A solid tale: "The Lost Castle" by Kristy Cambron
Ellie Carver's grandmother is being stolen away from her by the steady onslaught of Alzheimers. But when Ellie rushes to her side dreading her grandmother's imminent passing, she instead is met with cryptic references to a castle named Sleeping Beauty, along with a story of a chapel and a dashing young man. Ellie soon finds herself on a journey to the Loire Valley in France, seeking to uncover secrets long kept buried, a journey that will span past and present generations.
Weaving together three different time periods, Cambron has crafted a tale of love and loss and faith, one that will captivate you with its beautiful imagery and intriguing plot. Cambron does a good job at fleshing out the different characters starring in each time period, from Ellie in the present day, to Vi who is working with the French Resistance in World War II, and Avaline, living during the French Revolution. Each woman is strong in her own right and Cambron blends their voices together to weave a unified tale pointing to God's amazing faithfulness and a legacy of faith that survives time. I greatly enjoyed the history that the author has infused the story with, and I felt that I was able to really experience each of the different time periods in a unique way. The only thing that keeps me from giving this book a higher rating is that the constant switching of time periods can make it tricky to keep all the story lines straight. I sometimes had to look back at earlier chapters to see where the story was occurring, as some later chapters of a specific time period sometimes took place at an earlier date than a chapter that I'd already read. The result could be confusion if you aren't paying attention. However, in the end Cambron brings things together in a wonderful way, and you will be hard pressed to put the book down as you devour the final chapters of the novel.
Fans of novels that blend historical and contemporary storylines will want to add this one to their collection. I award this novel a strong 4 out of 5 stars, and I look forward to future works from Cambron!
Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher through the Booklook Bloggers program.
about the author...
Kristy Cambron is an award-winning author of Christian fiction, including her bestselling debut The Butterfly and the Violin, and an author of Bible studies, including the Verse Mapping series. She is a passionate storyteller who travels to speak at ministry events across the country, encouraging women to experience a deeper life in the Word through verse mapping. Her work has been named to Publishers Weekly Religion & Spirituality TOP 10, Library Journal Reviews’ Best Books, RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, and received 2015 & 2017 INSPY Award nominations.
Kristy holds a degree in Art History/Research Writing, and has 15 years of experience in education and leadership development for a Fortune-100 Corporation. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons, and can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good read.
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