Blogtour – Saturday 22nd September
Welcome to my stop on this showstopping Blogtour! I have a wonderful book to introduce you to today; something that had me lapping up the pages greedily! It was wonderfully written with a nice flow creatively.
Big thanks as always must go to the people who invited me on this tour. First is to Rachels Random Resources, the wonderful Blog Tour Host and the second is to the lady who delved deep and created this fantastic story.
Before I get into my review, lets see a little bit about the author.
About the Author
Vivienne Vermes is a writer and actress of Irish and Hungarian descent who divides her time between Paris and London.
She has published four collections of poetry: Sand Woman, Metamorphoses, Passages and When the World Stops Spinning, and has performed her work in festivals throughout Europe.
She is winner of the Piccadilly Poets’ award, the Mail on Sunday’s Best Opening of a Novel competition, as well as Flash 500s prize for short prose and the Paragram national competition for best poem and “petite prose”.
She has taught creative writing in universities in Transylvania, and runs a writers’ workshop in Paris.
As an actress, she has played roles in a number of French films, including Les Trois Frères, Le Retour and in Les Profs 2 in which she portrayed Queen Elizabeth II.
Her voice also warns passengers on the Paris metro to “Mind the gap”.
The Barefoot Road is her first novel.
https://twitter.com/VivienneVermes?lang=en
About the Book
Vivienne Vermes’ debut novel is a gripping read which will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction, thrillers and evocative themes. The book begins with a young woman found, emaciated and unconscious, in the mountains surrounding a village in Transylvania. When it is discovered that she is of an ethnic group which was violently driven out of the regions many years before, old wounds are reopened as the villagers are reminded of their role in the bloodshed.
An uneasy peace is maintained until a young married man falls in love with the girl, and tension begin to rise within the community. The mysterious disappearance of a child causes this tension to mount into hysteria, driving the story to its chilling outcome.
Purchase Link – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Barefoot-Road-Vivienne-Vermes-ebook/dp/B07BW7BNGB/
My Review
One of the things that drew me into this book from the start was the stunning front cover. I have made it no secret in my past reviews that I am a sucker for a book cover and I really feel that it helps to draw a curious reader in. Then when I read the synopsis then I was even more intrigued. It definately sounded like something I could really get lost in and I wasn’t wrong! From the first chapter I was won over completely and I read the entire book within 2 days! And since reading it, then I have kept on thinking about it and re-visiting the story in my head.
As I read deeper into the book I was intrigued by the setting of this book; I love a good historical read and this enchanted my imagination with its rich story, which was both haunting and poetic in the way that it was written. I felt myself firmly get rooted in another time that was both unrecognisable and engrossing. I read in horror at the prejudices of these early times and read faster and faster through each page as I headed towards the rather horrifying climax.
The characters were written well and I loved how easy the dialogue flowed. I wouldn’t just recommend this book; I would also shout from the rooftops! This was a very good read! If you love a book set in a time where people were afraid of differences and in a time where superstitions were believed, then look no further.
Conclusion
I simply cannot recommend this book enough! This was a very good read; one which has lasted with me way past turning the final page.
Rating – 4 out of 5
If would like to find out more, go check out these fab bloggers who are also included on this tour.
Thanks All
S x
Writing from the Heart 