Writing Mondays: Pushing On

I'm in a homeschool co-op writing class. And one of the many downsides to writing a fictional novel about the Holocaust, is that no one is really interested in it (at least in my class). When I want to share they always complain about it.

"It's too sad."

This novel is about the Holocaust. So, guilty as charged! I would like to take pride in the fact that I can invoke emotion. However, there are days I really wish I could dump it and pick up the next more-appealing-not-as-depressing-to-write project.

But... I will not quit. I usually come close to throwing the towel in, but I always stick to it. And this case will be no different. Though I might hate it now that doesn't mean I won't be glad I finished it down the road.

Now for some good news! As of this post, I am finishing up my tenth chapter out of twelve. I cannot tell you how excited I am to be so close to the end! I am also overjoyed about getting to the easier part of the deal: editing. (While editing is not my favorite thing in the world I find it much easier to edit what's been written rather than to write fresh.)

And so, I shall let you go back to your daily programming. Maybe next week I'll post an excerpt?  :-)

-Rosie

I refrained from adding a picture to this post merely because I could not locate an appropriate one. 

Book Review: Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren

 

Summary: 

“Hold tight,” I said. “No matter what happens, do not let us go.”

“We won’t,” my dad said.

“Never,” Mom added.

And with a look at Lia, we laid our hands upon the prints.

Gabriella and Evangelia Betarrini are just two normal American teenagers. Normal except for the fact that they time travel to fourteenth-century Italy, where they’ve lived in castles they’ve seen as crumbling ruins, become swept up in historic battles, and fallen in love with handsome knights willing to do anything to keep them alive.

            They’ve returned to the present to save their father, just short of his tragic death, and now all four return to the place that holds the girls’ hearts, medieval Italy. But remaining there means facing great risk as the battle for territory wages on and the coming Black Plague looms. Can they convince their parents to stay and leave behind everything they’ve worked so hard to accomplish? And will the girls sacrifice their futures in an uncertain past? Or in facing death head-on, will they discover life as it was always meant to be lived?

My Review:
Wow! Wow! Wow!
What a roller-coaster! Once I had started, I couldn't put it down very easily!

Torrent begins right after Cascade. I loved watching Gabi's dad react to the Betarrini women's story and then about Luca and Marcello.

One thing that did break my heart is when Gabi and her family return from saving her dad they discover it has been over a year since they left Marcello and the medieval world behind. I understand how some things are just necessary but this truly tugged on my heart-strings. I felt so bad for poor Marcello.

Right when you're content with story (i.e. Gabi and Marcello have been reunited), Ms. Bergren yanks them apart again. Leaving Marcello to rescue his true love yet again.

I was quite pleased with this part of the book. I enjoyed watching Rodolfo's character and his internal battles from Gabi's observations. My heart went out to him when he was captured and sentenced to death by Paratore's hand.

Ms. Bergren did not disappoint. Instead, she had me racing to Amazon to buy Bourne! She provided her usual hold-your-breath suspense and managed to bring just the right amount of romance to the table.

Interested? You can purchase the book here!
Also, check out my review for Bourne here!