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Caravan
With her anthropologist husband murdered and their caravan stolen by fierce Tuareg tribesmen, Caressa's choices are death or a life of slavery.
Concealing her dangerous beauty beneath the faded robes of an Arab boy, she embarks on the adventure of her life, harassed by vicious nomads, slave traders and the envious witch doctor, Isa. Only a handful of carnival magic tricks stand between her and oblivion. Then she discovers an inner magic so mysteriously compelling that the desert people call her a sorceress. With it she will secure her freedom and discover the love of her life....
Concealing her dangerous beauty beneath the faded robes of an Arab boy, she embarks on the adventure of her life, harassed by vicious nomads, slave traders and the envious witch doctor, Isa. Only a handful of carnival magic tricks stand between her and oblivion. Then she discovers an inner magic so mysteriously compelling that the desert people call her a sorceress. With it she will secure her freedom and discover the love of her life....
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
67 people are currently reading
588 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Gilman
120 books758 followersDorothy Edith Gilman started writing when she was 9 and knew early on she was to be a writer. At 11, she competed against 10 to 16-year-olds in a story contest and won first place. She attended Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and briefly the University of Pennsylvania. She planned to write and illustrate children's books. She married Edgar A. Butters Jr, in 1945, this ended in divorce in 1965. Dorothy worked as an art teacher & telephone operator before becoming an author. She wrote children’s stories for more than ten years under the name
Dorothy Gilman Butters
and then began writing adult novels about Mrs. Pollifax–a retired grandmother who becomes a CIA agent. The Mrs. Pollifax series made Dorothy famous. While her stories nourish people’s thirst for adventure and mystery, Dorothy knew about nourishing the body as well. On her farm in Nova Scotia, she grew medicinal herbs and used this knowledge of herbs in many of her stories, including A Nun in the Closet. She travelled extensively, and used these experiences in her novels as well. Many of Dorothy’s books, feature strong women having adventures around the world. In 2010 Gilman was awarded the annual Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America. Dorothy spent much of her life in Connecticut, New Mexico, and Maine. She died at age 88 of complications of Alzheimer's disease. She is survived by two sons, Christopher Butters and Jonathan Butters; and two grandchildren.
Series:
* Mrs. Pollifax
Series:
* Mrs. Pollifax
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
January 15, 2008
This is probably one of my favorite books ever! I read it in high school and have re-read it several times since, something I don't do often. If you have ever read Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax series you know they are quick and fun, but they are mediocre in comparison to Caravan. It is a jewel of a story! Her writing style is well-researched and seamless. The characters and scenery are described so vividly, you will forgive the occasional stretch in credibility. That's why it's called "fiction", right? Gilman is an expert on presenting exotic locations and the love story that is thrown in is just icing on the cake. Overall it is an exciting adventure with a great ending. I loved it!
July 7, 2018
Sondra Eklund's review:
http://www.sonderbooks.com/Fiction/ca...
5-star, best reread fiction , 2002.
"I can’t think of another book quite like Caravan. It’s as thrilling and full of suspense and life-or-death escapes as a spy novel, but there’s no spying involved. It’s got a beautiful love story, but that doesn’t start until toward the end, so you couldn’t call it a romance. Besides that, the love story is completely untraditional. You could probably call it a coming-of-age novel, but no one else ever came of age the same way that Caressa Horvath did. I don’t want to say anything about the plot, because almost every chapter has a surprise or a narrow escape. Let me simply say that the first time I read this book, it stayed on my mind for weeks. An excellent book."
So far, Sondra Eklund has nailed it. Tentative 5-star, at about halfway in. Looks like a must-read for Gilman fans....
OK, the plot goes off the rails after the romance develops. Spoiler-protected details are nearby, but Gilman lost me in Cairo & London, and lost a star. Excellent book up to then, and still well-worth reading, especially if you're a Gilman fan. Start with the Mrs. Pollifax books, if you've never tried her. You can thank me later.
http://www.sonderbooks.com/Fiction/ca...
5-star, best reread fiction , 2002.
"I can’t think of another book quite like Caravan. It’s as thrilling and full of suspense and life-or-death escapes as a spy novel, but there’s no spying involved. It’s got a beautiful love story, but that doesn’t start until toward the end, so you couldn’t call it a romance. Besides that, the love story is completely untraditional. You could probably call it a coming-of-age novel, but no one else ever came of age the same way that Caressa Horvath did. I don’t want to say anything about the plot, because almost every chapter has a surprise or a narrow escape. Let me simply say that the first time I read this book, it stayed on my mind for weeks. An excellent book."
So far, Sondra Eklund has nailed it. Tentative 5-star, at about halfway in. Looks like a must-read for Gilman fans....
OK, the plot goes off the rails after the romance develops. Spoiler-protected details are nearby, but Gilman lost me in Cairo & London, and lost a star. Excellent book up to then, and still well-worth reading, especially if you're a Gilman fan. Start with the Mrs. Pollifax books, if you've never tried her. You can thank me later.
