Laila Ibrahim
238 pages
Publisher: Flaming Chalice Press
Source: NetGalley
★★★★☆
You can read the Goodreads summary here.
Lisbeth was born a plantation in the south during the 1830s and was raised by her wet-nurse and nanny, Mattie. Mattie was more of a mother to Elizabeth than her own mother and has Lisbeth grows, so does her love for Mattie. Yellow Crocus explores their relationship throughout Lisbeth's youth.
I wasn't sure I was going to like this book when I started reading, especially after the first few chapters, but I was pleasantly surprised that as the plot went on I was drawn more and more into the story and lives of Lisbeth and Mattie. They're both strong women and well-written characters, which really added to the richness of the plot. I don't want to get into the ending of the book because I think that's what holds most of the book's charm, but I will say that I don't think it went far enough in a couple different ways.
Reader beware, however. This book is being marketed as similar to The Help. There isn't much to directly compare between the two books and the author's voice are extremely different, as are the settings. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed both books very much, but they are two separate entities.
Four stars! I really enjoyed this novel even though it didn't go as far as I would have liked. If you like historical fiction, please give it a look. At the time of this posting, the eBook is only $3.99.
This relationship reminds me of the one between Scarlett and Mammy in Gone With the Wind. Additionally, said special bond continues to exist-and be problematic-even in this day and age.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to read and review Yellow Crocus. I am so pleased that you enjoyed it. Writing it was a labor of love for me. I am always heartened to read that I did justice to Mattie and Lisbeth’s story.
I appreciate you telling your readers about Yellow Crocus. I enjoy calling into book clubs if any of your followers would like to arrange for that. Thanks for what you do to promote books and reading.
Best wishes,
Laila
Laila Ibrahim
ldibrahim@gmail.com
www.lailaibrahim.com
http://www.amazon.com/Yellow-Crocus-A-Novel-ebook/product-reviews/B004J8HSCC/ref=pr_all_summary_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1