Michel's death. Definitely a moving book.