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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Gail Meath brings a legend to life in this beautiful historical romance/thriller based on the life of Agustina Raimunda Maria Saragossa, or Agustina de Aragón, also known as "The Spanish Joan of Arc." We learn the true story of Agustina’s heroic acts during the First Siege of Zaragosa, her life as a soldier and prisoner, and her romance with her beloved Juan Roca. Set in Barcelona and then Zaragosa, and other points in Spain, we meet Agustina as a girl and then follow her into womanhood, motherhood, and war.
The author’s meticulous research into the life and customs of early 1800s Spain is obvious, as Agustina’s world comes alive. The reader will feel as if they are there, visiting the marketplace and working alongside Agustina in her father’s bladesmith shop. The love story between Agustina and Roca is very well done, and their passion and dedication to each other are painted across every page.
When danger arrives in the form of the Napoleon-led French Army, we can see the bloody battles and the savagery of the enemy, as well as the bravery of the Spanish people, as they fight off onslaught after onslaught. The terrible price of war is shown again and again, and the reader will weep along with Agustina as she faces unspeakable loss. The author’s knowledge of the topic is impressive, and I learned so much about Napoleon’s attacks on and eventual takeover of Spain. Although Agustina is famous for her acts during the First Siege of Zaragosa, she was also a mother, soldier, and prisoner of war, and it all comes alive in this novel. The ending is absolutely intriguing, and not to be missed.
I require two things from historical fiction. The first is that I be transported to the time and place being described. There is no question I felt transported to marketplaces, battlefields, and even prison in this fantastic novel. The second is that I learn something, and this book introduced me to Agustina herself, and then taught me much about the Napoleonic wars.
Agustina De Aragón introduces us to a compelling real-life legend, takes us into her world, and shows us the realities of war. It is a must read for fans of strong female characters. If you have never heard of Agustina, this book will introduce you in an unforgettable way.
The author’s meticulous research into the life and customs of early 1800s Spain is obvious, as Agustina’s world comes alive. The reader will feel as if they are there, visiting the marketplace and working alongside Agustina in her father’s bladesmith shop. The love story between Agustina and Roca is very well done, and their passion and dedication to each other are painted across every page.
When danger arrives in the form of the Napoleon-led French Army, we can see the bloody battles and the savagery of the enemy, as well as the bravery of the Spanish people, as they fight off onslaught after onslaught. The terrible price of war is shown again and again, and the reader will weep along with Agustina as she faces unspeakable loss. The author’s knowledge of the topic is impressive, and I learned so much about Napoleon’s attacks on and eventual takeover of Spain. Although Agustina is famous for her acts during the First Siege of Zaragosa, she was also a mother, soldier, and prisoner of war, and it all comes alive in this novel. The ending is absolutely intriguing, and not to be missed.
I require two things from historical fiction. The first is that I be transported to the time and place being described. There is no question I felt transported to marketplaces, battlefields, and even prison in this fantastic novel. The second is that I learn something, and this book introduced me to Agustina herself, and then taught me much about the Napoleonic wars.
Agustina De Aragón introduces us to a compelling real-life legend, takes us into her world, and shows us the realities of war. It is a must read for fans of strong female characters. If you have never heard of Agustina, this book will introduce you in an unforgettable way.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I’m still going back and forth between 2 and 3 so maybe 2.5 is fair? Here’s what I loved: The persons being written about, the premise, time frame, clearly researched material. My issues lie in pacing and writing style. The love story part is well done, zooming in on cute moments as the couple meets and gets to know each other. But it lacks so much in emotion. I read how the characters feel, but *I* didn’t feel much. This is specifically noticeable when Agustina and Juan start to encounter real challenging situations, heartbreak, bravery, fear, etc. but it reads much more like a textbook. These scenes that are important and life changing events are maybe a paragraph or less, where it’s barely had time to sink in for me.. and then we’ve already moved on. I think telling it from such a “removed” perspective is a mistake considering she was clearly a passionate woman that has experienced such a rollercoaster of life events. I did enjoy the little twist at the end but, again, I wasn’t all that emotionally invested.
“While it breaks my heart to know what he went through, it also assures me that he will always protect you just as fearlessly.”
“I would die for him, Papá,” she whispered.
“I know, Rami. God chose the perfect mate for you both.”
✮✮✮✮✮
Based on a true story. Set in Barcelona in 1803, Agustina, a mere 17-year-old girl spends her time sneaking around the military barracks. Most assume she is trying to find a husband, but in fact she is eavesdropping on conversation surrounding the British and French, and their ensuing war. She is a dedicated Spaniard, and so is Juan Roca, a military officer transferred to Barcelona. He instantly falls for Agustina and her fiery nature, but she rejects him over and over. This is the story of them, and of war between France and Spain, where they both take the frontline together.
I’m not usually a massive fan of the war stories, but this is something different altogether. Agustina is the most courageous woman I think I have ever read about. She was strong-spirited, fiery and everything in between. She made decisions that no teenager should ever have to make, but the love story between her and Roca just added to the fact she was the most untouchable and invincible woman in Spain. The loss, heartbreak and destruction she went through was one she should never have had to do, but she was so dedicated to her country, she would never have done anything differently.
I think this is a book that will stay with me, and I will be buying a hard copy. It’s one of those stories that reminds you that you are so lucky in life, and that despite what may be going on around us, there is always light in the dark.
Thank you to BooksGoSocial, Gail Meath and NetGalley for providing me with a copy!
“I would die for him, Papá,” she whispered.
“I know, Rami. God chose the perfect mate for you both.”
