- Hardcover: 400 pages
- Publisher: Random House (2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0307405222
- ISBN-13: 978-0307405227
- Product Dimensions: 16.4 x 3.3 x 23.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 680 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #394,741 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful use of language - a good read,
This review is from: The Tenth Gift (Paperback)
I cannot even recall how this book landed in my lap - perhaps something I picked up at Costco or Indigo - but it was such a nice surprise to see how good it was.The author's use of language is superlative: Not only does she use English well in general, but she also uses it in such a way to bring you into the era and surrounds in which the story(ies) take place. I lived in Istanbul for nine years, and love the exotic nature of Turkey and its ever-present history, so the descriptions of the Moroccan souks and side streets - and the hospitality to strangers that Moroccans and Turks share - reminded me of one of the many things I respect about the people in the region. The intertwining of the parallel stories is well done, and knowing that the author herself put much of her own experience into this books adds to making it what I consider a gem.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unusual Premise,
By
This review is from: The Tenth Gift (Hardcover)
"The Tenth Gift" has a unique premise: when Julia Lovett's married lover breaks off their affair, he gives her an antique book of 17th century embroidery patterns as a parting gift.She is deep in her own grief when she learns that her cousin, one of her best friends, has lost her husband who hanged himself in their Cornwall home.Julia rushes to be with her and the two women make an amazing discovery about the ancient book. They discover faint diary entries in the margin of the book written by the original owner, young Catherine Anne Treganna who lived in Cornwall 400 years earlier. Soon the lives of these two women, centuries apart, converge in a very strange, almost eerie manner. (WARNING: Some spoilers here.) After a slightly slow beginning, I found this story fascinating and a definite page turner. The historical sections are well researched and the narration flows nicely. It is well paced and I enjoyed the correlation between the two centuries. I especially loved how the romance between Catherine and her captor progressed. I also loved the way both these stories ended but could well have done without the "hokus pokus" at the end where Julia exorcises some sort of "ghost" in the attic of the Cornwall house. To me that was totally unnecessary. Otherwise this book is a good read and deserves 4 stars in my opinion.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING...,
By
This review is from: The Tenth Gift (Paperback)
This is an excellent, well-written debut novel. It is about two stories that eventually intertwine and come together as one. One story is that of a young seventeenth century Cornish woman, while the other is that of a present day young woman, a craft shop owner. The thing that binds them together is their love of beautiful embroidery.When Julia Lovat is given a kiss off gift by her married lover, Michael, a man with whom she has had a seven year love affair and just happens to be her best friend's husband, her life will never be the same. The book is an early seventeenth century book of embroidery patterns, but scribbled along the margins of this book is a story that grips her imagination. Written by Cat Ann Treganna in 1625, it is the story of her life and of her capture by Barbary pirates, who take her to Morocco to be sold into slavery. Enthralled by Cat's story, Julia Lovat decides to discover what eventually happened to Cat, a decision that will change her life. The stronger part of the book is Cat's story, as she is a more likable character and her story is the more intriguing one. Unfortunately, Julia Lovat is a thoroughly unlikable character, as is her married lover, Michael, and it detracts from the story. I am not sure why the author chose to make Julia so morally reprehensible, since it is Julia that anchors the story in the present. Still, the book is an entertaining one and well-researched. The details about seventeenth century life ring true, and Cat's story certainly will capture the reader's imagination.
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