Official Review: The Lines Between Us
Posted: 03 Feb 2021, 17:13
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Lines Between Us" by Rebecca D'Harlingue.]
The Lines Between Us by Rebecca D’Harlingue is a historical fiction novel with a dual timeline. I would also classify it as literary fiction and women’s fiction due to its study of the treatment of women across many centuries. This is not to say that the novel would not be enjoyed by men; in fact, I believe it would be enjoyed by men and women alike, as well as anyone with an interest in Spanish history, Catholic history, Jewish history, colonial history, and family sagas.
After the prologue, the novel is divided into two parts: Old World and New World. The first third of the book is dedicated to the Old World, set in seventeenth-century Madrid, Spain, in which the character Ana comes across two diaries. The first is the diary of her late husband Emilio; reading his entries, Ana learns that there was much more to the man she married than she ever knew while he was alive. The second is the diary of her niece Juliana. Juliana has disappeared suddenly, and Ana looks for clues to her disappearance in the journal as she embarks upon a journey to Sevilla to find her niece. The remainder of the book is dedicated to the New World, set in 1992 in St. Louis, Missouri, in which Rachel has just lost her mother. Her mother’s final words, “I am like Ana. I have failed Juliana,” make no sense to Rachel until she finds some very old papers among her mother’s things. Picking up where Juliana’s diary entries left off in her first diary in Old World, Rachel possesses Juliana’s second diary and can hardly believe what she has found is real. In these documents, Rachel learns the reasons for Juliana’s flight from Madrid, as well as a haunting family secret passed down through generations.
The novel is poetic in its verse. D’Harlingue’s mastery of the written word is apparent throughout the book. If you read this book for no other reason, read it for its prose. The writing style is easily my favorite aspect of the book. The only complaint I have is that when Juliana writes about certain verbal exchanges she has with others, the author has a strange way of introducing them. Perhaps to excuse the word-for-word dialogue being written in a diary entry, D’Harlingue introduces such exchanges with a sort of excuse. For example, in the entry dated 6 March 1661, Juliana writes, “I shall write here the details of our conversation. Perhaps because of the height of my emotion during our discussion, I remember each moment.” In my opinion, these excuses, for lack of a better term, are somewhat unbelievable as I cannot imagine anyone writing in their diary in this manner.
I was quite pleased with the quality of editing in this novel. The few errors I found were very minor and were not a distraction. The structure is fluid; both Old World and New World alternate seamlessly between narrative and journal entries. Each journal entry serves a purpose, sharing an important aspect of the story with the reader. There are no superfluous diary entries or details in the narrative. Additionally, it is evident that D’Harlingue spent a great deal of time conducting research in order to compose this novel.
Due to the religion practiced by the characters, there is heavy discussion of the Catholic faith. However, the inclusion of Catholicism in the book should not prevent anyone who is agnostic, atheist, or of a different religion from enjoying the book. None of the religious discussion is conducted in a persuasive manner, and instances in which a character questions his or her religion are done in a respectful and non-offensive manner.
Considering all that I have discussed above, I am honored to award this masterpiece 4 out of 4 stars. This novel is sure to have a profound impact on any reader, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have read and reviewed it.
******
The Lines Between Us
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Lines Between Us by Rebecca D’Harlingue is a historical fiction novel with a dual timeline. I would also classify it as literary fiction and women’s fiction due to its study of the treatment of women across many centuries. This is not to say that the novel would not be enjoyed by men; in fact, I believe it would be enjoyed by men and women alike, as well as anyone with an interest in Spanish history, Catholic history, Jewish history, colonial history, and family sagas.
After the prologue, the novel is divided into two parts: Old World and New World. The first third of the book is dedicated to the Old World, set in seventeenth-century Madrid, Spain, in which the character Ana comes across two diaries. The first is the diary of her late husband Emilio; reading his entries, Ana learns that there was much more to the man she married than she ever knew while he was alive. The second is the diary of her niece Juliana. Juliana has disappeared suddenly, and Ana looks for clues to her disappearance in the journal as she embarks upon a journey to Sevilla to find her niece. The remainder of the book is dedicated to the New World, set in 1992 in St. Louis, Missouri, in which Rachel has just lost her mother. Her mother’s final words, “I am like Ana. I have failed Juliana,” make no sense to Rachel until she finds some very old papers among her mother’s things. Picking up where Juliana’s diary entries left off in her first diary in Old World, Rachel possesses Juliana’s second diary and can hardly believe what she has found is real. In these documents, Rachel learns the reasons for Juliana’s flight from Madrid, as well as a haunting family secret passed down through generations.
The novel is poetic in its verse. D’Harlingue’s mastery of the written word is apparent throughout the book. If you read this book for no other reason, read it for its prose. The writing style is easily my favorite aspect of the book. The only complaint I have is that when Juliana writes about certain verbal exchanges she has with others, the author has a strange way of introducing them. Perhaps to excuse the word-for-word dialogue being written in a diary entry, D’Harlingue introduces such exchanges with a sort of excuse. For example, in the entry dated 6 March 1661, Juliana writes, “I shall write here the details of our conversation. Perhaps because of the height of my emotion during our discussion, I remember each moment.” In my opinion, these excuses, for lack of a better term, are somewhat unbelievable as I cannot imagine anyone writing in their diary in this manner.
I was quite pleased with the quality of editing in this novel. The few errors I found were very minor and were not a distraction. The structure is fluid; both Old World and New World alternate seamlessly between narrative and journal entries. Each journal entry serves a purpose, sharing an important aspect of the story with the reader. There are no superfluous diary entries or details in the narrative. Additionally, it is evident that D’Harlingue spent a great deal of time conducting research in order to compose this novel.
Due to the religion practiced by the characters, there is heavy discussion of the Catholic faith. However, the inclusion of Catholicism in the book should not prevent anyone who is agnostic, atheist, or of a different religion from enjoying the book. None of the religious discussion is conducted in a persuasive manner, and instances in which a character questions his or her religion are done in a respectful and non-offensive manner.
Considering all that I have discussed above, I am honored to award this masterpiece 4 out of 4 stars. This novel is sure to have a profound impact on any reader, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have read and reviewed it.
******
The Lines Between Us
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
