I'm new to blogging, but I often finish a book and want to reflect on it. So a blog seemed like a good idea; a way to share my thoughts and opinions on a particular novel. It might be a new release, an old favourite or just a random book I picked up somewhere.
So here goes with my first review - although that sounds rather grand, and implies a judgement of some kind. That is not what I intend at all. The book I have just finished is 'Sacred Hearts' by Sarah Dunant. I absolutely loved this book.
So what made it so enjoyable? Firstly it was an historical novel and I have always been drawn to historical novels. Secondly it was set in Italy, just after the Renaissance, a time of great political turbulence. That turbulence is reflected in the storyline, that of a reluctant novice entering a convent to take her vows. I don't want to give away any of the plot, so I won't go into too much detail.
The writing is so powerful that I was completely caught up in the story; I could hardly bear to put it down, yet I did not actually want to finish it either. The story is written in the present tense, which is something I often find unsettling, but in this book the style just flowed through. The characters were very well drawn and I really warmed to them.
I have not read anything else by her, but will certainly be looking forward to another of her novels.
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