I read this excellent book, Storms of Malhado, this month. The author, Maria Elena Sandovici, is new to me and very interesting. She is a person of many talents.
First the book. If you are someone who likes historical fiction with some mystery, romance, a supernatural twist, experienced a hurricane or two, (or not) and like "Wait...what just happened here? Oh... moments, I think you will like this book.
About:
As even die-hard islanders evacuate, Katie and her parents await Hurricane Ike in their old mansion on Broadway. The house has survived many storms, even the deadly 1900 one – the greatest natural disaster to befall the United States, putting an end to Galveston’s Golden Age – but some of its past inhabitants are rumored to have lost their lives in hurricanes. Katie doesn’t believe in ghosts, past lives, or reincarnation. She is, however, afraid of the monster storm approaching. Her fear mixes with anxiety over George, her elusive boyfriend. Painting offers an escape, but Katie is as unsure of her talent as she is of her flailing relationship. The same has been true for two of the women who inhabited the house in different eras. Suzanne, killed in the Storm of 1900, struggled with her own artistic and romantic difficulties, as had Betty, who died in Hurricane Carla in 1961. Will Katie’s fate be similar to that of Suzanne and Betty? Does she have the power to change it?
Through three different timelines, this paranormal historical novel weaves a story of Galveston’s past, underscoring its danger and isolation, as well as its remarkable resilience, its capacity for both nostalgia and reinvention. Full of contradictions, at once insular and open to the world, magical but stifling, stuck in the past yet determined to overcome, Galveston Island is as much a character of the novel as Suzanne, Betty, Katie, their lovers, and their confidantes."
First the book. If you are someone who likes historical fiction with some mystery, romance, a supernatural twist, experienced a hurricane or two, (or not) and like "Wait...what just happened here? Oh... moments, I think you will like this book.
About:
"Galveston Island, Texas, September 2008
As even die-hard islanders evacuate, Katie and her parents await Hurricane Ike in their old mansion on Broadway. The house has survived many storms, even the deadly 1900 one – the greatest natural disaster to befall the United States, putting an end to Galveston’s Golden Age – but some of its past inhabitants are rumored to have lost their lives in hurricanes. Katie doesn’t believe in ghosts, past lives, or reincarnation. She is, however, afraid of the monster storm approaching. Her fear mixes with anxiety over George, her elusive boyfriend. Painting offers an escape, but Katie is as unsure of her talent as she is of her flailing relationship. The same has been true for two of the women who inhabited the house in different eras. Suzanne, killed in the Storm of 1900, struggled with her own artistic and romantic difficulties, as had Betty, who died in Hurricane Carla in 1961. Will Katie’s fate be similar to that of Suzanne and Betty? Does she have the power to change it?
Through three different timelines, this paranormal historical novel weaves a story of Galveston’s past, underscoring its danger and isolation, as well as its remarkable resilience, its capacity for both nostalgia and reinvention. Full of contradictions, at once insular and open to the world, magical but stifling, stuck in the past yet determined to overcome, Galveston Island is as much a character of the novel as Suzanne, Betty, Katie, their lovers, and their confidantes."
I really liked the different time lines and the stories of Suzanne, Betty and Katie, and how they all converged into one. The writing is so good you can feel the young women's anxiety, their obsessions and also the oppressive summer heat and humidity of the Texas Gulf. The suspense builds as we go back and forth between the timelines. It is a story of breaking patterns. I so wanted to tell these three women "no don't do that". The ending is great. You will want to read this in one sitting.
As I mentioned, the author has many talents. She has written several other books, she paints and has an art gallery, features her artwork on her blog daily and an online store.
Here is her biography that is posted on Amazon.
This book and storyline sound very interesting, Gayle. I like the Galveston setting and that area has certainly seen a multitude of hurricanes. Thanks for featuring it!
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