Read
January 7, 2017The main character, toward the end of this book, points out that she spent her life more-or-less allowing others to make her decisions for her, and that is indeed one of the more frustrating aspects of the book. This is a 'story of my life' book, and not one of my favourites among the Gilmans, in part due to the way Caressa is pushed along by events and other people rather than having any real desires or inner life of her own (until late into the book).
Unfortunately the central romance revolves around I couldn't really get on board with the romance after that.
Unfortunately the central romance revolves around I couldn't really get on board with the romance after that.
July 1, 2024
Writing 2 stars (quite pedestrian) & storyline 3 stars. I did love this story no matter how preposterous it was. The book opens as Lady Teal is ruminating about her past life & the secrets she has kept. From life growing up as a carney kid, her lonely years at a boarding school and the harrowing life in the Saharan desert in the early 20th century.
..if I take up my pen to write of the strange events in my past I do this because they've been kept secret for too long. ...the time has come to place on paper who and what I have truly been - and what I have seen -and to record all that happened to me during those years when I was young and counted dead by the world, my bones assumed to be whitening under the desert sun with all the others who were murdered.
And so the story slowly unfolds.
I have read quite a few of Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax series, and don't remember feeling this way about the writing.
..if I take up my pen to write of the strange events in my past I do this because they've been kept secret for too long. ...the time has come to place on paper who and what I have truly been - and what I have seen -and to record all that happened to me during those years when I was young and counted dead by the world, my bones assumed to be whitening under the desert sun with all the others who were murdered.
And so the story slowly unfolds.
I have read quite a few of Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax series, and don't remember feeling this way about the writing.
August 12, 2014
Truly breathtaking. I was utterly absorbed and felt Caressa's journey with all of my senses, heart and soul. I loved this so much I can't write an adequate review. Even the few things I'm not sure I "liked" fit somehow so smoothly into the story that it didn't mar the overall experience. This is one of those books that just made me feel giddy with the sheer wonder of reading a book that matches perfectly with ones own tastes and mood. It may not suit everyone quite so well, but I hope it continues to find new readers.
August 3, 2025
By the age of sixteen Caressa has been a carnie, a Boston schoolgirl, and the wife of an anthropologist - but in her years in the Sahara desert, she will go on to become a widow, a sorceress, a slave, and much more.
The trouble with this book is that the description is rather misleading. There's a little magic, and a little time disguised as an Arab boy, and a few cunning tricks, but for the most part Caressa sort of drifts around the desert with far less agency that you'd originally suspect. The former is a closer description of my kind of book than the latter, alas.
I enjoyed the depictions of life among the various peoples that Caressa runs into, and the writing is beautifully vivid, bringing the feeling of the desert to life. I also loved the relationship between Caressa and Bakuli, the young slave-boy that she becomes close to throughout the book. I even enjoyed the romance between Caressa and Jared, once I'd applied the dispensation to it that one must apply to all bodice-ripper romances.
However, I did feel that the story was not as exciting as I'd been led to believe. Caressa definitely moves along with the current of whatever's happening around her than really striking out on her own for much of the story, and though it makes sense for the setting and the character, it doesn't make for very entertaining reading. The final section of the book, once we go on to Cairo and then London, also strike a strange tonal shift after everything that came before.
The trouble with this book is that the description is rather misleading. There's a little magic, and a little time disguised as an Arab boy, and a few cunning tricks, but for the most part Caressa sort of drifts around the desert with far less agency that you'd originally suspect. The former is a closer description of my kind of book than the latter, alas.
I enjoyed the depictions of life among the various peoples that Caressa runs into, and the writing is beautifully vivid, bringing the feeling of the desert to life. I also loved the relationship between Caressa and Bakuli, the young slave-boy that she becomes close to throughout the book. I even enjoyed the romance between Caressa and Jared, once I'd applied the dispensation to it that one must apply to all bodice-ripper romances.
However, I did feel that the story was not as exciting as I'd been led to believe. Caressa definitely moves along with the current of whatever's happening around her than really striking out on her own for much of the story, and though it makes sense for the setting and the character, it doesn't make for very entertaining reading. The final section of the book, once we go on to Cairo and then London, also strike a strange tonal shift after everything that came before.
August 4, 2019
One word to describe this book- Atmospheric!
The amount of research and care that has gone into this book is staggering and the descriptions are probably what I love the best about this book. It is really immersive and sends you into the deserts of Africa so that you can almost taste the sand in your mouth.
It is divided into 4 books and the last 2 books are where the pace really picks up and the plot becomes solid. Loved the relatively happy ending as well.
The amount of research and care that has gone into this book is staggering and the descriptions are probably what I love the best about this book. It is really immersive and sends you into the deserts of Africa so that you can almost taste the sand in your mouth.
It is divided into 4 books and the last 2 books are where the pace really picks up and the plot becomes solid. Loved the relatively happy ending as well.
