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Loading... The Saffron Gate (2009)by Linda Holeman
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. This was nice light read - unique enough not to be entirely predictable, but easy enough to be light and refreshing. The descriptions of the Moroccan town had me feeling like I was really there. ( ) I always look forward to a Linda Holeman book as I know she will take me away from everyday life to an exotic setting in a far away land. In The Saffron Gate I was carried away to Morocco in the 1930’s. This author is very good at placing the reader in the story, I experienced the sights and sounds of the crowded souks, and tasted the strange flavours of kefta and mint tea. Rich and varied descriptions of clothing, furnishings and dwellings painted a strong picture. The story revolves around Sidonie, an American woman who comes to Morocco in search of her lover who, although she is positive wanted to marry her, disappeared shortly after she announced she was pregnant. She followed him to the city of Marrakesh and while unravelling the mystery of his disappearance she comes fully under the spell of this country and it’s people. In particular, one man, a Turag, who aids her in her search and helps her adjust to this foreign world. Sidonie had led a very sheltered life in America, an only child, she suffered an attack of polio which left her slightly lame and self-conscious of her disability. I enjoyed this book although it took me awhile to warm up to Sidonie. I understood her innocence was due to her sheltered upbringing but I found her to be less observant that I would have expected a painter to be. She was a little too trusting, taking things at face value even though again and again she found out she was being lied to. As the story progressed however, she was developing into an interesting and independent young women with a core of inner strength. The Saffron Gate is a story of love, loss and redemption set in an amazing location that while I found a little far-fetched, was a overall satisfying historical romance.
Holeman books use formulaic elements: sympathetic heroine, worthy nemesis, interesting location, touch of history, naturally tan leading man, love lost and won at least once, and plenty of intrigue...That said, unpolished writing can ruin even a good story. And though I've been hooked by a Holeman book in the past, the quality of writing in The Saffron Gate too often left me immune and, from page one, wanting to bring out my blue pen..... Distinctions
A young American woman's journey to track down her missing lover becomes an enthralling adventure of mystery, passion, danger and self-discovery set against the spellbinding backdrop of 1930s Marrakech. Sidonie O'Shea enjoys the quiet life she shares with fiancé Etienne Duverger in upstate New York. But when Etienne suddenly disappears without word, she finds a letter amongst his belongings that turns her world upside down. Refusing to believe that Etienne would abandon her, Sidonie travels to Morocco in search of him, determined to know the truth. But nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover, both about the man she thought she loved and an unknown world of dangerous secrets in a country steeped in mystery... No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999RatingAverage:
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