How do you chose your next read? By me, if I do not have to rely on book reviews and other bookish recommendations, a great cover and an inspiring title can easy convince me to give up everything I do - and read - right now and embark on a new reading adventure. Sometimes I am wrong, sometimes the beautiful title and the graphic representation of the book match perfectly together with an unforgettable story.
Now, think about the poetic world enclosed in the following title: In the Silence Long-Forgotten, Almond Trees Blossom. I am not aware if it is a quote from a poet, more or less known, or it´s just the choice of the author, David BP Mayne. It is such a fine choice of words that is a story in itself, this title.
In addition to the title, there is the monocolour cover, which appeals to a Romantic representation of history and geography. With that title on that cover you can only dream of a book like no other you´ve ever read before.
And, indeed, it is a very different kind of read, including for someone like me who is reading almost everything, except vampire stories and...science fiction. In fact, in this case, the first impression was so powerful that I had to put on hold the second rule for the time being.
The action of the book starts in 1980s and continues late in the future, in the 2031 (only 10 years left until then, so it is not such a far away time destination, after all). Jack Meredith is a geologist working in Libya. He got into trouble and is saved from prison by a gorgeous lady of Greek-Libyan heritage, Bushra. She is wealthy and charming and a very strong woman, but not even their two children will keep them together. They part ways and so the children: Emma will follow his father to London while Stavros will stay in North Africa. Things are getting more and more interesting - at least for me, a very passionate humble reader of international political combinations - as we are entering a very interesting stage of the story: there is a new Cold War about to begin and it´s playground is this time the Mediterranean Sea. The old new player is, as usual, Russia who is about to take over the part of Libya featured in the book - Cyrenaica.
In the realm of the international trouble, there is time for a reunion between both the brother and sister, as well as between the old lovers. The game is again on the emotional ground, where love, betrayal and passion meet. Plus, Stavros is now involved in organising the resistance again the Russian occupation.
I did my best to not be so bitter and overcritical with the geopolitical part of the story, but somehow felt that there are nowadays so many realistic projections and reasons to worry that you don´t need a dystopian environment to set up your story. Russia always kept a strong feet in Libya, with the exotic - for us, in the West - bloody tyrant Muammar al-Gaddafi being considered one of the strongest ally of the Soviet Union.
However, the story needed some extra-excitement and definitely those development are dramatic enough to magnify the personal relations and stories. And this human part was, for me, by far, the most interesting one. Most of the main characters do have a drop of self-destruction, strength and craziness that make both humans and fictional alive. Both Jack and Bushra are complex and standalone and very strong willed - therefore their mismatch.
What I think it is also important to mention in the case of this beautifully titled book - In the Silence Long Forgotten, Almond Trees Blossom - is that it brings Libya, a North African country with such a rich historical heritage and so much political bad luck, into the English-speaking narrative. At least, it pushes the reader to do some additional searches about this country and particularly the region featured in the book.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own
Thanks for the blog tour support x
ReplyDeleteThe pleasure is, as always, mine :)
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