March 24, 2019
If you’re going to read Dorothy Gilman, read the Mrs. pollifax series. This story was filled with death, rape, and too much disappointment for my literary taste. If you watch the news, you’ll have a nicer read than this one.
September 14, 2021
An elderly Caressa writes a letter to her daughter revealing past events that she kept secret once becoming Lady Teal, wife of Sir Linton. It was an intriguing look at an American girl in a pre-World War I world who grew up in a circus and later tried to become more "ladylike" after her mother saves up to send her to a finishing school. However, things take a turn when her new husband, a linguist named Jacob, takes her on a trip to North Africa that goes awry and ends with Caressa a captive in the desert.
I really liked this book. I get nervous with books like this because I'm afraid they will have aged poorly. But this one doesn't run into that at all. The author does not treat "white" as the ideal nor does she portray nomadic tribes or those who live throughout Africa as bizarre or godless or uncivilized. They're shown through a neutral lens in most ways, and I really respected that.
This book takes you on a journey through Africa and it's such an interesting journey at that. It really brings the continent to life and explores not only the life-or-death situations Caressa must endure as an outsider but also those that the nomadic people endure daily. It explores magic, spiritualism, tribal cultures, and more. I was disappointed that Caressa turned her back on much of what shaped her during her years in the desert once she found her way to Cairo and later went to London with Linton, but it was still a fun read.
I guess the only problem was with how Caressa's lover, Jared, was portrayed. He is very much the typical white hunter, and the "hero" portrayal of him lets the book down.
Verdict
A solid, fun adventure read. I love books like this that explore parts of the world before they were shaped into what we know them as today.
So, who would enjoy this book?
Anyone who loves Agatha Christie or other Dorothy Gilman books will love this. It's an adventure that reads like a spy thriller with cozy mystery undertones, though there is no true mystery in this book. It's much more serious than the Mrs. Pollifax series but not gritty like other adventure thrillers.
I really liked this book. I get nervous with books like this because I'm afraid they will have aged poorly. But this one doesn't run into that at all. The author does not treat "white" as the ideal nor does she portray nomadic tribes or those who live throughout Africa as bizarre or godless or uncivilized. They're shown through a neutral lens in most ways, and I really respected that.
This book takes you on a journey through Africa and it's such an interesting journey at that. It really brings the continent to life and explores not only the life-or-death situations Caressa must endure as an outsider but also those that the nomadic people endure daily. It explores magic, spiritualism, tribal cultures, and more. I was disappointed that Caressa turned her back on much of what shaped her during her years in the desert once she found her way to Cairo and later went to London with Linton, but it was still a fun read.
I guess the only problem was with how Caressa's lover, Jared, was portrayed. He is very much the typical white hunter, and the "hero" portrayal of him lets the book down.
Verdict
A solid, fun adventure read. I love books like this that explore parts of the world before they were shaped into what we know them as today.
So, who would enjoy this book?
Anyone who loves Agatha Christie or other Dorothy Gilman books will love this. It's an adventure that reads like a spy thriller with cozy mystery undertones, though there is no true mystery in this book. It's much more serious than the Mrs. Pollifax series but not gritty like other adventure thrillers.
August 2, 2020
1.5 stars. An extra half-star for Bakuli, to whom I dedicate this highly negative review. He couldn't save this book, but he tried his darnedest.
I feel it necessary to mention that I DON'T dislike Dorothy Gilman's work; quite the opposite. I love Mrs. Pollifax's adventures, A Nun in the Closet is an absolute delight, and Incident at Badamya is a masterpiece. She wrote some terrific books and I strongly encourage everyone to read them. Except this one.
Caravan is to Incident at Badamya what Edna Ferber's Giant is to So Big. The latter of each pair is an excellent book. The first of each pair is a later book by the same author, closely following the story beats set out by the older book, but with vastly inferior results. Both Caravan and Badamya are historical fiction about an American teen girl stuck in another country and encountering a motley cast of characters there. Both have a theme of magic/mysticism, and both girls even carry puppets around with them. But while Badamya is magical and hopeful, Caravan is flat, dreary, and occasionally infuriating.
I did enjoy the story at the beginning, up until things started to become so repetitive(get imprisoned/rescued by some tribe/village, have some kind of problem, leave, repeat).
I didn't mind Caressa at first, but by the end it feels like she has hardly changed or grown at all. She apparently didn't learn much from marrying Jacob because much later she AGAIN lets herself be semi-blackmailed into marrying a supercilious older man(so much for the iko she kept talking about). And then there's her ~one true love~, Jared. The bland weather-beaten "hero" who literally Caressa isn't an awful character on her own, but she is oddly static and has atrocious taste in men. Sozap may be an exception here, but he wasn't around long enough to find out if he was actually any better than the others.
