Review (PDF) The Seven Sisters: A Novel
The first book in a major new series from #1 internationally bestselling author Lucinda Riley, author of The Midnight Rose—hailed as “an extraordinary story [and] a complex, deeply engaging tale filled with fascinating characters” (Library Journal).Maia D’Apliese and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, “Atlantis”—a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva—having been told that their beloved father, who adopted them all as babies, has died. Each sister is handed a tantalizing clue to her true heritage—a clue that takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of her story. Eighty years earlier in the Rio of the 1920s, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is devising plans for an enormous statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to complete his vision. Izabela—passionate and longing to see the world—convinces her father to allow her to accompany him and his family to Europe before she is married. There, at Paul Landowski’s studio and in the heady, vibrant cafes of Montparnasse, she meets ambitious young sculptor Laurent Brouilly, and knows at once that her life will never be the same again. In this sweeping, epic tale of love and loss—the first in a unique, spellbinding new series—Lucinda Riley showcases her storytelling talents like never before.
File Size: 2887 KB
Print Length: 481 pages
Publisher: Atria Books (May 5, 2015)
Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc
Language: English
ASIN: B00LD1OREU
Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
X-Ray: Enabled
Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #12,666 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #19 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Irish #86 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Women's Fiction #103 in Books > Literature & Fiction > British & Irish > Historical
I loved the beginning of this book where we get to meet all of the sisters as they slowly return to their childhood home fondly named Atlantis. I loved Pa Salt and the mystery that surrounded him and why he decided to adopt 6 little girls and name them after the stars. Really loved the mythology connection. His passing came with many questions as to who he really was and why he kept so many secrets. That is the part of the story that had me intrigued and turning the pages. I also loved the inclusion of the History of Brazil and the creation of the Christ the Redeemer statue. Very interesting...Unfortunately, the story kind of lost me when the attention fell to only the story of Maia(present) and her great-great-grandmother, Izabella(past). Even though the story of Izabela from the past was a very interesting one, it wasn't the story that I wanted to hear. I would've liked to have followed the story of Maia's mother and hopefully learned how Maia ended up being adopted by Pa Salt. Perhaps the moral of the story is that adopted children will always live their lives with a perpetual question mark as to why they were given up. If that was the point, then I guess that part of the story was successfully portrayed.I was very disappointed that we didn't get to spend more time with the other sisters. We only got to meet them briefly as they came home for a very quick visit after Pa Salt died. And then the story focus shifted to only Maia. I know there will be future installments to the series but with the book being as long as it was, I was surprised that we never re-visited them.I was also disappointed that after spending 630 pages with these characters we are left with so many unresolved questions. It was a little to open-ended for me. I needed more closure.
“Remember, even if we can’t see them, those we love are always with us”----Lucinda RileyLucinda Riley, an Irish international best-selling author, have spun a terrific and absolutely stunning saga of six sisters in an all new series of The Seven Sisters. The Seven Sisters is the first book and the story of first/eldest sister, Maia. This is her journey to search for her roots after her adoptive father's death.Synopsis:Maia D'Apliése and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, 'Atlantis' - a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva - having been told that their beloved father, the elusive billionaire they call Pa Salt, has died. Maia and her sisters were all adopted by him as babies and, discovering he has already been buried at sea, each of them is handed a tantalising clue to their true heritage - a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of where her story began . . .Eighty years earlier, in the Belle Epoque of Rio, 1927, Izabela Bonifacio's father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is working on a statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to complete his vision. Izabela - passionate and longing to see the world - convinces her father to allow her to accompany him and his family to Europe before she is married. There, at Paul Landowski's studio and in the heady, vibrant cafés of Montparnasse, she meets ambitious young sculptor Laurent Brouilly, and knows at once that her life will never be the same again.
Okay, okay! After reading Lucinda Riley's "The Italian Girl" and finding it maudlin and overdone, I swore I wouldn't read another of Riley's romantic novels. Here I am, breaking my word. I listened to "The Seven Sisters: Maia's Story" on unabridged audio and during the first few chapters, I chastised myself for again falling prey to what seemed like an interesting premise. Riley sets the stage in this her first book for a series of seven books dedicated to each of the titular seven sisters, all of which have been adopted by a wealthy benefactor who lives in a luxurious estate on Lake Geneva. In this first offering, Riley builds her premise from scratch. Maia, the oldest of the siblings, explains to the reader about her father, the late Pa Salt who has traveled around the world looking for orphans to adopt and bring back to his estate. Each is named for one of the seven sisters of the Pleiades. Unfortunately Pa Salt doesn't ever bring back the seventh sister so whether there is one or not remains a mystery. This portion of the book where Riley sets up her goal becomes a bit redundant as each of the sisters is given a cursory glance. For those readers who do enjoy a mystery in the present being solved by delving into the past, wait for Maia's story to actually kick in; for the most part, you will not be disappointed.Upon Pa Salt's death, each of the sisters is given an envelope by their father's lawyer along with the latitude and longitude coordinates of their birth place. Maia quickly discovers that she was born in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and off she flies to discover something about her past.
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