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scoughlan 's review for:
Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt
by Harry Whittaker, Lucinda Riley
Do our choices determine our fates or are they written in the stars? Perhaps, it's as Lucinda Riley tells us and it's some kind of amalgamation of the two.
As I write this, I'm aware that I may be a little biased in this review. Like her other readers, I have dedicated many hours to reading the 6,000 pages that document the lives of the enigmatic Pa Salt and his seven daughters - surely these hours cannot been spent in vain. But going into the books, I found myself consistently surprised at how much I liked each one. I am an avid reader of historical fiction, however, which I believe allowed me to suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy what are in fact highly unrealistic books.
Like their authors, the books themselves are highly ambitious, and transported me through space and time to discover
Given this backdrop, the countless loose ends that needed to be tied up, and the unfortunate premature death of its author, I was skeptical that Lucinda's son, Harry, would be able to do the final novel justice. But using her notes, he wrote a beautiful, satisfying ending that would have made his mom proud.
As I write this, I'm aware that I may be a little biased in this review. Like her other readers, I have dedicated many hours to reading the 6,000 pages that document the lives of the enigmatic Pa Salt and his seven daughters - surely these hours cannot been spent in vain. But going into the books, I found myself consistently surprised at how much I liked each one. I am an avid reader of historical fiction, however, which I believe allowed me to suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy what are in fact highly unrealistic books.
Like their authors, the books themselves are highly ambitious, and transported me through space and time to discover
Spoiler
Brazil during the creation of the Cristo, Norway at the time of WWII, Britain amid its royal scandals (not that this description narrows the field much), Australia at the height of its thriving pearling industry, Spain and its flamenco roots, Africa with its Happy Valley crew, Ireland during the troubles, and last but not least, Russia following the October Revolution.Given this backdrop, the countless loose ends that needed to be tied up, and the unfortunate premature death of its author, I was skeptical that Lucinda's son, Harry, would be able to do the final novel justice. But using her notes, he wrote a beautiful, satisfying ending that would have made his mom proud.