The mind magic and spiritual musings don't contribute nearly enough to the story to justify even being there. One or two things happen with it, and then it's nearly forgotten except for once when the mysterious iko is wasted on Jared. The finger puppets didn't have much of a point either, except to make the Tuareg people somehow think that Caressa is a magician.
Essentially, Caravan consists of Caressa going from place to place in the desert meeting various disposable side characters. Bakuli was cute and actually advanced the plot, but of course instead of more of him we get Jared McKay, Creep of Cairo.
As you may have guessed by now, Caravan was a hugely disappointing read for me. Even more so because I know Dorothy Gilman was so much better than this. Of course if anyone has a large body of work it's inevitable that they will drop the ball at some point. But I'm still bewildered by how this turned out the way it did. And despite her usually well-written and likable love interests, the one here is so unconvincing and morally half-baked that he seems like something from a middle schooler's creative writing exercise. Sadly, the biggest difference between Caravan and Incident at Badamya is Caravan's failure to enchant, amuse, or move me.
I feel it necessary to mention that I DON'T dislike Dorothy Gilman's work; quite the opposite. I love Mrs. Pollifax's adventures, A Nun in the Closet is an absolute delight, and Incident at Badamya is a masterpiece. She wrote some terrific books and I strongly encourage everyone to read them. Except this one.
Caravan is to Incident at Badamya what Edna Ferber's Giant is to So Big. The latter of each pair is an excellent book. The first of each pair is a later book by the same author, closely following the story beats set out by the older book, but with vastly inferior results. Both Caravan and Badamya are historical fiction about an American teen girl stuck in another country and encountering a motley cast of characters there. Both have a theme of magic/mysticism, and both girls even carry puppets around with them. But while Badamya is magical and hopeful, Caravan is flat, dreary, and occasionally infuriating.
I did enjoy the story at the beginning, up until things started to become so repetitive(get imprisoned/rescued by some tribe/village, have some kind of problem, leave, repeat).
I didn't mind Caressa at first, but by the end it feels like she has hardly changed or grown at all. She apparently didn't learn much from marrying Jacob because much later she AGAIN lets herself be semi-blackmailed into marrying a supercilious older man(so much for the iko she kept talking about). And then there's her ~one true love~, Jared. The bland weather-beaten "hero" who literally Caressa isn't an awful character on her own, but she is oddly static and has atrocious taste in men. Sozap may be an exception here, but he wasn't around long enough to find out if he was actually any better than the others.
The mind magic and spiritual musings don't contribute nearly enough to the story to justify even being there. One or two things happen with it, and then it's nearly forgotten except for once when the mysterious iko is wasted on Jared. The finger puppets didn't have much of a point either, except to make the Tuareg people somehow think that Caressa is a magician.
Essentially, Caravan consists of Caressa going from place to place in the desert meeting various disposable side characters. Bakuli was cute and actually advanced the plot, but of course instead of more of him we get Jared McKay, Creep of Cairo.
As you may have guessed by now, Caravan was a hugely disappointing read for me. Even more so because I know Dorothy Gilman was so much better than this. Of course if anyone has a large body of work it's inevitable that they will drop the ball at some point. But I'm still bewildered by how this turned out the way it did. And despite her usually well-written and likable love interests, the one here is so unconvincing and morally half-baked that he seems like something from a middle schooler's creative writing exercise. Sadly, the biggest difference between Caravan and Incident at Badamya is Caravan's failure to enchant, amuse, or move me.
August 15, 2022
The older I get the more bothered I get with married women(and men, frankly, but it's more common with the heroines) having longterm affairs with men on the side. Especially in fiction. If you can genuinely get me to believe that a woman in that time and place cast aside social norms to go off into the unknown and have a completely improper adventure, then I should have no trouble believing that said woman also cast aside social norms and got a divorce or waited until her husband died and lived happily on a pittance in a garden cottage. Perhaps it's seen as a form of feminist liberation? But I don't see it that way.
And also the rape. Let's not forget that. Because it was. There was no consent asked for or given.
Translation: I'm getting old. 🤣
And also the rape. Let's not forget that. Because it was. There was no consent asked for or given.
Translation: I'm getting old. 🤣
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2020
An adventure story, not a mystery, it was definitely filled with emotion - most of it depressing to me. The first quarter, and the very end, were fascinating. I confess to growing unreasonably bored when she is in the desert and with different tribes, customs, languages, and slavery. Sometimes infuriated, sometimes nearly put to sleep, the middle accompanied with several depressing situations and deaths didn't help my mood when rating this one. It was, on the positive side, unique and adventurous with a layered and strong woman at its core.
October 16, 2018
A hapless heroine with a ridiculous name survives a series of adventures, mostly in the desert; but none of the adventures are particularly fun, and the heroine's big romance contains one of my least favourite tropes ever. It was readable, but I didn't find it very enjoyable. There are much better Gilmans to be had.
June 9, 2010
Really fun period adventure story with elements of magical realism. Second time I've read it - it's that good!
