Atlas - La Storia di Pa' Salt

The Seven Sisters #8

by Lucinda Riley, Harry Whittaker, Daniela Cavallini (Narrator)

The final novel in The Seven Sisters series is here. Spanning a lifetime of love and loss, crossing borders and oceans, Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt, co-authored by her son Harry Whittaker, draws Lucinda Riley's saga to its stunning, unforgettable conclusion.

1928, Paris. A boy is found, moments from death, and taken in by a kindly family. Gentle, precocious, talented, he flourishes in his new home, and the family show him a life he hadn’t dreamed possible. But he refuses to speak a word about who he really is.

As he grows into a young man, falling in love and taking classes at the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris, he can almost forget the terrors of his past, or the promise he has vowed to keep. But across Europe an evil is rising, and no-one’s safety is certain. In his heart, he knows the time will come when he must flee once more.

2008, the Aegean. The seven sisters are gathered together for the first time, on board the Titan, to say a final goodbye to the enigmatic father they loved so dearly.

To the surprise of everyone, it is the missing sister who Pa Salt has chosen to entrust with the clue to their pasts. But for every truth revealed, another question emerges. The sisters must confront the idea that their adored father was someone they barely knew. And even more shockingly: that these long-buried secrets may still have consequences for them today.

In this epic conclusion to The Seven Sisters series, everything will be revealed.
​************************************************************************************
Il romanzo finale della serie Le sette sorelle è qui. Attraversando una vita di amore e perdita, attraversando confini e oceani, Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt, scritto in collaborazione con suo figlio Harry Whittaker, porta la saga di Lucinda Riley alla sua straordinaria e indimenticabile conclusione. b>

1928, Parigi. Un ragazzo viene ritrovato, a pochi istanti dalla morte, e accolto da una famiglia gentile. Gentile, precoce, talentuoso, prospera nella sua nuova casa e la famiglia gli mostra una vita che non aveva mai sognato possibile. Ma si rifiuta di dire una parola su chi è veramente.

Man mano che diventa un giovane uomo, si innamora e prende lezioni al prestigioso Conservatorio di Parigi, riesce quasi a dimenticare i terrori del suo passato o la promessa che ha promesso di mantenere. Ma in tutta Europa un male sta aumentando e la sicurezza di nessuno è certa. Nel suo cuore, sa che verrà il momento in cui dovrà fuggire ancora una volta.

2008, l'Egeo. Le sette sorelle si riuniscono per la prima volta, a bordo del Titano, per dire l'ultimo addio all'enigmatico padre che amavano così teneramente.

Con sorpresa di tutti, è proprio alla sorella scomparsa che Pa Salt ha scelto di affidare la chiave del loro passato. Ma per ogni verità rivelata emerge un’altra domanda. Le sorelle devono confrontarsi con l'idea che il loro adorato padre fosse qualcuno che conoscevano a malapena. E la cosa ancora più scioccante è che questi segreti sepolti da tempo potrebbero ancora avere conseguenze per loro oggi.

In questa epica conclusione della serie Le sette sorelle, tutto verrà rivelato.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Romance, Roman, Historical, Mystery

Audiobook

First published May 11, 2023

About the author

AKA: Lucinda Edmonds
Lucinda Riley was born in Northern Ireland, and after an early career as an actress in film, theatre and television, wrote her first book aged twenty-four. Her books have been translated into thirty-seven languages and sold thirty million copies worldwide. She is a No.1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller.

Lucinda’s The Seven Sisters series, which tells the story of adopted sisters and is inspired by the mythology of the famous star cluster, has become a global phenomenon. The series is a No.1 bestseller across the world with total sales of over fifteen million copies.

Lucinda and her family divided their time between the U.K. and a farmhouse in West Cork, Ireland, where she wrote her books.

Reviews

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

For over a year now, I’ve waited and anticipated the day I could read Pa Salt’s story. The first time I read about the seven sisters, I sat in a hotel room in Cuba. I was waiting for my friend to get ready to go out, and had trouble tearing myself away from the book when she was ready to go. I was hooked, and my obsession grew as i continued to devour the series.

I was heartbroken when Riley died, so reading the last book in the series was a treat. Her son did a wonderful job in penning what she couldn’t, and I can promise that the reader is in for a magnificent story. Pa Salt had a remarkable life that took him all over the world. We finally discover why he found the sisters and adopted them. It’s also an epic love story, that brought tears to my eyes. It was also lovely that we met the sisters again, while they read the diary and get to know their father’s story. The book was long and that made me happy, since I didn’t want it to end. This will be one of my most memorable reads in 2023. and I know other fans will be satisfied as well.

