Review of The Scribe of Akrai

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Scribe of Akrai" by Joe Miano.]

---

4 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Sebastiano left his ancestral homeland in 1912 and immigrated to America. During the second world war, he lost contact with his family in Sicily. Sebastiano yearned to return to his homeland. But sadly, he passed away before he could go back. His grandson, Joe, visited Sicily and met his relatives. On his arrival in Sicily, the historic houses, the baroque churches, and the friendly people fascinated him. He realized that the tales his grandfather told him about the place were actually true. He was fascinated by Sicily and set out to explore the area. Joe’s uncle introduced him to an archaeologist who gave him a tour of the site he had been working on. The archaeologist told Joe about some of their discoveries and asked him to write a book about these discoveries and findings. As a university lecturer, Joe had the skills and resources to execute the archaeologists’ request. Joe agreed, and that is how The Scribe of Akrai: Luxo Reveals the Secrets of Trinacria came about.

The chronological arrangement of this book makes it easy for the reader to follow the characters and events as they unfold. Although there are many characters, it is easy to tell them apart. The author’s vivid descriptions of the people, the places, their cultures, and the various scenes made it easy for me to imagine the setup, the environment, and the people. With fictional historical novels, readers rely heavily on the author to paint a clear picture of either the characters or the area, and Joe Miano delivered exceptionally on this aspect.

The look and feel of this novel gave me the impression that it was professionally edited. Although I noted a few minor errors in the book, its editing was exceptional, and there were no aspects that I did not like. I was pleasantly surprised to learn about the challenges that some tribes faced that were similar to what others still experience in these modern-day times. It added an element of relatability to the novel, which I liked.

My rating for this novel is four out of five stars. I enjoyed it and learned a few things from it. The culture, beliefs, and spirituality of the characters were aspects I marveled at. I have deducted one star because I found the novel to be condensed. There were a few scenes that I felt could have been explored further.

If you like historical novels and are keen on learning how migration and colonization affected people and how they overcame their challenges, purchase a copy of this book and be enlightened. I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy historical novels.

******
The Scribe of Akrai
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Prodigy5]

I like how you listed your points in this review. I cannot wait to read the book so that I can take note. Well done.

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

I like how you listed your points in this review. I cannot wait to read the book so that I can take note. Well done.

Thanks Prodigy5! Hope you get a chance to read the book