September 4, 2022
Would never have picked up on my own (had never even heard of it!) but was given to read by a co-worker while I awaited some library books. The beginning was interesting, the core of the story well-told though a bit too detailed (as in easy to glaze over the details given the description and amount of them), but the ending; the ending was phenomenal.
Overall, a good and easy read and a well told (and well concluded!) story.
Overall, a good and easy read and a well told (and well concluded!) story.
February 22, 2022
Such an exciting adventure story set in the years before WWI. Caressa was born in America and raised in the carnival by her mother and grandmother. Her ambitious mother sends Caressa to boarding school in Boston where she meets and marries an anthropologist. Together they set out for North Africa to study. Traveling by caravan, they are attacked by Tuareg- desert nomads- who kill the professor and steal Caressa. While the world thinks her dead, she faces challenges upon challenges, but perseveres. Loved it. Recommend it to readers of historical fiction and those who enjoy strong women protagonists.
March 20, 2024
This is no ordinary story! Adventure, survival, mystery, life, death, friendship, incredible beauty, passion and love, and what an ending. Caravan is one of the best books I have ever read! Dorothy Gilman is now one of my favorite authors.
September 9, 2022
well done, researched, feel the sand and heat
June 2, 2023
2023
Retrad and what a beautiful epic journey that deserves 5 stars
2020
Ive been listening this via text to speech o ppln and off and regret it because it's an epic and I know that I didn't appreciate the immense journey so definitely hope to read again
An amazing journey of a lady who started off as a pickpocket from a circus, only to be whisked away into the African Sahara by her rich husband, captured by several people, escape, meet the live of her life and so much more.. it's an intense journey..
Only niggle (and to be honest I have this with her books and many others in general and its not really the authors fault as there is so much negative propaganda it just unfortunately adds to it) is that Islam is portrayed so badly here - however I realise its a lot to do with the portrayal of people who are muslims around the world - so many actions of theirs do not coincide with the religion so its a confusing thing - like the part where the slavers prayed 5 times daily and were the most devout but captured slaves because it wasnt forbidden - thats horrifying and if those so called muslims actually looked at the teachings and the true meanings instead of reading how they desired they would realise that is not correct and if you previously owned any slaves to free them or treat them as if you would your loved ones. so many things but this one shocked and saddened me - not a thing against the author really - just sad for the many muslims around the world who do things they want using the Quran as an excuse..
Retrad and what a beautiful epic journey that deserves 5 stars
2020
Ive been listening this via text to speech o ppln and off and regret it because it's an epic and I know that I didn't appreciate the immense journey so definitely hope to read again
An amazing journey of a lady who started off as a pickpocket from a circus, only to be whisked away into the African Sahara by her rich husband, captured by several people, escape, meet the live of her life and so much more.. it's an intense journey..
Only niggle (and to be honest I have this with her books and many others in general and its not really the authors fault as there is so much negative propaganda it just unfortunately adds to it) is that Islam is portrayed so badly here - however I realise its a lot to do with the portrayal of people who are muslims around the world - so many actions of theirs do not coincide with the religion so its a confusing thing - like the part where the slavers prayed 5 times daily and were the most devout but captured slaves because it wasnt forbidden - thats horrifying and if those so called muslims actually looked at the teachings and the true meanings instead of reading how they desired they would realise that is not correct and if you previously owned any slaves to free them or treat them as if you would your loved ones. so many things but this one shocked and saddened me - not a thing against the author really - just sad for the many muslims around the world who do things they want using the Quran as an excuse..
December 5, 2021
This was a book full of unbelievable adventure. Caressa marries an older man when she is 16. This allows her to move up in the world and get out of a depressing school for young ladies. The couple goes to Tripoli for her husband's adventure. She learns a lot in Tripoli that will help her to survive in the desert after her husband is killed. She wanders in the desert for about 3 years. She is helped by an African boy who has been enslaved -- they become soulmates and save each other. Eventually she meets another adventurer and falls in love. But their love is not meant to be because of the encroaching WWI. I loved the twist at the end.
July 1, 2013
I've read this book twice now and it is truly incredible. It has everything - every twist and turn you can imagine. It's the story of a young girl told by an old one where you can feel the truth of it but with the knowing eye of an old woman looking back. This is a book where horrible, terrible things can happen to the characters and somehow you still want their lives. This book is magic wrapped up in one neat little package and now I can't say anything else without just positively gushing.
And I can't wait to read it again!
And I can't wait to read it again!
February 26, 2024
I rarely reread novels, but this was an exception. I think this is my third read of this book since it was first published. While I had remembered how it ended I had forgotten so many details, so it was truly a pleasure to immerse myself into Caressa's marvelous adventures.
July 31, 2009
Clearly, I love stories of strong women and Caravan's Caressa definitely fits into this category. This story was tense, exciting, sad and happy and in the end, maddening and then triumphant.