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fitting ending to a brilliant series. If I had time, it would be good to reread all seven of the previous books, however, this book doesn’t really require that, and yes, for me it answered my questions about who Pa Salt was and why he did the things he did. Kindness, luck, friendship, loyalty and family all shine through. I think Harry did a good job in finishing this series .

[LoonyRuni · Rating 4 out of 5]

According to this article: https://www.mindfood.com/article/luci... Her son Harry Whittaker whom she had co-written other books with, will finish the 8th book, of Pa Salts story that Lucinda had started writing. She was apparently battling cancer, and knew there was a chance she could not finish the book herself, so she told Harry the secrets of the story and where she wanted it to go. It is set to be published spring of 2023.

we can only send Harry and his family all the love and support we can, and I as one of the fans of the series thank you so much for finishing the story for us.

[Hilde · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sure it’s fiction. It’s a modern fairytale. But oh, boy is it badly written. Shallow characters, unrealistic dialogue, an often ridiculous storyline.

Pa Salt’s story is a disappointment. I had expected more from the man. I mean all he did was receive an enormous inheritance from his granny which turned him into this superrich dude. Not his own hard grafting whatsoever. An what did he do with his time? All he seems to have done is travel all over the globe collecting a score of babies. People seem to hand over babies to this guy like there are no rules for adoption whatsoever. Tearing infant twins apart? No problem. People give up children for adoption like it’s absolutely nothing all over the place. Maia seems to have had no problem with giving up hers.

The book is filled to the brim with awkward situations. Like when at the end the old guy is presented with Bear. A non-biological peepsqueek in diapers, but the son of one of his starry girls. While his grown-up biological grandson is competely ignored. But, hey, it’s all about the sisters right?

The sad scrabbled names gave me the shivers as well. I mean. Kreeg? Eszu? Tanit? Really?

The way the storylines develop, or conclude, it’s all so convenient, predictable and shallow. Like the appearence of Zed at the end. Off course the bad guy needs a punch in the face. Which is just the polar opposite of the message Lucinda wanted to send across: Atlas was so kind to everyone. Never did anything bad to anybody. Live your life like Atlas, girls! Yes Pa, we will. So in the last act in the book the sisters -in Pa’s spirit- laugh at Zed, call him names, assault him and chase him away.

They could, should have had one of those shallow talks with the guy, pulled him in a group hug and forgive him. That would have made a way more satisfactory end.

This book is a waste of words.

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the start of this journey I have not been able to choose a favorite sister, and still can't. They are all unique in their own way.
I love that all the sisters still have a voice in this book. Over the years we have come to love each sister individually following their story and journey to self discovery. With this last book, Pa Salt's story comes of age and we discover his many secrets whilst still having immense respect for him and his choices, and what a wonderful story he tells. The way this series is developed from book 1 to book 7 is absolutely amazing.

RIP Lucinda Riley, this brilliant series based on the Seven Sisters star constellation will live on and be loved by many more readers. Humble applause to Harry Whittaker, co-author and Lucinda's Son for stepping in and finishing this last book, we all have closure and warm hearts thanks to you.

[Helene Black]

Lucinda Riley tragically passed away today. She always looked so lively in her interviews, and I learned so much from her as a writer. Who knows if this book will ever be published.

See you on the other side 🌅

[Yara Adorablebooks.nl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik heb genoten van het verhaal en ben blij dat het ten einde is maar… ben ik de enige die dit verhaal ongeloofwaardig vond? Ik lees alleen maar lovende reviews? Veel gebeurtenissen die veel te veel voor de wind gingen, een personage dat in 2008 havermelk cappu bestelde (?)(zo makkelijk was dat destijds niet verkrijgbaar) en dan dat einde… well…

Een ander punt: waarom hebben die (‘super slimme’) dochters nooit gevraagd wat hun vader voor werk deed en waarom ze zo rijk waren? Dat klopt echt niet. Zes zussen die echt niet verder keken dan hun neus lang is.

Leuk boek, maar ongeloofwaardig. Het duurde ook allemaal veel te lang. Dat kan korter! (‘Mand’ :-)) 3,5 ster!

