2014, 400p, Historical Fiction
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Provided copy for an honest review
Colette DeMer and her brother Pascoe are two sides of the same coin, dependent upon one another in the tumultuous world of the new Republic. Together they labor with other leaders of the sans-culottes to ensure freedom for all the downtrodden men and women of France.
But then the popular uprisings turn bloody and the rhetoric proves false. Suddenly, Colette finds herself at odds with Pascoe and struggling to unite her fractured family against the lure of violence. Charged with protecting an innocent young woman and desperately afraid of losing one of her beloved brothers, Colette doesn’t know where to turn or whom to trust as the bloodshed creeps ever closer to home.
Until that distant day when peace returns to France, can she find the strength to defend her loved ones . . . even from one another?
I participated in the cover reveal for this book last year and have to say that this one of the most beautiful book covers I have ever seen. I kept the button on my sidebar so I would remember that this book was coming out. When I got an invite to be part of this tour, I was so excited!
This is a fantastic book! It was a slow read for me because there was a lot to digest and I wanted to make sure I knew who everyone was (hmm...I feel the same way when I read books written by her daughter, Anne Elisabeth Stengl--this writing style must run in their family).
I enjoyed reading about all the relationships Colette had in this book. She lives with her brothers, Pascoe, Etienne and Claude. Etienne was the easiest brother for me to like, but Pascoe and Claude had their charming moments as well. I also enjoyed her relationship with Dr. Hilliard and his daughter, Leonie. Colette is the doctor's housekeeper and has decisions to make as two of her brothers and the doctor are on different sides of the uprising. Her relationship with her brother Pascoe is particularly complex. I disliked him through most of the book, but at the end, my opinion toward him softened and I was able to see more of what she saw in him.
There are others that Colette helps throughout the story and I loved her compassion for each of them, no matter what their circumstances were. She showed that she loved and cared about each of them. Colette has her flaws and has made some mistakes in her past, but she is determined to live a better life and is very likable.
There is some romance, but not much as the revolution is the major focus of this story. This does not seem like an easy topic to take on and I thought Mrs. Stengl did a fantastic job! I felt like I was there and felt their victories and sorrows with them. There was a lot going on towards the end and I thought the ending was perfect! I haven't read any of Mrs. Stengl's other books, but was surprised when I read one of her interview questions that she's used to writing only romance and this is the first time she's taken on a book like this. I hope she writes more!
If you enjoy relationship oriented historical fiction, then this is the book for you! This book is clean but since it deals with revolution, there are some violent parts (nothing too descriptive, though).
For this tour, we each got to ask the author one question. Here's my question and her answer. Click on the tour links below for some great reviews and answers to more questions!
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
Wow, this is a tough question, Melanie! Thank you for asking it and making me think a little harder.
Writing about the masked ball gave me a great deal of pleasure. My heroine is not an entirely trustworthy narrator, but during that scene she reveals hints of her deeper feelings which a savvy reader can detect.
All things considered, the various interactions between my characters and Colette’s thoughts and conclusions (sometimes inaccurate) were my favorite parts of this story to write.
"Jill Stengl is one of the rare authors with the ability to transport the reader to another world--a delightfully rich world of scent and sight and sound.” – Kim Vogel Sawyer, bestselling author of Echoes of Mercy
“Award-winning author Jill Stengl has created her greatest work yet in the inspiring and moving Until That Distant Day.” Jill Eileen Smith, bestselling author of the Wives of King David series.
This is the last day to enter the giveaway and to get your Kindle copy for just $.99!!
 |
| Amazon |
She blogs at Books, Cats, and Whimsy. Do stop by and follow her to keep up with all her writing and reading-related activities!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Until That Distant Day
Launch Tour Schedule
May 5
May 6
May 7
May 8
May 9
May 10
May 11
May 12
May 13 – Giveaway Winner Announced
2 comments:
The firs thing I thought when this came to my email was "I love the cover"! So beautiful. It sounds like a great read. Thanks for sharing :)!
Thank you, Paij--I love my book cover, too!
And thank you, Melanie, for a lovely blog tour post and review. I really appreciate it!
Post a Comment