March 9, 2012
This is one of my favourite books in the history of Ever. I'm still dragging around the battered old paperback copy I've had since I was a teenager.
April 12, 2013
This is one of my favourite books. I cry every time i read it and i try to read it every couple of years.
April 24, 2014
I agree that this is probably one of my all time favorite books. It was such an amazing book. And what a change from the Pollifax books.
January 17, 2019
This book has a tantalizing inside cover suggestion about how the inside story will unfold, but I have tried and tried and tried some more to identify with the main character or possibly the supporting cast for such a long time now (I don't remember exactly how long so I can't put down exactly when I started it - I think I had grabbed it from the booksale four years ago) and it doesn't feel like my turnaround and realisation I actually like this sad excuse of 263 pages is going to happen any time soon.
Eek. That was a bit of a strong opening, I understand, parenthetical remark aside. It could be that my worry over a family member in the hospital is colouring my perception of the hard work put into this book, but if I have tried to read it and failed to like it for this long, there must be something particularly fishy going on... don't you think?
I just spotted a mention of Marcus Aurelius on a last-second purview of the contents of this novel, and if you've never heard anything about the Pax Romana or the Roman patricians, then you must not have ever associated with me before. (I share widely everything I learned in my favourite class on the face of the planet, which is and has always been Latin, [even though I have explored extensively side-interests such as Greek, Russian, cats and Astronomy] as I find it imperative to spread the greatness which is what I have discovered. Sometimes people will tell me "that is dumb and I am too busy or sick." I am incredibly sorry if I have perplexed you in this way! I just want to share what I think is incredible! This is only in hope to find others to exalt in the awesomeness of whatever it is now.)
HOWEVER that doesn't make me like this book any more than otherwise. Just suggesting a mystical name such as Marcus Aurelius doesn't excuse this kind of writing. (I mean, there is a bit of romanised Arabic in there, but please, that doesn't excuse Aunt Dorothy. The real Arabic scholars have so many more fascinating ruminations to ponder, if you ask me. For example, Hametus's work on ratio and proportion which influenced Galileo and Euclid, who aren't people to snub.)
What Dorothy Gilman does offer here is a romanticised tale placed in maybe the Middle East. Like, even look! There are camels on the front cover! The tale suggests Abyssinia. LIKE THE CAT. There is not an Abyssinian cat at the shelter to adopt because that is a rare one. Or so they've told me. I do not know for sure. Hmm, looking at the Abyssinian cat club's membership form (http://www.abyworld.com/acca/accamemb...) it looks like they are not so rare as if they are about to go extinct.
Marcus Aurelius and the disjunct linguistic blurbs I couldn't place (most likely Arabic but possibly Persian - I am not clear on the distinction) probably convinced me to bring this book home from the book sale at my local library a few years back.
This is a historical fiction piece I didn't like. And I generally PREFER magic realism, such as Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, Gogol's The Nose, Tan's The Bonesetter's Daughter, and Ivey's The Snow Child. But this book did not sit well with me. I just couldn't get through it or even write my name on the inside cover to claim ownership. I cursorily paged through to see what the other pages said, but it's not the same as experiencing the story.
Maybe you might like it though! I thought I would, myself, since the MC is the widow of a diplomat, and I am extremely fond of the study of diplomacy. But нет. I think it reads more like a housewife's manual. So I felt bad for her throughout it.
Empathy != love.
Eek. That was a bit of a strong opening, I understand, parenthetical remark aside. It could be that my worry over a family member in the hospital is colouring my perception of the hard work put into this book, but if I have tried to read it and failed to like it for this long, there must be something particularly fishy going on... don't you think?
I just spotted a mention of Marcus Aurelius on a last-second purview of the contents of this novel, and if you've never heard anything about the Pax Romana or the Roman patricians, then you must not have ever associated with me before. (I share widely everything I learned in my favourite class on the face of the planet, which is and has always been Latin, [even though I have explored extensively side-interests such as Greek, Russian, cats and Astronomy] as I find it imperative to spread the greatness which is what I have discovered. Sometimes people will tell me "that is dumb and I am too busy or sick." I am incredibly sorry if I have perplexed you in this way! I just want to share what I think is incredible! This is only in hope to find others to exalt in the awesomeness of whatever it is now.)
HOWEVER that doesn't make me like this book any more than otherwise. Just suggesting a mystical name such as Marcus Aurelius doesn't excuse this kind of writing. (I mean, there is a bit of romanised Arabic in there, but please, that doesn't excuse Aunt Dorothy. The real Arabic scholars have so many more fascinating ruminations to ponder, if you ask me. For example, Hametus's work on ratio and proportion which influenced Galileo and Euclid, who aren't people to snub.)
What Dorothy Gilman does offer here is a romanticised tale placed in maybe the Middle East. Like, even look! There are camels on the front cover! The tale suggests Abyssinia. LIKE THE CAT. There is not an Abyssinian cat at the shelter to adopt because that is a rare one. Or so they've told me. I do not know for sure. Hmm, looking at the Abyssinian cat club's membership form (http://www.abyworld.com/acca/accamemb...) it looks like they are not so rare as if they are about to go extinct.
