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| Front cover |
What a delightful treasure I found ion my bookshelf. I had brought this book home here from PA in 2012 when we were clearing out my Uncle Carl's home after he had passed. Aunt Marge had belonged to the Book of the Month Club way back when and this was one of the books she had kept over the years. Well back then no one disposed of a book, they were treasured and often reread. So I was wanting something to read and after trying a few from the shelf that I'd picked up at local sales and just couldn't get into I looked farther and wondered about some of these old ones. This was a great choice. I really enjoyed the story, it is an adventure and a romance and excellent writing, not one 4 letter word so refreshing from today when authors seem to have a limited vocabulary. It was published in 1941 by Doubleday.
The cover flap is tattered but what a beautiful picture the front displays portraying the heart of this tale with gypsy wagons. The back cover is a flashback in history promoting the purchase of war bonds.
I know nothing about this author but the name Lady Eleanor Smith is referenced as the author of The Man In Gray as well. There is no picture or information about the author on the inner cover flap unlike today when authors are featured. Over 276 pages this is a great tale about a fictional author, James Darrell, who is heartbroken when, Oriana, the girl he's loved since childhood and wanted to marry sends him a letter announcing her intention to marry another man of wealth. She admits she wants the finer things in life and that he, a struggling author, will never be successful enough. James saves the life a man one evening who turns out to be a Spanish diamond merchant. Don Ignacio Fernando Maria de Zozaya who engages him to deliver a special wedding gift to his daughter in Spain. Just the break James needs to get away and forget his troubles., But there are many twists and before James can obtain further recommendations from him Don Ignacio dies. James remains in Spain and gets involved with gypsies, has a terrible illness, is nursed back to life and yet tricked by Rosal who loves him enough to deceive him into marrying her, gypsy style. The adventures continue and he continues to write after regaining his memory slowly from his illness. In another tragic turn Rosal is murdered saving his life. He ultimately writes of his Spanish travels and the book is immensely popular in England giving him fame as an author., By chance he encounters an old friend and then returns to England. The twist continue and Oriana reappears, her husband is an invalid, dying and they resume an affair. But she is compelled to travel to Switzerland with her dying husband and there she has a fatal accident. James continues to write but becomes somewhat of a recluse. Just a doggone good story.
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| Cover flap |
I don't know if I am overly generous to rate this a 5 ***** because I was so thrilled to finally find a good solid read or if I was drawn in by the history of the times of this book. But there it is. Another nice feature is the table of contents, Chapters. Something rarely used today. |
| Table of Contents |
I am including some pages here from the novel. A flavor of the writing.
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Prologue
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Prologue Pages 2 and 3
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James has always been partial to a life of fantasy and tales. Page 24 has a line, "the jopys of liberty were like a heady wine...."  |
| Pages 24 and 25 |
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Page 276 The End
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