✮✮✮✮✮
Based on a true story. Set in Barcelona in 1803, Agustina, a mere 17-year-old girl spends her time sneaking around the military barracks. Most assume she is trying to find a husband, but in fact she is eavesdropping on conversation surrounding the British and French, and their ensuing war. She is a dedicated Spaniard, and so is Juan Roca, a military officer transferred to Barcelona. He instantly falls for Agustina and her fiery nature, but she rejects him over and over. This is the story of them, and of war between France and Spain, where they both take the frontline together.
I’m not usually a massive fan of the war stories, but this is something different altogether. Agustina is the most courageous woman I think I have ever read about. She was strong-spirited, fiery and everything in between. She made decisions that no teenager should ever have to make, but the love story between her and Roca just added to the fact she was the most untouchable and invincible woman in Spain. The loss, heartbreak and destruction she went through was one she should never have had to do, but she was so dedicated to her country, she would never have done anything differently.
I think this is a book that will stay with me, and I will be buying a hard copy. It’s one of those stories that reminds you that you are so lucky in life, and that despite what may be going on around us, there is always light in the dark.
Thank you to BooksGoSocial, Gail Meath and NetGalley for providing me with a copy!
have to admit that what first drew me to this book was the stunning cover. There was just so much passion between the two central figures that I couldn’t resist finding out who they were supposed to be. Their stance and the vibrance of their costumes reminded me a bit of flamenco, a famous Spanish dance I was lucky enough to see in Seville while visiting the region. After finishing the story I can safely say that the cover “Agustina de Aragon” is a perfect match for its plot. At its heart this is the story of one woman’s passion for her country and her family.
I had never heard of Agustina Saragossa prior to picking up this book, but she was famous enough to catch the attention of Lord Byron, who immortalized her in his “Child Harold’s Pilgrimage”. The Agustina of this novel, much like in real life, is a fiery character. Unlike what is expected of the women of her time she is not content to sit idly at home. Agustina is fiercely interested in the current political state of her country. She loves Spain and would often hang around the army barracks to learn the latest developments both at home and abroad. That is how Agustina ends up meeting the other great love of her life, Juan Roca.
Agustina seems to be a woman who can only love with her whole heart. I really enjoyed seeing passion spark between Juan and Agustina. Throughout the novel the reader sees these two united by a desire to do everything in their power to save their country from Napoleon. At the same time, there are numerous scenes that showcase how far they are willing to go to ensure each others’ safety. As a reader I spent most of the book hoping for a happy ending for the two. That’s why I found the finale perfect, even if it may not be exactly historically accurate.
Though I greatly enjoyed this book, I sometimes found myself wishing there were less detailed discussion of military matters. I understand why they were likely important, but I’m not sure they did much for the plot and were just not to my taste.The pacing also took some getting used to as there was a lot of jumping around in terms of years making it sometimes hard to keep track of the age of the characters and where they were in the story.
Overall, I give this book a 4 out of 5. I greatly enjoyed learning about Agustina’s life and adventures. If you like learning about significant, but less well known historical figures or just want to pick up a good book set in Spain then I recommend giving this book a try.
For more reviews like this check out my blog at reviewsbym.com
I had never heard of Agustina Saragossa prior to picking up this book, but she was famous enough to catch the attention of Lord Byron, who immortalized her in his “Child Harold’s Pilgrimage”. The Agustina of this novel, much like in real life, is a fiery character. Unlike what is expected of the women of her time she is not content to sit idly at home. Agustina is fiercely interested in the current political state of her country. She loves Spain and would often hang around the army barracks to learn the latest developments both at home and abroad. That is how Agustina ends up meeting the other great love of her life, Juan Roca.
Agustina seems to be a woman who can only love with her whole heart. I really enjoyed seeing passion spark between Juan and Agustina. Throughout the novel the reader sees these two united by a desire to do everything in their power to save their country from Napoleon. At the same time, there are numerous scenes that showcase how far they are willing to go to ensure each others’ safety. As a reader I spent most of the book hoping for a happy ending for the two. That’s why I found the finale perfect, even if it may not be exactly historically accurate.
Though I greatly enjoyed this book, I sometimes found myself wishing there were less detailed discussion of military matters. I understand why they were likely important, but I’m not sure they did much for the plot and were just not to my taste.The pacing also took some getting used to as there was a lot of jumping around in terms of years making it sometimes hard to keep track of the age of the characters and where they were in the story.
Overall, I give this book a 4 out of 5. I greatly enjoyed learning about Agustina’s life and adventures. If you like learning about significant, but less well known historical figures or just want to pick up a good book set in Spain then I recommend giving this book a try.
For more reviews like this check out my blog at reviewsbym.com
I received an advance review copy for free from Booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was surprisingly good for me. It covered a time period and a historical figure, "Joan of Arc" of Spain. While the book focused more on the romance, which was handled really well, I found the depiction of historical events, the time period and her heroism much more interesting.
Juan and Augustina was a sweet couple who went through many ordeals. Augustina's relationship with her family was also very emotional to read. Loved their support for their daughter/sister.
I will definitely read more from Gail Meath.
This book was surprisingly good for me. It covered a time period and a historical figure, "Joan of Arc" of Spain. While the book focused more on the romance, which was handled really well, I found the depiction of historical events, the time period and her heroism much more interesting.
Juan and Augustina was a sweet couple who went through many ordeals. Augustina's relationship with her family was also very emotional to read. Loved their support for their daughter/sister.
I will definitely read more from Gail Meath.