Marcus Aurelius and the disjunct linguistic blurbs I couldn't place (most likely Arabic but possibly Persian - I am not clear on the distinction) probably convinced me to bring this book home from the book sale at my local library a few years back.
This is a historical fiction piece I didn't like. And I generally PREFER magic realism, such as Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, Gogol's The Nose, Tan's The Bonesetter's Daughter, and Ivey's The Snow Child. But this book did not sit well with me. I just couldn't get through it or even write my name on the inside cover to claim ownership. I cursorily paged through to see what the other pages said, but it's not the same as experiencing the story.
Maybe you might like it though! I thought I would, myself, since the MC is the widow of a diplomat, and I am extremely fond of the study of diplomacy. But нет. I think it reads more like a housewife's manual. So I felt bad for her throughout it.
Empathy != love.
June 25, 2022
I read the Audible Audio edition, which is not offered as an option. While I have added editions of books in the past, I can find no way to do that for this book. And the cover of the audiobook I read does not appear among the options so I will just write my review under the original hardcover edition.
I am a huge fan of the Mrs. Polifax series by this author. Having finished that series, I decided to try some of the author's other books and this is the first.
The primary character here is Caressa. We meet her when she is quite old and remembering her life, which is quite an exciting one! Caressa was born into a carnival family. Her father died young. Her mother was determined that Caressa was going to be educated and get to a higher social status than she. Caressa's grandmother taught her to be a fist class pickpocket, a skill that came in handy at times over her life. Caressa's mother somehow got her admitted to a top shelf boarding school. Caressa was smart and did well in school but when she needed new clothes, she decided to put her pickpocket skills to use. Then she picked the wrong man, someone who knew his pocket had been picked. When the linguist heard her story he was intrigued and when she graduated, he married her. It was not a love match, but one of convenience. Caressa joins her husband on a trip to Africa to learn about a language on the verge of extinction. The husband is not a very good judge of people and he is soon dead and Caressa a slave. Caressa's adventures while in Africa are exciting and frightening. She becomes great friends with a young male slave and together they escape. They are very lucky but eventually the luck runs out for Caressa, at least for a while. She and her friend are separated.
Now romance intrudes for a bit, arriving in a very unpleasant way. More excitement follows. Eventually Caressa is marries a rich Brit but then discovers he did something horrid. Ultimately, though, things turn out okay.
I thought it was quite a good story. Completely different than Mrs. Pollifax, but well worth the read. I'll be checking out more of her books.
I am a huge fan of the Mrs. Polifax series by this author. Having finished that series, I decided to try some of the author's other books and this is the first.
The primary character here is Caressa. We meet her when she is quite old and remembering her life, which is quite an exciting one! Caressa was born into a carnival family. Her father died young. Her mother was determined that Caressa was going to be educated and get to a higher social status than she. Caressa's grandmother taught her to be a fist class pickpocket, a skill that came in handy at times over her life. Caressa's mother somehow got her admitted to a top shelf boarding school. Caressa was smart and did well in school but when she needed new clothes, she decided to put her pickpocket skills to use. Then she picked the wrong man, someone who knew his pocket had been picked. When the linguist heard her story he was intrigued and when she graduated, he married her. It was not a love match, but one of convenience. Caressa joins her husband on a trip to Africa to learn about a language on the verge of extinction. The husband is not a very good judge of people and he is soon dead and Caressa a slave. Caressa's adventures while in Africa are exciting and frightening. She becomes great friends with a young male slave and together they escape. They are very lucky but eventually the luck runs out for Caressa, at least for a while. She and her friend are separated.
Now romance intrudes for a bit, arriving in a very unpleasant way. More excitement follows. Eventually Caressa is marries a rich Brit but then discovers he did something horrid. Ultimately, though, things turn out okay.
I thought it was quite a good story. Completely different than Mrs. Pollifax, but well worth the read. I'll be checking out more of her books.
March 10, 2018
The life story is told by the older Caressa. At first I thought the book was a sort of biography as you could feel the truth of it. This book is filled with horrible and terrible happenings that force Caressa to use quick thinking and look for ways to avoid some type of gruesome reality.
We see her ability to stay calm act cleverly when Jacob has his mishap. She keeps her fear hidden and watches Jacobe’s behaviour all the while knowing he is heading for disaster. He never showing any apprehension or care to what could happen to her by his actions.