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear why did I do this? I began this series many years ago and have invested countless hours reading the eight large tomes that comprise the Seven Sisters. I actually enjoyed the first two or three as interesting, easy reads - pure entertainment. However, for me, the series deteriorated as it progressed so that the last two books were absolutely frustrating, full of overblown stereotypes, plot holes, and some poor writing. All of that said I still held some affection for the basic premise, the original idea that obviously underpinned these novels.

I appreciate that Lucinda Riley tragically passed away and that this final novel was written by her son, himself an author, based on her ideas. I am also aware of, and respect Riley's loyal fans who will, I am sure, love this book. But I need to tell it as I experienced it. I read this because I too wanted to see a resolution, to find out more about the origins and motivations of the man behind the seven sisters, Atlas the key protagonist and anchor of these novels. I had hoped that my predictions of how this would end would be wrong, that the resolution might be clever however, all was exactly as it appeared and became even more obvious as this novel progressed. For me the text was poorly written, melodramatic, full of poor literary devices, cringeworthy unrealistic dialogue and grossly repetitive, both in its own right, but also of the novels that came before it. Like the two or three before it a good edit would have seen a novel of half the length with much greater impact. All of that said I continue to admire the original premise behind these novels, but the execution was increasingly not to my liking.

[Mayte De Vries · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it very unlikely that Atlas didn’t think Kreeg might be behind the fact that Elle did not board the ship to Australia. Seriously, the dude saw you at the bookshop the day before, you check into the hotel under your own name, and the next day your longtime girlfriend/fiancé doesn’t show up, and leaves you a rather dubious note, and that doesn’t ring any bells??? As the rest of the story follows from this rather stupid misconception, I find it all a bit unbelievable.

[I'm Not · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most magical book series I've ever read, and it's not even fantasy!

A magnificent ode to the most magical things in this world that can transform our lives: family, friendship, kindness, generosity, and relentless hope.

Lucinda Riley's wonderful legacy; absolute kudos to her son Harry Whittaker for doing justice to the story's conclusion.

[Phoenix Perpetuale · Rating 5 out of 5]

After some time, I decided to read the book once again. I purchased a physical copy of the book and read it from cover to cover. It turned out to be a true page-turner. This book is the final installment in the series that provides an explanation for all the adoptions that were made and how circumstances came to be. Finally, we get an answer to the question of who the mysterious Pa Salt was.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been trying to collect my thoughts on this one. For those that are not familiar, author Lucinda Riley sadly passed away in 2021 prior to completing this book which is the final installment of the Seven Sisters series. She had been approached many years before by a production company wanting the film rights to The Seven Sisters and they wanted to know how the story would end, so she had assembled her thoughts into a document and shared them with her son, Harry Whittaker, to complete the book in the event she was unable to.

This is the story of Pa Salt, his history and how he came to adopt the sisters who he named after the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades constellation as well as the background of the missing sister. As much as I have enjoyed this series overall (although there are definitely certain of the sister’s stories that I enjoyed more than others), Pa Salt’s story is the one that I have been waiting for and most interested in reading. This book is quite long and could have been edited a bit. With so many characters and intertwining storylines, it made it a bit difficult to keep things straight at times. It has been a while since I started this series and obviously there were bits and pieces I had forgotten, but thankfully the author did a great job providing information along the way to help jog my memory.

This book spans roughly 80+ years and many continents, so as expected it is full of drama. I love the premise of this series and although it requires the reader to throw plausibility out the window, overall it is an entertaining series and this final installment concluded with all of my questions being answered. That being said, I struggled a bit with a few of the plot points, but even more so with the dialogue which was unrealistic and felt robotic especially in the current timeline particularly the conversations between the sisters, but I also had this issue with the dialogue in “The Missing Sister”.

Kudos to her son for co-authoring and following through with his mother’s wishes. I’m sure it was a lot to take on writing the final book in this beloved series, but it is appreciated and I’m sure it will give fans of the series closure. 3.5 stars.

[Valentina Ghetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atlas è stato esattamente la lettura che mi aspettavo; e per fortuna direi, perchè aspetto questo libro dal 2015 circa e se fosse stato meno profondo, significativo ed esaustivo di così penso sarei impazzita.
Atlas risponde a tutte, ma proprio tutte, le domande sulle sorelle D'Apliese e su loro misterioso padre. Pur essendo un libro voluminoso non c'è una pagina che mi abbia annoiata, ogni svolta e ogni viaggio del protagonista sono parte integrante della storia dei sette libri precedenti.
È stata una grandissima emozione anche ritrovare tanti personaggi fondamentali nelle vicende delle sorelle, le loro antenate e tutti coloro che gravitavano intorno a quelle donne straordinarie.
Una grande e commovente conclusione per una saga che ho amato follemente, brava Lucinda e bravo Harry!

