A single deck of cards changed the fate of generations of women. The tarot cards, created in 16th-century Italy, will connect two women separated by centuries. One was a woman in 17th-century London, originally from Milan, who used the cards to rescue women from abusive relationships. The other is a woman from modern-day London starting her life anew when she comes across an old tarot card deck with a missing card. What began as a hunt for a missing card will connect the two women and change lives forever. The cards hold secrets to the past, but will they bring hope or disaster? This is the premise for Clare Marchant’s latest dual-timeline novel, “Daughter of the Tarot.”
I would like to thank Boldwood Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I recently read her novel, “The Shadow on the Bridge,” which I enjoyed, so when I saw this novel, it had such an intriguing description that I wanted to read it. I am not familiar with the history of tarot cards, and I have not read many novels set in the 17th century, so I was excited for a new adventure.
As this is a dual-timeline novel, there are two protagonists from two different periods: Portia from 17th-century England and Beatrice from 21st-century England. We begin in Milan in 1629, which has just been hit by the plague, where we are introduced to Portia and her baby daughter, Vittoria, who are struggling to survive. The next time we see Portia and Vittoria, iits 1644 and they are living in London. Vittoria is 15 years old, and Portia is using her talent with tarot cards to help those in need. What Vittoria does not know is that Portia uses her readings to help women escape abusive relationships by using the Devil’s Card as a message for the boatsman Jack, who is in love with Portia. Secrets and truths slowly begin to reveal themselves as someone from Portia’s past has come to London and may destroy her relationship with Vittoria.
In the modern storyline, we meet Beatrice, or Bea, who is starting a new life in London and is opening her own antiques shop. Bea has been avoiding her father and his new love interest since her mother died. She has the gift of reading tarot cards, and one day, she comes across an old deck of cards. The only problem is that it is missing a key card, the Devil’s Card. Bea and her landlord, Jack, search high and low for the missing card and find exactly what they are searching for, and some surprises.
It took me a while to get into this book as it was a slower pace than the previous novel that I read by Marchant. While I enjoyed the modern storyline, the 17th-century portion felt a bit slower, and it didn’t feel like the 17th century to me, but more like the 16th century. Overall, I think it was a decent novel with an interesting pair of protagonists. If you want a story about the 17th century with a unique premise, I recommend you read “Daughter of the Tarot” by Clare Marchant.
One of the greatest threats to England during the reign of Elizabeth I was the Spanish Armada, under the orders of King Philip II of Spain. In the year 1587, the Spanish ships were spotted off the coast of Devon. Fear grips the country, but one woman is up to the task of keeping her beloved Dartington Hall and its inhabitants from harm. Roberda Chapernowne knows what it means to fight for those she loves and is willing to do it again while her husband, Gawen, is away in Ireland fighting for the Queen after he almost divorced Roberda. Roberda’s life turns upside down when Gawen returns home. Can they rekindle their relationship, or will they fall into despair and ruin? Rosemary Griggs concludes Roberda and Gawen Chapernowne’s stories in her latest novel, “Mistress of Dartington Hall.”
Anne Boleyn, a queen whose story has lived on for centuries. She was the woman who stood between Catherine of Aragon and King Henry VIII. Her daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, was her greatest legacy and her pride and joy. It was her untimely death due to charges that many believe were unfounded. We all have our image of the infamous queen, but how does that change when we switch the type of media we consume? Helen Harrison explores how our idea of Anne Boleyn changed over time in her latest book, “The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception.”
We all know the story of Romeo and Juliet. Two crazy kids in love, whose families hated each other they decided to make the ultimate sacrifice and die for each other. One of the greatest tragic love stories of all time. But what if it didn’t end in tragedy? What if Romeo and Juliet had their happy ending and had a large family? In this version of Verona, Romeo and Juliet have a large family, and their eldest daughter Rosaline is the most beautiful, headstrong girl in all of Verona. Unfortunately, Rosaline (Rosie) has got herself in quite a mess with an unwanted prince fiancé, a ghost who only she can see, and a murder investigation. Can Rosie solve the case and figure out her love life before things go horribly wrong? This is the premise of the second book of the Daughter of Montague series by Christina Dodd called “Thus with a Kiss I Die.”
The year is 1485, and the last Plantagenet king, Richard III, is dead. The young man whose army defeated the king is Henry Tudor, and he is about to start a dynasty that will reshape world history forever. Henry Tudor, now King Henry VII, married the daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, Elizabeth of York. Their marriage and their children would lay the foundation for the Tudor dynasty, but what was life like for the children who were the first generation of this remarkable dynasty? Aimee Fleming explores the lives of these royal siblings in her latest book, “Tudor Princes and Princesses: The Early Lives of the Children of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.”
Throughout history, women have had one major job: giving birth and raising future generations. Each new generation had different ways of dealing with childbirth and raising children, and the Tudors were no exception. While the Tudors lived in the 16th century, the joys and fears of being a mother were similar to those of the modern age. However, the way women approached different stages of life in the 16th century is unique compared to the ways of modern women. So, how did Tudor women approach motherhood? Stephanie Kline hopes to answer this question in her latest book, “Raising the Tudors: Motherhood in Sixteenth-Century England.”
Everyone knows the story of William Shakespeare—the famed poet, actor, and playwright who revolutionized English literature forever. There have been a series of debates about whether or not Shakespeare truly wrote the plays or someone else did. Well, what if a group of women employed William Shakespeare as a sort of spokesperson for their plays? Can this group of women survive to write another day? This is the premise of DJ Nix’s novel. “The Shakespeare Secret.”
Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, lived quite an interesting life. He was a poet, soldier, war hero, prisoner, husband, brother, uncle, father, and author. His writing might portray a man of honor and dignity, but his home life was messy. You see, Miguel was married, but his daughter was not the daughter of his wife, Catalina de Salazar. His daughter, Isabel, was illegitimate, and when her mother died, Miguel decided the best possible solution was to invite Isabel to live with his sisters and his niece. What’s the worst that could happen? Martha Batiz explores the women’s lives connected to Miguel de Cervantes in her debut novel, “A Daughter’s Place.”
Florence, Italy, in the 16th century, was a city of opportunity and full of art and architecture. It was also a city on the precipice of great change. The great banking family, the Medicis, holds the reins of government in Florence, and Lorenzo de’ Medici is the family’s current head. However, two bastards will radically change his life and the Medici family. One was a bastard son of a notary who became one of the most famous artists ever. The other was a bastard son who became a priest and the enemy of the Medici family. Their stories of power and ambition intersect in the city of Florence in Phil Melanson’s debut novel, “Florenzer”.
During the reign of King Henry VIII, the king would elevate well-qualified men to positions of power and prestige. We all know the story of Thomas Cromwell, but it is his mentor, Sir Thomas Wolsey, whose story shows how one can rise from humble beginnings, but whose fate is ultimately tied to the mood of the monarch. The son of a butcher turned scholar who became a priest, a lover, a father, and the closest advisor to the king. His life, his loves, his successes, and his struggles are told in Alison Weir’s latest novel, “The Cardinal.”