The Vespertine (Vespertine #1) by Saundra Mitchell description from goodreads
It's the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him. When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia's world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she's not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.
Ok Here I go..
When I first thought of reading The Vespertine I really thought I would not like it... it was a period piece set in 1889, there would be no Hot Vampire or Awesome supernatural beings.. It is going to be BORING.. Then I started reading it maybe it caught my interest so quickly because it is set in Maryland where I live, I have been to Baltimore to many times to count. Or, maybe it was because I knew the setting, with its familiar places like the Inner Harbor, Druid Hill, Mt Vernon Place and Greenmount cemetery (one of my favorite places to take photos>>!!!).
For whatever reason, I was quickly immersed in their world. Their manner of dress and the atmosphere that Ms Mitchell created were so vividly described down to the sounds and smells, without forcing some sort of history lesson or being too wordy to understand.
Here is an example of Why I LOVE THIS BOOK===> "Before I boarded, I turned back to look at the city of my summer. All the huddled row houses clung together, making blocks of streets, and neighborhoods of blocks. Horse cars rang their merry bells, and Arabers called-- apples apples apples and an orange! oranges! All the color of it seared on my skin, red brick white marble, blue skies."
Ms Mitchell's style of writing is very melodic, and her story telling is wonderful. I feel that she caught the essence of these characters and I truly wanted to find out what happened to them. I was left curious about some untold futures, and I was also left saying what a wonderful read.
Amelia, thrust into an unfamiliar world was sent from her home in Maine by her brother to find a suitable husband, instead she found Zora her distant cousin and two became fast friends. She went in search of a husband and found a life.
Now I am not going to spill the beans about what the twists of the story are, but let it be known there are some good ones :O) I can't wait to read more...
I have serious love for this one... Well done to Sandra Mitchell and thanks to NetGalley for the wonderful read. I will be purchasing a Hardcover copy to add to my collection. Twitter @SaundraMitchell.
Thank you to Net Galley for the e-arc.
