Reviewer Alethea Eason: Alethea is the author of the novels Heron's Path (young-adult historical fantasy) and Hungry (humorous middle grade science fiction). She lives in the coastal range of northern California in the small town of Cobb. Alethea has taught elementary, middle, and high school students in both California and Chile. Her reading interests are eclectic, as she enjoys both fiction and non-fiction. Follow here to find out more about Alethea.
Author: Julia Gregson
Publisher: Touchstone/Simon and Schuster
ISBN-10: 143915558
ISBN-13: 978-1439155585
Follow Here To Purchase Jasmine Nights: A Novel
Author: Julia Gregson
Publisher: Touchstone/Simon and Schuster
ISBN-10: 143915558
ISBN-13: 978-1439155585
Jasmine Nights, by Julia
Gregson, is a historical romance set during World War Two, which
immerses the reader in richly crafted details of the life of a
traveling ensemble who perform for British troops in North Africa.
Saba Tarcan, a young talented singer, half-Turkish/half-Welsh, leaves
her home in Tiger Bay, Wales, risking estrangement from her family,
to join ENSA, the entertainment arm of the British Armed Services.
Gregson’s fine portrayal of the working class neighborhood of Tiger
Bay, and Saba’s close but combative family, creates an authentic
atmosphere for Saba to both cherish and want to transcend, to be able
to live her own life and develop her musical gifts.
She sings at a
hospital for injured RAF pilots where Dom Benson, recovering from
burns and suffering from survivor’s guilt, falls in love with her.
The novel expands to the war itself, following both Saba and Dom as
chance interferes with their relationship and intrigue and danger
mounts.
The entertainment troop Saba joins is sent to Cairo, travels
to remote military stations in the Sahara, until Saba is recruited as
a spy, under the cover of being a protégée of a Turkish
entrepreneur, a job she naively accepts. Saba travels to Alexandria,
and then Turkey, where her ability to mesmerize audiences with her
voice is used in a plot against the Nazis. Dom’s love of flying,
the transcendence of his experience as a pilot, his commitment,
bravery, and the guilt he still feels for the death of a friend,
parallels Saba’s story. Gregson’s use of historic details, both
small and large, such as the hair dye used by Arleta, Saba’s best
friend, the descriptions of period clothing, cacophony and scents of
the streets of 1942 Cairo and Alexandria, and the boredom and tension
of war, create an engrossing world for the reader.
The arc of the
love story is predictable, but Saba and Dom are complex characters
who keep the reader caring for the outcome. To Gregson’s credit,
Saba sees her career as a performer is as important as her
relationship to Dom, and there is friction over this issue.
A fairly quick read, Jasmine Nights is perfect for vacations or weekends, transporting the reader to exotic locations and a dangerous time few people alive still remember.
Julia Gregson is the author of East of the Sun and Band of Angels and is the winner of the Le Prince Maurice Prize and the Romantic Author of the Year Award.
Follow Here To Purchase Jasmine Nights: A Novel