Today for #HistFicThursdays, I am to once again be teaming up with The Coffee Pot Book Club , this time to share an excerpt from Dirk Strasser 's fantastic new book Conquist ! First of all, let's meet the book... Capitán Cristóbal de Varga’s drive for glory and gold in 1538 Peru leads him and his army of conquistadors into a New World that refuses to be conquered. He is a man torn by life-long obsessions and knows this is his last campaign. What he doesn’t know is that his Incan allies led by the princess Sarpay have their own furtive plans to make sure he never finds the golden city of Vilcabamba. He also doesn’t know that Héctor Valiente, the freed African slave he appointed as his lieutenant, has found a portal that will lead them all into a world that will challenge his deepest beliefs. And what he can’t possibly know is that this world will trap him in a war between two eternal enemies, leading him to question everything he has devoted his life to - his command, his In
There's a real treat for you here this week for #HistFicThursdays! I'm once again teaming up with The Coffee Pot Book Club for author Victoria Atamian Waterman's blog tour! Today, I'm sharing an excerpt from her fabulous book, Who She Left Behind!
First of all, let's meet the book...
Who She Left Behind is a captivating historical fiction novel that spans generations and delves into the emotional lives of its characters. Set in various time periods, from the declining days of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey in 1915 to the Armenian neighborhoods of Rhode Island and Massachusetts in the 1990s, the novel completely immerses its reader in a lesser-known era and the untold stories of the brave and resilient women who became the pillars of reconstructed communities after the Armenian Genocide.
It is a story of survival, motherhood, love, and redemption based on the recounted stories from the author’s own family history. The narrative is framed by a mysterious discovery made almost six decades later of a pair of Armenian dolls left at a gravesite.
And here's an excerpt to whet your appetite:
The night before Lucy's wedding, Vicky crawled into bed long after midnight, sore and chilled, but the dress and veil were finished and pressed, waiting on a hanger for the bride to arrive before church in the morning.
“You give us all so much, my love,” Pesa whispered into the dark. “I hope your sister knows how fortunate she is in you.”
Vicky kissed her husband’s shoulder and lay still while his breathing slowed, and he slipped back into sleep. Her heart banged against her chest, as though all her secrets might burst from her chest.
I failed everyone who needed me most.
I failed my living child. I lost her forever.
I lied to everyone I loved and hid her from the world.
I failed our baby girl. My body wasn’t strong enough to keep her alive.
I failed you, my love.
Rolling over, Vicky let her silent tears soak into the pillowcase. She would not fail Lucy and that would make up for all the secrets.
Now, let's meet the author:
Her empowerment of today’s women and girls makes her voice ideal for telling the little-known stories of yesterday’s women leaders. Her TED Talk, Today’s Girls are Tomorrow’s Leaders has been seen by thousands of viewers. When she is not writing and speaking, she is reading, puzzle-making and volunteering.
Victoria lives in Rhode Island and is enjoying this next chapter of life with her husband, children, and grandchildren. Who She Left Behind is her first novel.
Thanks so much for hosting Victoria Atamian Waterman today.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club