Michelle Moran has done it again!

This morning I finished Michelle Moran's Rebel Queen and I was astounded! I don't really know much about India, to be quite honest, but now I am wildly interested in the country and its history. The book follows the last queen on India, Rani Lakshmi, through the eyes of one her female warriors named Sita. I felt as if I were in India as I read the book. Moran's writing style is so easy to devour each page, notably this book where Hindu culture is detailed in a manner I have never read before. Sita is an extremely likable character. You want her to win, you want her to succeed, you want her to have everything good in the world especially after so much bad happens to her. She faces formidable foes who try to take her down due to her sincere moral compass. I was a little hesitant to read this book because my specialty is European history and royalty and, as I said before, I do not know much about India. Michelle Moran ignited a new fire in me (again!) and I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone interested in fiction. The writing is pure, easy to follow but still capable of weaving complex images as the story moves along. So go buy the book now! If you live in Colorado you can borrow a copy from me, I have two thanks to winning a copy the same day I bought it. 

Enjoy this book and enjoy the end of the Verona story! I am hoping to fill out a blog Q&A for Michelle Moran to add to a future post. She will be in Denver in June for the Historical Novel Society but I will not be able to attend (it will cost $440 to register and that is too steep for me) so I am happy to have a Q&A from my favorite author instead!

Week 14 (6-12 April 2015)

Verona Part 3

Krysta looked in the mirror when she arrived to her apartment after work. Maria let her go early siting a lack of English letters to read and write but Krysta knew better. There were always dozens of English letters to read. She knew Maria just wanted her to meet Ludovico. As she stared at herself she couldn't help but realize she didn't recognize the person in front of her and it wasn't such a bad thing. She had a glow to her she never had before. She looked taller, happier; she felt as if she were finally a woman. She didn't have to fake her confidence or fake her serenity in a moment, she just had to be. The thrill of her date added a pink flush to her delicately pale skin and brightened the green in her hazel eyes.

She wore a coral blouse, pale blue skinny jeans and black ballet flats. She tousled her hair and pinned some of it to the back of her head with a brooch she bought in Paris. She wanted to look effortless; the days of trying too hard to be something she wasn't were behind her which gave her a greater sense of freedom. She heard the breeze blow her curtains about as it gently fingered through her loose hair and she felt ready. With a deep breath she turned away from her mirror without a second look and waltzed to the restaurant like she owned Verona. She looked around for a minute, scanning for Ludovico but couldn't find him. She was a little annoyed but continued to look. It wasn't so rare anymore that a woman arrive to a date first since he didn't pick her up but she was on time and he wasn't there. A waiter came over to seat her when she felt a hand on her shoulder and a chatter of Italian.

“I have a table for us out back. It is more private and romantic,” Ludovico smiled at her with his perfect teeth and eyes that looked as rich as caramel and seemed to drip from his eyes when he blinked. His lightly tanned skin looked soft and she almost reached out to touch his cheek but took his arm instead. She thought it kind of strange that they were eating out back but eating anywhere in Italy was beautiful. They walked through the kitchen where Ludovico introduced her to the chef and staff. They were charming and gave the pair little samples of fresh cheese and savory marinara sauce hot off the stove. Krysta had been wined and dined before but this was utterly different. This was a tour of Italy, real Italy. He wasn't showing her off to the world like her other dates had done in the past, rather, he was showing off his world to her. They exited the kitchen, after several minutes and a satisfied palate, and entered a dimly lit terrace behind the restaurant. Candles flickered as the pink and red sunset glowed in front of them. Lights hung from the canopy above them with tiny lights that looked like fireflies suspended in a frozen dance before their very eyes.

It wasn't until a slight warm breeze wafted away the smell of pasta cooking and freshly chopped garlic that she noticed dozens of lilies arranged on the terrace. The aromatic perfume from the exotic flowers was simply intoxicating. Krysta couldn't imagine why she had not seen her favorite flower before everything else but Verona set her senses ablaze which made it difficult to notice any one thing first. She nearly felt like crying but a warm hand settled ever so gently on the small of her back, guiding her to a seat at the only table in view.

“This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” she gasped at the scene laid out before her.

“I cannot take full credit my Nonna helped me with everything. She told me you are a romantic which is perfect because I am too. She said you bring in lilies every time you find them at the market and that you love to have a glass of red wine while you watch the sun set. She has talked about you since the day you first walked into Juliet's House. I think she has been trying to set us up from the beginning. Lots of girl have come in looking to help but she has never offered a single one a job, let alone sent them on a trip to discover themselves. She likes you, I can see why,” his smile was the most exhilarating thing about the whole evening. Conversation was easy between them. It was as if they had never not known each other; the heavens had opened their clouds and pushed them towards one another. It was fate and couldn't possibly feel any different. Fate and Signore Giordano!

Life had come full circle for Krysta. The chapter marking her young adult years was over. She gladly shut that door and left behind her insecurities and unsureness about herself and all that surrounded her. With her head held high and a new found grace about her, she marched towards adulthood. Her soul was set free of constraints and she was able to find love, real love that made her feel like she could conquer the world. Heartbreak led her to a city described by a playwright in an English tragedy but her heart kept her there for she finally had purpose. Love letters and Ludovico, her Italian Romeo.