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com

Everything will be revealed hails the cover of Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt. Penned by Harry Whittaker following the sad passing of his mother Lucinda Riley, the masterful storyteller behind the spellbinding Seven Sisters series. This eighth issue in the highly embraced series comes to an end in rather spectacular circumstances. Crossing decades, centuries, lands and seas afar, Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt is an unmissable read, especially those who have followed the series religiously.

Travelling back in the years between the First and Second World War in Paris, this final instalment in the Seven Sisters series introduces a young mute boy, who is taken in by a generous family after a brush with death. This boy is clearly gifted in many ways, but his tumultuous and unknown history will follow him all his life. When the boy grows from a child to an adult, he becomes a talented musician and his passion for music almost helps him bury the horrors of the past away. When he meets a beautiful girl during his studies, he vows to stay by her side forever. But the world and this boy’s arch enemy has plans for them, so an escape plan is hatched. Will the horrors sweeping across Europe and world find them? Moving forward in time to the year 2008, a family reunion of sorts is playing out as seven sisters gather on the family vessel to bid adieu for a final time to the man that rescued each of them. But a long-lost sister holds the key the unlocking each personal history connected to this sprawling family. What withheld truths will be revealed and how will this change each member of the family?

I’ve decided I’m not going to divulge too much in regards to the content of this novel. As a massive and long-standing fan of Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters series, I am respectful of those who haven’t read this series or final issue yet. What I will say is that I was both excited and nervous going into Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt. Harry Whittaker is definitely a son to be proud of for fulfilling his mother’s legacy and I’m sure she is looking down on him now, nodding in approval.

So, finally we get to meet the enigmatic, elusive and fantastical Pa Salt. Since this story began almost a decade ago now, I’ve had my theories and suspicions about Pa Salt. I’ve always thought he had a celestial and magical quality, almost God like. It was great to finally get into the bones of this character and follow his origin story. Likewise, it was wonderful to catch up with each of the seven sisters, including the lost sister. Whittaker and Riley provide us with a background to some of the reappearing support cast who have appeared in the previous books in the series. It was so nice to connect and discover the hidden histories of the periphery cast, many of these character threads surprised me. I loved finding out how each of them were connected to Pa Salt.

As an expected and hoped, Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt is big, dramatic and astounding. We travel through times of loss, tragedy, war, turmoil and uncertainty. Many people are touched by Pa Salt and we learn who made an impact on this larger-than-life character. From continent to continent and different oceans, we bear witness to the keynote events that shape the unforgettable man known as Pa Salt. Whittaker and Riley takes us through moments of despair, loss, charity, connection, friendship, opportunity, love, survival, fate, chance, adventure, tragedy and triumph. Sometimes you need to surrender to the magic of it all as Whittaker and Riley capture the essence of the real Pa Salt via his eventful journal entries filtered through this incredible narrative.

I rarely shed a tear when reading novels, but confess this is one book that had me sobbing at the end. I think the culmination of this much-loved series coming to a close, the passing of the author before the end and the final parting scene which had all the feels got me! Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt was a most fitting tribute a once in a lifetime series and dearly missed author.

*Thanks extended to Pan Macmillan for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.

[Laura Pandorabooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me duele el corazón, el alma, el pecho y la vida.

Al final se han resuelto todas las incógnitas y se han desvelado los secretos que llevábamos intentando descubrir desde el primer libro, desde que conocimos a Maia y a esta familia tan especial.

Vaya despedida y vaya regalo para los lectores. Pensé que nunca conoceríamos el final y lo hemos tenido, así que gracias a Harry Whittaker por hacerlo posible, pero sobre todo a su madre, a Lucinda. Gracias por habernos regalado estas historias, por habernos hecho viajar y por haberme regalado momentos tan especiales con tus libros.

Atlas, la historia de Pa Salt ha sido todo lo que esperaba y más. Ir descubriendo cómo estaba todo conectado y cómo la autora ha jugado con nuestra percepción durante todos estos años ha sido increíble. Una vez que conoces las claves, te quedas con la boca abierta (¿relectura pronto? no lo descarto).

