by Christina Stahle

A Historical Fiction, 2025 by Pebble Press, 392 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

I enjoy historical fiction but starting with a huge list of characters always bugs me. I prefer the story to speak for itself and to understand the characters from the story. Then, if I’m still curious, I might consult a list. Of course this is not really a big deal as you can always skip it, like I did.
The opening of the story is a bit slow. You’re meeting characters, getting the feel for the story and the world, but it takes a long time.
There are some jumps in time that happen with no section break or chapter break. One such example happens immediately after the earthquake, suddenly jumping to someone else. These jumps are jarring and can cause some confusion.

The relationship between Hamid and Flora was well written. They have chemistry from the first time you see them together and that really added something to the story. Their sections were easily a favorite.
Waiting until a bit later in the story to bring in the stuff about the coup was well done. Had it been too early in the story, you wouldn’t have already liked Hamid enough for this conversation.
As far as I can tell, the story is well researched. Of course, as with any good historical fiction, some gaps have been filled and some assumptions have been made. But the story is obviously rooted in history and that is appreciated.

Fans of historical fiction will like the way these characters have been brought to life in an interesting way.