Book Review : Finding the Raven by Patty Dickson Pieczka

Title : Finding the Raven
Author : Patty Dickson Pieczka

Publisher : White Stag

Pages : 283

ISBN : 9780692720417

 

Story :

When Julia Dulac’s father is murdered onstage  and her inheritance is swindled away, she must work through her grief and fear of poverty to find both the killer and a means of survival with help from the Raven, a black crystal that reveals images of past and future truths. While having the crystal appraised, Julia finds love and her life takes unexpected turns through mystery and betrayal against the backdrop of the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.

Review :
When you get everything from a book, you can’t help but fall in love with it. This book is something like that. As I followed Rose and Julia’s journey, I was completely engrossed in the littlest of details. They both met with tragedies, and soon went from prada to nada. What they didn’t know is that they would meet at a crossing. That crossing turned out to be Mrs McKinney’s hostel for women.

Though this new place sheltered them from the cold, dark night outside, it wasn’t enough to end all of their problems. Soon they found home in each other as they quickly turned from friends to sisters, confiding in each other and and watching one another’s backs. It was a nice feeling to read two strong characters watching out for each other and conjure up a bond as strong as ever.

Rose has to be married to a decent man within a year, even though she’s already with the baby of Eric, her lover, of whom her snobbish father bitterly disapproves. And Julia on the other hand witnesses her father’s death onstage, and for worse, gets her wealth and inheritence swindled away. At this point of time, when Julia desperately works hard to make her ends meet, a strange object turns up from the inside of one of her Father’s ordinary possessions. A rare black crystal, called the Raven! And then that changes everything.

Friendship, love, betrayal, suspense, adventure, mystery, fantasy, ask for anything and this book has it for you. I liked how the conversations were not forced and came out naturally. I mean it wasn’t like other novels where everything happens for a reason. When the characters talked among themselves about their feelings and the way their lives are, I felt as if I was present right there listening to them and understanding their lives. I enjoyed all of it.

I liked the turn of events at the end when hope was almost nearly lost. I never could have imagined I would enjoy someone’s (won’t reveal, obviously) death so much. Because that end gave birth to a new life and a new beginning.

I would rate this book a complete 5 out of 5 Stars. I enjoyed the backdrop of the World’s fair, St. Louis 1904. The details were fascinating and so much fun to read. I learnt a lot about their lifestyle which was pretty interesting. Finding the Raven is a beautiful read with depths unfathomable. It’s strikingly unique, strong and inexplicable!

I received a review copy from the author for my honest and unbiased opinion. 

Find the book on :

AMAZON 

GOODREADS 

About the Author :

Patty Dickson Pieczka’s second book, Painting the Egret’s Echo, won the Library of Poetry Book Award from Bitter Oleander Press. Other books are Lacing through Time, and Word Paintings. Winner of the Francis Locke Memorial Poetry Contest, the ISPS contest, and thr Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest, she’s contributed to over fifty journals and graduated from Southern Illinois University’s creative writing program.

Review by ©TheGirlOnTheGo  (wordscantfathom.wordpress.com)

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