Me voy a llorar un rato.

[simona.citeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cu siguranță cel mai bun volum din serie!

Am avut foarte mari emoții și speram să nu fiu dezamăgită. Nu am fost.

Am citit cele 750 de pagini în mai puțin de 3 zile; nu am putut să las cartea din mână. Curiozitatea nu-mi dădea pace în timp ce eram super captată de povestea lui Pa Salt.

Pe lângă explicațiile pe care le oferă (afli răspunsul la toate întrebările pe care le-ai acumulat în timp) cartea respectă tiparul celorlate volume și merge foarte mult în trecut, astfel că aflăm cine a fost Pa Salt.

Am lăcrimat și am suferit cumplit și am senzația că mai vreau să o citesc deși abia am închis-o.

Un final super!
E prima serie pe care eu o citesc până la final.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Super vergezocht, de (belangrijke) personages zijn zo heilig en angelic dat je gewoon misselijk wordt, op elke pot past vanzelfsprekend een absurde deksel die direct geaccepteerd wordt. Maar wel fijn dat we eindelijk verlost zijn 🙏

[Anja Karenjina · Rating 4 out of 5]

U srcu čista petica, a ovako, realni da budemo previše zbrkano zbog čega ide ocena manje. Ali zauvek ću obožavati ovaj serijal i ne želim ni da kritikujem Lusindinog sina, kome samo mogu da budem zahvalna što je završio ovu priču. Isplakah dušu!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, disclaimer, because I'm sure it will be an unpopular opinion, but I DID actually enjoy it. There were just a lot of little things that bugged me. I was never a huge fan of Lucinda Riley's writing, and I'm not sure which parts of this were hers and which were her son's, but I'm really not a fan of the dialogue. I hate how often the characters call each other "my love". It rings false and I don't know anyone who actually talks like that. There are also a few grammatical errors/word choice errors, and I admit that those really bother me. It's just not a writing style I like. BUT, I do like the stories, which is why I kept reading after the first one.

I also feel like it goes a BIT over the top. I like that all the loose ends are tied up by the end, and I was right about one major plot point that I won't spoil for other readers. But overall, it was just a bit too.....too. Just the basic premise of a young boy making it that far on his own without anyone who he encountered having contacted authorities....it doesn't make sense. Perhaps in an earlier century when the world wasn't as populated and when children had a lot more responsibilities at a young age, a boy might have escaped notice. But in the time period in which this is set, with big cities and complex transportation systems, I don't think it's that plausible. There are a few other things that would be spoilers, that are a bit over the top. I can ignore most of it for the sake of the story, but as a whole, because there are so many of those things, it does bother me slightly.

That all being said, I do like the overall story line. I like the suspense, and most of the characters, and I like how things are left at the end. (I actually laughed out loud right at the end and my daughter wondered what I was laughing about.) I think it will satisfy most readers who have stuck through the whole series. I also found it to be a relatively fast and easy read, so I think it is a good one for anyone who has never read such big series before, as long as they like the genres. If you don't like historical fiction, romance, or suspense, these aren't going to be your thing. I like that the whole series encompasses several different genres because I like the variety. But if you don't like overlapping genres, this isn't going to be your thing.

While all the books are very thick, they aren't difficult to get through. There's no real difficult language or anything, but I'd advise people to maybe try the first one through a library to see if you like it and it's worth investing in the others before getting the whole series based on its popularity.

[MANTĖ || mantes.istorijos · Rating 1 out of 5]

Šios knygos reitingas itin aukštas ir sunkiai rasite neigiamų jos apžvalgų, bet neapsigaukite: tai gali reikšti ne vien tai, kad knyga žiauriai gera ir verta jūsų dėmesio, bet ir tai, kad iki jos dasikasė (visgi 5500 psl. per 8 knygas) ir ją vertino tik tikri fanai. O ką aš su šita serija veikiau iki galo, nežinau, bet štai – apžvalga tos, kuri neliko sužavėta – nei šia dalim, nei pačia serija apskritai.

Ši serija pasakoja apie septynias iš skirtingų pasaulio šalių įvaikintas seseris ir jų įtėvį Atlantą. Per visas serijos dalis įdomiausios buvo sesių šaknų paieškos po skirtingas šalis ir kultūras, o paskutinėje dalyje apie tėvą – kaip jis visas tas mergaites susirinko ir kas jį siejo su jų biologinėmis šeimomis.

