Tag: Spain

Self-Published Saturday: August 7, 2021/Torn Between Worlds

BonnieReadsAndWrites10 Comments

This is the newest edition of Self-Published Saturday, where I highlight self-published books and their authors. As you know, self-published authors have to do their own marketing, and I hope with this feature to help spread the word about their books.

Due to popular demand, I am changing Self-Published Saturday slightly. I am going to post more than one, and sometimes several, Self-Published Saturday features every Saturday. So this is the first of two Self-Published Saturday features I am putting up today. My first feature is Torn Between Worlds by Nancy Blodgett Klein. Told in diary form, it is a young adult story of immigration from Mexico to the US to Spain. As always, if you buy the book, please remember to leave a review. This is so important for self-published authors.

Torn Between Worlds is the life story told from the diary of Isabel, a nine-year-old girl who is taken by her father from Mexico to the United States, not through Customs, but through the desert in a trip arranged by a coyote. This young adult coming of age story takes Isabel from Mexico to the United States, back to Mexico, and then to Spain. Along the way, she relates historical events such as the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, deadly protests in Mexico, and the horrific 2004 Madrid train bombings. We are shown both Isabel’s daily life and world events through her diary, as her father takes her back to Mexico and she ends up going to Spain with her mother, who is fleeing prosecution in Mexico for her political activism. The author Nancy Blodgett Klein does a good job in this epistolary novel, as we see Isabel grow through her written voice from a 9 year old to a teenager, and then beyond. Although Isabel is a middle-grader for most of this story, I would recommend this only to young adults and above, as it contains very sensitive subject matter, such as violence and rape.

I downloaded a copy of this book on Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can read it for free.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nancy Blodgett Klein

(In Her Own Words) Torn Between Worlds was my first novel while Life Lessons was my first non-fiction work. Both were published in 2021. I worked as a journalist for 15 years in Chicagoland, starting out as a police reporter in Chicago. I also worked for the American Bar Association Journal, writing hundreds of articles on political, social and legal topics. Later on I was a public school teacher, including to many students from Mexico. I now live in sunny Spain with my husband Rick. I received a bachelor’s from Tulane University in philosophy and a master’s in journalism from Boston University. Later, I earned a second master’s in education from Roosevelt University. I love to read and am a member of two book groups and one writers group in Spain. I am passionate about travelling too. I write a blog called spainwriter.home.blog covering a wide variety of topics.

LINK TO BUY

AMAZON *Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this book for free.

Two Reminders before you go:

  1. If you buy the book(s), please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. This is very important to self-published authors.
  2. Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published authors go a long way!

Self Published Saturday

BonnieReadsAndWrites18 Comments

I’m starting a new feature every Saturday. I will share a review of a self-published book to help Indie authors. I have read some amazing self-published books, and I am happy to help you discover them too. Self-published authors not only have to write their books, they have to arrange for cover design, editing, marketing, and more. They have to do it all. I am happy to help these authors by promoting their books here. If you would like to request a review of your self-published book, just click the Review Requests link on the home page (top right).

My first share will be a review I did a couple of weeks ago of an amazing book by Gail Meath, a wonderful self-published author. Agustina De Aragon is about a captivating real-life woman who fought against Napoleon in the early 1800s. She is sometimes known as the “Spanish Joan of Arc.” Please enjoy my review below and support this self-published author. Links to buy this book are included at the end of the review. This book is only $2.99 on Kindle right now.

Gail Meath brings a legend to life in this beautiful historical romance/thriller based on the life of Agustina Raimunda Maria Saragossa, or Agustina de Aragón, also known as “The Spanish Joan of Arc.” We learn the true story of Agustina’s heroic acts during the First Siege of Zaragosa, her life as a soldier and prisoner, and her romance with her beloved Juan Roca. Set in Barcelona and then Zaragosa, and other points in Spain, we meet Agustina as a girl and then follow her into womanhood, motherhood, and war.

The author’s meticulous research into the life and customs of early 1800s Spain is obvious, as Agustina’s world comes alive. The reader will feel as if they are there, visiting the marketplace and working alongside Agustina in her father’s bladesmith shop. The love story between Agustina and Roca is very well done, and their passion and dedication to each other are painted across every page. 

When danger arrives in the form of the Napoleon-led French Army, we can see the bloody battles and the savagery of the enemy, as well as the bravery of the Spanish people, as they fight off onslaught after onslaught. The terrible price of war is shown again and again, and the reader will weep along with Agustina as she faces unspeakable loss. The author’s knowledge of the topic is impressive, and I learned so much about Napoleon’s attacks on and eventual takeover of Spain. Although Agustina is famous for her acts during the First Siege of Zaragosa, she was also a mother, soldier, and prisoner of war, and it all comes alive in this novel. The ending is absolutely intriguing, and not to be missed.

I require two things from historical fiction. The first is that I be transported to the time and place being described. There is no question I felt transported to marketplaces, battlefields, and even prison in this fantastic novel. The second is that I learn something, and this book introduced me to Agustina herself, and then taught me much about the Napoleonic wars.

Agustina De Aragón introduces us to a compelling real-life legend, takes us into her world, and shows us the realities of war. It is a must read for fans of strong female characters. If you have never heard of Agustina, this book will introduce you in an unforgettable way.

LINK TO BUY AUGUSTINA DE ARAGON

LINK TO MY AMAZON REVIEW (HELPFUL VOTES APPRECIATED)

LINK TO MY INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR GAIL MEATH