Paperback, 384 pages
Published December 1st 2014 by Lake Union Publishing
ISBN: 1477826157 (ISBN13: 9781477826157)
From Goodreads:
Set against the backdrop of revolutionary Russia, The Amber Keeper is a sweeping tale of jealousy and revenge, reconciliation and forgiveness.
English Lake District, 1960s: A young Abbie Myers returns home after learning of her mother’s death. Estranged from her turbulent family for many years, Abbie is heartbroken to hear that they blame her for the tragedy.
Determined to uncover her mother’s past, Abbie approaches her beloved grandmother, Millie, in search of answers. As the old woman recounts her own past, Abbie is transported back to the grandeur of the Russian Empire in 1911 with tales of her grandmother’s life as a governess and the revolution that exploded around her.
As Abbie struggles to reconcile with her family, and to support herself and her child, she realizes that those long-ago events created aftershocks that threaten to upset the fragile peace she longs to create.
My thoughts: For some reason, Tsarist Russia has always fascinated me so I really liked this time frame and dual perspectives as told by Abbie in the 1960's and Millie in 1911. Ms. Lightfoot's excellent characterizations, sense of place and historical feel made this a wonderful read.
Set against the backdrop of revolutionary Russia, The Amber Keeper is a sweeping tale of jealousy and revenge, reconciliation and forgiveness.
English Lake District, 1960s: A young Abbie Myers returns home after learning of her mother’s death. Estranged from her turbulent family for many years, Abbie is heartbroken to hear that they blame her for the tragedy.
Determined to uncover her mother’s past, Abbie approaches her beloved grandmother, Millie, in search of answers. As the old woman recounts her own past, Abbie is transported back to the grandeur of the Russian Empire in 1911 with tales of her grandmother’s life as a governess and the revolution that exploded around her.
As Abbie struggles to reconcile with her family, and to support herself and her child, she realizes that those long-ago events created aftershocks that threaten to upset the fragile peace she longs to create.
My thoughts: For some reason, Tsarist Russia has always fascinated me so I really liked this time frame and dual perspectives as told by Abbie in the 1960's and Millie in 1911. Ms. Lightfoot's excellent characterizations, sense of place and historical feel made this a wonderful read.
Although, I did like Millie' s story of her time in Russia a tad better than Abbie's, they were both very good. There were some characters you could love and hate which made for a good balance in the storyline. The family ties and old hurts were well done. I could actually empathize with the characters. Along with Millie's past story and Amber's present day story, there was a plot line fraught with mystery and danger. It all came together with a fine cohesiveness. My attention never wavered and I even learned something about amber along the way. 4****
Ms. Lightfoot is the author of numerous historical fiction books and is a Goodreads author. She can be found on her page at Goodreads.
Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Lake Union Publishing/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I'm fascinated with Tsarist Russia too. This sounds good!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good one!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this too. I found the details of family life in an aristocratic family during this era fascinating.
ReplyDelete