Kelios dalys man patiko, bet visgi, Riley knygos – ne mano stiliaus: labai jau primityvus ir ištęstas jos rašymo stilius. O svarbiausia, užvertus paskutinį „Atlanto“ puslapį suvokiau visą laiką nesupratusi, kad iš tikrųjų skaičiau užsimaskavusią fantastiką: visa paskutinė dalis suręsta iš tokių absoliučiai neįtikimų situacijų ir logikos trūkumo, kad čia buvo cirkas ant cirko. Galiu tikėti kalbančiais drakonais, bet ne šitos knygos stebuklais.

Siaubingai erzino, kad net paskutinėj daly esmė – nuo ko ir kodėl Atlantas visą gyvenimą slapstėsi, užlaikyta vos ne iki paskutinių puslapių. O kol nežinai, kas iš tiesų tokio siaubingo nutiko jo gyvenimo pradžioj, visą tą jo slapstymąsi galima pavadint tik šizofreniko klajonėm. Neradau jokio realaus pagrindo, kad jį iš tiesų kažkas medžioja po visą pasaulį, o visą gyvenimą laikytis įsitvėrus baimės iš vaikystės – mažų mažiausiai kvaila. Finalinė akistata su persekiotoju man net buvo komiška: maždaug, tu visą gyvenimą praknisai dėl to?

P.S. Knyga akivaizdžiai versta ir redaguota skubant, nes Lietuvoje ji išleista tuo pat metu kaip ir visame pasaulyje, dėl to klaidų klaidelių palikta nors vežimu vežk. Tai summa summarum: klaidos badė, o siužetas vartė akis – dabar einu pamiegot, ok bye.

[Eva Gavilli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trama/Plot ⭐⭐⭐
Personaggi/Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stile/Style ⭐⭐⭐
Lacrime ⭐⭐⭐

Tra tutti i romanzi della saga, mi è sembrato il meno riuscito. Tutta la prima parte del racconto mi è risultata prolissa e un po' noiosa: la trama – abbastanza scontata – si dilunga troppo. Nella seconda parte, il ritmo della narrazione cambia e si fa più vivace, ma è solo negli ultimi capitoli che si ritrova il pathos che caratterizza i primi libri. La saga, nel suo complesso, prende comunque quattro stelle, nonostante lo scivolone finale, dovuto forse anche alla scrittura a quattro mani.
***
Of all the novels in the saga, it seemed to me the least successful. The entire first part of the story seemed long-winded and a bit boring to me: the plot - quite obvious - goes on too long. In the second part, the pace of the narrative changes and becomes more lively, but it is only in the last chapters that the pathos that characterizes the first books is found. The saga, as a whole, still gets four stars, despite the final slip-up, perhaps also due to the co-writing.

[Mer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Qué ganas tenía de leer esta novela ¡por Dios! Que conste que iba con algo de recelo por varios motivos:

1º) porque cuando empecé a leer la serie de las Siete Hermanas daba por hecho que serían siete libros,
2º) porque el séptimo libro correspondiente a la hermana perdida, fue el que menos me gustó, pero es que además a mitad de lectura ya fue fácil sospechar que tendría que haber otro sí o sí para explicar toda la historia de Pa Salt, y
3º) y lo peor, fue saber que no sería Lucinda quien lo terminaría, ya que ella murió hace casi dos años ya. Sin embargo dejó todo encarrilado para que fuera su hijo quien pusiera punto final al esta estupenda serie y no puedo más que felicitar a Harry Whitaker, porque creo que su madre estaría super orgullosa de lo bien que lo ha hecho.

Antes de que nadie lo pregunte, este libro NO se debe leer (porque poder, obviamente se puede) sin haber leído los anteriores porque perderían toda su gracia y las muchas sorpresas que esta octava novela va revelando a quienes llegan a ella después de conocer el origen de Maia, Ally, Star, Cece, Tiggy, Electra y Merry.

Me ha encantado la manera de ir conectando la vida de Pa Salt con las personas que acabarán siendo la familia de cada una de sus hijas adoptivas. Es un viaje vital muy largo pero interesantísimo que te atrapa de la primera páginas y que deja resueltas todas las incógnitas que a lo largo de los siete libros previos fueron surgiendo. Quién era Pa Salt, de dónde procedía él y su gran fortuna, cómo llegaron a trabajar para él todo ese elenco de personajes secundarios que tan fieles e importantes fueron para él y sus hijas, quién es ese enemigo que aparece desde la primera novela (Kreeg Eszu) y qué podía tener en contra de Pa Salt. En fin... que todo, absolutamente todo tiene respuesta en este libro.

