I am featuring Hotel on Shadow Lake today by Daniela Tully. It is a very moving piece of historical fiction. There is also the chance to win a hardback copy of the book . You can find details on how to enter at the foot of this post (UK only).
Sometimes the past holds the key to the future.
When Maya was a girl, her grandmother was everything to her:
teller of magical fairy tales, surrogate mother, best friend. Then her grandmother
disappeared without a trace, leaving Maya with only questions to fill the void.
Twenty-seven years later, her grandmother’s body is found in
a place she had no connection to. Desperate for answers, Maya begins to unravel
secrets that go back decades, from 1910s New York to 1930s Germany and beyond.
But when she begins to find herself spinning her own lies in
order to uncover what happened, she must decide whether her life, and a chance
at love, are worth risking for the truth.
My Thoughts
I was completely involved in this epic story which spans generations, times and countries. It blends together the story of Martha, the grandmother and her granddaughter, Maya. Inspired by a real life event when Daniela's own grandmother received a letter which had been held behind the Berlin Wall until Reunification, the story opens with a letter which is delivered to Martha from her twin brother Wolfgang who she has not seen for years. You follow Martha's family in Germany in the 1930's as Hitler's ideology takes hold of some people and see its effects on future generations. It is a fascinating but horrifying period in history. Side by side, we are taken to the America of 2017 as Maya tries to uncover the mystery of her grandmother's death and in doing so, reveals many family secrets in the rather mysterious Montgomery family.
Both Maya and Martha are strongly drawn characters, with their own individual personalities. It is interesting to follow the clues through the years to try to guess identities and family secrets. The story is summed up on the front cover of my Advance Reader Copy as, 'An intricate mystery, an epic romance and a Gothic family saga' and I must say that seems to sum it up pretty well. The everyday lives of women in the Third Reich are so strongly evoked and you cannot help but feel for Martha who longs for freedom of thought. Balanced against the bullying and cruelty of the Gestapo are examples of real heroism and the will to survive.
In short: a well crafted and emotional novel.
About the Author
Daniela Tully has been working in the field of storytelling
for decades, mainly in film and television. She has been involved in projects such
as the critically-acclaimed Fair Game, box-office hits Contagion and The Best
Exotic Marigold Hotel, as well as the Oscar-winning The Help.
She currently lives in Dubai.
Thanks to Daniela Tully and Imogen Harris of Legend Press for a copy of the book and a place on the blog tour.
You can read more about the book on these brilliant blogs
Giveaway (UK only)
To win a hardback copy of Hotel on Shadow Lake, just Follow and
Retweet the pinned Tweet at @bookslifethings or leave a comment below. Closing Date is 1st March 2018 and there
is one winner. Sorry it is open to UK only. Good luck!
Sounds like a fascinating read!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is. Well worth a read. Thanks for stopping by.
ReplyDelete