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Indlæser... The Wedding Shroud (Tales of Ancient Rome, #1)
Work InformationThe Wedding Shroud af Elisabeth Storrs
Ingen Indlæser...
Bliv medlem af LibraryThing for at finde ud af, om du vil kunne lide denne bog. Der er ingen diskussionstråde på Snak om denne bog. This book suffers the curse of many historical novels: by trying to explain and detail every historical reference or archeological find, the story seems like an afterthought. ( ) A closer, intriguing glimpse into the people of ancient Rome. The author skillfully interweaves one woman's struggle with her identity, having come from two different social classes, while being used as a pawn much like Helen of Troy. She is forced to marry a wealthy man from her country's enemy as a bargaining chip against civil war. Past and present struggles are displayed in this epic, consuming historical fiction. After her father dies, Caecilia of Ancient Rome is relieved when she is adopted by her uncle. However, her relief is short-lived when she learns that she is to be married to Mastarna, an Etruscan nobleman and widower for political purposes. Although Mastarna lives in the Veii, a city in Etruria, and is only approximately twelve miles north of Rome, its culture is so different from her home, it might as well be hundreds of miles away. Although she welcomes the more egalitarian relationships between the sexes refreshing, she finds many of the religious and sexual practices abhorrent. Although the affection between Caecilia and Mastarna grows, she feels that the love for her deceased wife is an insurmountable barrier between them. Much of the book describes Caecilia feeling like a “stranger in a strange land” grieving unfulfilled dreams left in Rome. The novel did provide a list of principle characters and glossary of terms which helped with unfamiliar aspects of both the Roman and Etruscan cultures; however, I did find that I spent so much time looking up terms that it took away from the story. First in a new series called Tales of Ancient Rome, the Wedding Shroud is set in 406 BC. Roman noble Caecilia is the orphaned daughter of a patrician woman and a plebian tribune. She was adopted by her maternal uncle, Aemilius, and is being sent to the city of Veii in Etruria to wed Vel Mastarna to seal a truce between the two cities. She feels no attraction to Vel and longs to stay in Rome where she's in love with Drusus, rather than enter into a political marriage as a hostage. The wedding shroud, part of the Etruscan wedding ritual, is a mantle that covers the couple during the ceremony symbolizing a united destiny in life and death. Caecilia's been taught her entire life that the only right way is the Roman way. She's appalled and intrigued by the Etruscan way of life and the freedom the woman are allowed. Caecelia is stubbornly trying to cling to her stoic self control and rigid behavior but she reluctantly begins adjusting to the new freedom offered her in Veii. She learns of Vel's dark and painful past and reluctantly begins to fall in love with him. The book is filled with rich historical detail and complex character development. There are intriguing details of both Roman and Etruscan life. The detail is artfully handled with an eye to revealing more about the cultural attitudes. Both historical and romance-oriented, the sexual situations are handled within what I would consider the time period. I really enjoyed the book and look forward to the second of the series, The Golden Dice.
'From the moment I stepped under the orange veil to the last roll of the dice, I found myself wanting more of her world, to walk with her characters and to immerse myself in their lives, if only for a time.' "All the drama and sensuality expected of a historical romance, plus a sensitivity to the realities of life in a very different time and world." Belongs to SeriesHæderspriser
"All the drama and sensuality of an historical romance, plus a sensitivity to the realities of life in a very different time and world..." Ursula Le Guin In 406 BC, to seal a tenuous truce, the young Roman Caecilia is wedded to Vel Mastarna, an Etruscan nobleman from the city of Veii. The fledgling Republic lies only twelve miles across the Tiber from its neighbor, but the cities are from opposing worlds so different are their customs and beliefs. Leaving behind a righteous Rome, Caecilia is determined to remain true to Roman virtues while living among the sinful Etruscans. Instead she finds herself tempted by a hedonistic culture which offers pleasure and independence to women as well as an ancient religion that gives her a chance to delay her destiny. Yet Mastarna and his people also hold dark secrets and, as war looms, Caecilia discovers that Fate is not so easy to control and that she must finally choose where her allegiance lies. Exploring themes of sexuality, destiny versus self-determination and tolerance versus prejudice, The Wedding Shroud is historical fiction at its best which vividly brings Ancient Rome and Etruria to life while accenting the lives of women in ancient history. The Wedding Shroud was judged runner-up in the 2012 international Sharp Writ Book Awards for general fiction. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Indlæser... GenrerMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.4Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Post-Elizabethan 1625-1702VurderingGennemsnit:
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