Es cierto que a veces da la sensación de que se dan demasiadas casualidades, que las cosas ocurren muy oportunamente en determinados momentos y que algunas pueden estar cogidas con pinzas, pero la verdad es que me ha dado lo mismo. He disfrutado muchísimo a lo largo de una década con estas novelas y me encanta ser parte de ese gran número de lectoras y lectores que han viajado literariamente por todo el mundo detrás del origen de todas estas hermanas y su padre adoptivo.

Un delicia de ¿octología? (es muy probable que me esté inventado esta palabra en este momento) y un gran trabajo por parte de Harry Whitaker. Un broche de oro para esta serie y un gran homenaje a su madre.

[Janine Swainson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt.......or more accurately I've just finished ugly crying after finishing A:TSoPS!

Can't wait to see what the rest of you think!

My spoiler free initial thoughts: really good.

There are no questions left answered. Most of the theories we all had were correct, but Pa's original story was a complete surprise and worked well.

You could definitely feel which parts were written by Harry, and which were beautifully crafted by Lucinda. I'm so glad she was able to write certain passages before she died. I feel like Harry's editor could have helped tweaked a few lazily written parts.

Overall, this is a worthy sequel to an incredible epic family saga, and I feel fully satisfied.

Looking forward to rereading the entire series again and enjoying all of the things I know now to look out for.

Also glad I watched - and would recommend you watch - Harry's recap of the seven previous books to remind you of who was who and where and when! There is surprisingly not too much rehashing in this novel.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cq41_E...

[Emma.catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly I would like to say thank you and congratulations to Harry Whittaker for completing his mothers final instalment of The Seven Sisters. I am sure she would be incredibly proud.

From the very beginning the story flowed beautifully between present day on the Titan and the retelling of Pa Salt’s life through use of his diary. This was so cleverly executed that not once was I confused as to what time period I was in or who the narrator was; covering such a vast time period and cast of characters this can’t have been easily achieved.

There was so much anticipation and emotion throughout this book that I truly felt as though I was one of the sisters hunkered down reading Pa’s story upon the Titan… to say I was engrossed would be an understatement.

One of the things I most enjoyed about this book was reading the interactions between all the sisters and their plus one’s. It is one thing reading about the interaction between one or even a few of the sisters at a time but I found it particularly special and fitting for this final book.

It certainly was a series that contained many mystery’s but I now feel content with the knowledge we have been given. And I now feel as though I need to go back and reread the whole series, seeing it all in a new light with this newfound knowledge.

This is a very very special series, one I will never forget; I can’t ever imagine finding another that will live up to it. The perfect end to a perfect series…

CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE MAKE A SERIES OR MOVIE ABOUT THIS 🙏🏼

[Jess The Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe this story is finally over. What a sweeping epic this series has been! We have now had a book for each of the seven sisters and learnt their individual backstories.

Maia took us to Brazil and the Christ the Redeemer Statue. Ally took us to Norway with her musical family. Star took us to England and Beatrix Potter. CeCe took us to Australia to pearl and opal mines. Tiggy took us to Spain and flamenco dancers. Electra took us to Kenya and New York's drug culture. Merry took us to Ireland and it's revolution.

The biggest question was: who is Pa Salt and how did he adopt such very different girls from all over the world.

This story starts with Pa Salt as a child and follows his life story across the world. It reveals everything by way of a diary he left behind. Make no mistake, this book is long and slow paced, you get given tiny bits of information at a time.

I think it would be perfect if you could read these books one after the other in succession. I didn't have the time for that, I have too many other books for that. But I did appreciate that the authors give enough information along the way to jog your memory.

I'm sad that Lucinda Riley could not finish her series herself, but I think her son did an excellent job in finishing it off as per her plans.

This was a great ending to a great series.