Half way through an unusual love story develops. So I wouldn’t say it was a romance novel. Besides that, the love story is completely unconventional and some how Gilman avoids that slippery slide and somehow Jarred becomes the Hero. I am not really sure if I felt comfortable with that story line. His reason for his action are never well explained as far as I felt. I suppose you could call it a coming of age novel, but no one else ever came of age the same way that Caressa Horvath did
Jacob, was a very unusual character and in someways is very similar to her second husband both wealthy and controlling. This book cleverly combines all these wondrous ideas that first start with the Carnival where her father dies and the mother and grandmothers lives plummet which is really what happens with Caressa as well. Her husband takes her to a dangerous place and they has himself killed. But as a child she had a grandmother that is strong and knowing and a mother that has ambition, this is what stays with her through her life.
Most of this novel takes place in Africa and I loved the way Dorothy Gilman, vividly portrays the African landscape that young Caressa ends up traveling through, first as a very young wife then as a hostage and eventually a slave before meeting Jared, the love of her life. It was a relaxing novel and had lots going for it but it only got a 3.5 from me.
We see her ability to stay calm act cleverly when Jacob has his mishap. She keeps her fear hidden and watches Jacobe’s behaviour all the while knowing he is heading for disaster. He never showing any apprehension or care to what could happen to her by his actions.
Half way through an unusual love story develops. So I wouldn’t say it was a romance novel. Besides that, the love story is completely unconventional and some how Gilman avoids that slippery slide and somehow Jarred becomes the Hero. I am not really sure if I felt comfortable with that story line. His reason for his action are never well explained as far as I felt. I suppose you could call it a coming of age novel, but no one else ever came of age the same way that Caressa Horvath did
Jacob, was a very unusual character and in someways is very similar to her second husband both wealthy and controlling. This book cleverly combines all these wondrous ideas that first start with the Carnival where her father dies and the mother and grandmothers lives plummet which is really what happens with Caressa as well. Her husband takes her to a dangerous place and they has himself killed. But as a child she had a grandmother that is strong and knowing and a mother that has ambition, this is what stays with her through her life.
Most of this novel takes place in Africa and I loved the way Dorothy Gilman, vividly portrays the African landscape that young Caressa ends up traveling through, first as a very young wife then as a hostage and eventually a slave before meeting Jared, the love of her life. It was a relaxing novel and had lots going for it but it only got a 3.5 from me.
February 4, 2021
Dorothy Gilman is probably best known for her Mrs. Pollifax series, but she also has written a number of stand alone books. This is one of them.
The story of Caressa Horvath is told be her, starting in the early 1900s when Caressa is 16. She already knows how to do magic tricks, pick pockets and other tricks as taught her by her Grams, but her Mum has plans for Caressa to attend a proper girls’ school and learn to become a lady. Carny life isn’t a good enough life for Caressa, in her mother’s eyes.
Caressa does go to a proper school in Boston, and learns the things a lady needs to know. Manners, graces and just enough education to compliment a husband. She also meets Jacob Bowman, an anthropologist, linguist, student of the world and older than her. It isn’t romance, but she winds up marrying him. For Caressa it was becoming a lady, to please her Mum, and the upcoming travel abroad. The first destination is North Africa.
Caressa is interested in her surrounding and has no problem wanting to explore and learn. The real problem is women are considered more second class and not allowed to do much on their own. Luckily Caressa is given a guide, who when he learns of her desire to learn, helps create a disguise for her, as a boy, and instructs her on how to behave and not draw attention to herself. These things become life saving when she finds herself the only survivor of their caravan, and must make her way across the desert and hopefully back to America.
The tale contains drama, adventure, danger and some humour. It is a few years before Caressa is able to get back home. Along the way she meets some very interesting people who help her and some who are out to harm her.
It took me a bit to get through it as some of the desert scenes seemed to gon on forever. None-the-less, it is a story I do think about and will for a while.
The story of Caressa Horvath is told be her, starting in the early 1900s when Caressa is 16. She already knows how to do magic tricks, pick pockets and other tricks as taught her by her Grams, but her Mum has plans for Caressa to attend a proper girls’ school and learn to become a lady. Carny life isn’t a good enough life for Caressa, in her mother’s eyes.
Caressa does go to a proper school in Boston, and learns the things a lady needs to know. Manners, graces and just enough education to compliment a husband. She also meets Jacob Bowman, an anthropologist, linguist, student of the world and older than her. It isn’t romance, but she winds up marrying him. For Caressa it was becoming a lady, to please her Mum, and the upcoming travel abroad. The first destination is North Africa.
Caressa is interested in her surrounding and has no problem wanting to explore and learn. The real problem is women are considered more second class and not allowed to do much on their own. Luckily Caressa is given a guide, who when he learns of her desire to learn, helps create a disguise for her, as a boy, and instructs her on how to behave and not draw attention to herself. These things become life saving when she finds herself the only survivor of their caravan, and must make her way across the desert and hopefully back to America.
The tale contains drama, adventure, danger and some humour. It is a few years before Caressa is able to get back home. Along the way she meets some very interesting people who help her and some who are out to harm her.
It took me a bit to get through it as some of the desert scenes seemed to gon on forever. None-the-less, it is a story I do think about and will for a while.
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