Rated of 5
by Jane A folktale for the modern age.
Marc Fitten's first novel, Valeria's Last Stand, is a delightfully crafted tale of love, disillusionment, betrayal, greed, corruption, and friendship in a small village in Hungary. It's a small village in Hungary, but we can all see ourselves in Fitten's characters. Full of symbolism and simple humanity, this is a lovely and satisfying refuge in the midst of today's complexity. A simple, warm, and wonderful read.
Rated of 5
by Barbara An enjoyable read!
For the first 20 pages of this book, I thought,"Oh, no, this book is going to be horrible. I can't believe I have to an ARC review on it!" But, the book got much better, and I enjoyed it!
The book has some central themes that are presented in an entertaining manner: the transition from a communist/socialist society to a capitalist society; the older generation's feelings about the end of their golden age; corrupt politics - presented in a fable/fairy tale style. Valeria, the crusty old woman, grows on you. The potter is a wonderful character. And Ibolya, the tavern owner, is quintessential in her role. In some ways, this book reminded me of Joanne Harris' Chocolat. The author has said he envisions this as the first book in a trilogy that will explore "how three generations of people were affected by the major shift in the late 1980s." After reading Valeria's Last Stand, I will look forward to reading the next two installments when they are published.
Rated of 5
by Donna Valeria's Last Stand
This was a charming story mainly about a romantic triangle but with political undertones. The characters are endearing and many of the situations are humorous. It was an easy read, and because it was written in a fable format it had a somewhat different feel to it. Definitely worth reading.
Rated of 5
by Susan Pleasing Surprise
This love story has an unexpected romantic couple and is written very much like a Hungarian folk tale. Some of the characters are not named and referred to only by their occupation: the potter, the mayor, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and its cast of zany characters. I highly recommend it.
Rated of 5
by Madeline A Fun Romp!
This novel is a fun, rough-and-tumble romp! It's a feisty love story of a different sort, showing that there is no expiration date on love and lust. The people in the village of Zivatar lay it all out there - love, sex, luck, business, politics, and art - and none more so than Valeria, who is destined to become a favorite curmudgeon.
Rated of 5
by Priscilla Viva Valeria
An entertaining and delightful read. Fitten has brought to life an interesting assortment of zany and all too human characters. I kept thinking Alexander Mccall Smith with a PG rating.
I did feel it bogged down some toward the end, but perhaps that is my lack of testosterone! Even among the "bog" there were scenes well worth the wade.
I would recommend this book. It is not War and Peace, but still worth your time.
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Kenn Nesbitt is new Children's Poet Laureate(Jun 12 2013) Kenn Nesbitt has been named the new Children's Poet Laureate: Consultant in Children's Poetry to the Poetry Foundation, which noted that the two-year position...
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