[Justina Neliubšienė · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaip gera buvo grįžti prie septynių seserų serijos ir pagaliau perskaityti ilgai lauktą paskutinę dalį apie Atlantą. ❤️ Labai patiko, skaičiau ir norėjosi taupyti puslapius, nes tiesiog buvo jauku ir gera. Puiki knyga 😉

[Leo C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terminar una saga como Las Siete Hermanas siempre genera emociones encontradas, y con Atlas, la historia de Pa Salt estas emociones se multiplicaron. Fue un cierre esperado durante algo más de un año que ha sido el tiempo que ha durado la lectura conjunta. También muy triste cuando supe que Lucinda Riley, la autora, no pudo completarlo debido a su fallecimiento 😢😢. Que su hijo, Harry Whittaker, tomara el relevo y lo hiciera con tanto cariño y respeto es algo que me ha conmovido profundamente...❤️

En este libro se desvelan finalmente todos los secretos de Pa Salt. ¡POR FIN! Pa Salt, o Atlas, el misterioso padre adoptivo de las hermanas. Con cada capítulo se iban desvelando los secretos de los libros anteriores, diría que con cuentagotas. O eso, o yo ya estaba demasiado ansiosa por conocer la verdad!! 😂😂.

Viajar por la vida de este personaje, desde su infancia en París hasta sus momentos más oscuros y decisivos, ¡ha sido una experiencia inolvidable!

Lo que más me impactó fue cómo se entrelazan las vidas de Pa Salt y sus hijas. Al final, descubres que todo estaba conectado desde el principio y que cada decisión que tomó fue por amor, por protegerlas y por darles una vida mejor. Es imposible no emocionarse al ver cómo cada pieza del rompecabezas encaja y revela una verdad más grande de lo que podíamos imaginar!! 🤯🤯

¡Qué bien entretejido estaba todo! ¡Solo leyendo este último libro lo entendí todo!

La novela no solo cierra los misterios, sino que también refleja el amor de Lucinda por sus personajes y su historia. Me conmovió especialmente leer el prólogo escrito por Harry Whittaker, donde comparte cómo fue cumplir la promesa de terminar esta obra. Su dedicación y respeto hacia su madre y hacia los lectores es palpable en cada página. Ya aquí empecé a soltar alguna lagrimilla...😢😢. Y es que, no se trata solo de una novela sino también de una despedida, un homenaje, y una celebración de la vida y el amor que Lucinda Riley plasmó en esta saga. Es un libro que te hace reír, llorar y sentirte parte de esta familia tan especial 🥰.

Si has seguido la saga desde el principio, no puedes perderte este final. Puede que sientas nostalgia al cerrar la última página, pero también una enorme gratitud por haber formado parte de este viaje.

De mis favoritas de este 2024 👏👏👏👏

[Jennifer (Jaye) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Epic Journey*

This book marks the conclusion of ‘The Seven Sisters’ Series. As the title suggests each book is dedicated to each sister, within each book is the story about their origins and they are all named after the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades. This book is the story of Pa Salt as the girls called him their adopted Father.

Every time I have read each of the books in this series I have felt bereft as Lucinda’s books seem to have that affect on me. Those of you who are familiar with her books know that they are huge books, this one is no exception at 768 pages. On this occasion I added the audio especially for the times I could not physically sit and read it. I found it hard to put down. Sadly Lucinda passed away in 2021 and her eldest son Harry Whittaker took up the mantle, there is a foreword in the book where Harry introduces himself and explains a little about how he got involved.

It is hard to summarise this book but I would suggest you read the books in order. That way when you get to this book references to other books will make sense.

This book broke my heart and I had to put it down as the tears rolled especially for Pa Salt as a child and his experience with love. He also has a arch enemy on his trail…

Pa Salt is a character who amassed a fortune but towards the end of his life, the sisters realise they hardly know much about him, so this book is the story of how he became the man he is and what motivated him to adopt the girls. Each one from a different part of the world and one Sister in particular held his heart for reasons that will become clear….

I am sad to have come to the end of the journey which I have shared with a friend who introduced me to this series, she feels exactly the same. I feel this ending gave me a satisfactory ending and a series that I know I will revisit again in the future.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jongens. Ik ben er eindelijk doorheen. 8 boeken lang. Ik heb geworsteld, gecringed, een deel geluisterd en heel, heel veel doorgebladerd, en werkelijk waar niks van het verhaal gemist, omdat het in de laatste 100 pagina's van dit boek gewoon nóg een keer werd verteld. Wat een DRAAK van een boekenserie. Personages zo flinterdun als papier. Iemand is een goed persoon en iemand is een heel slecht persoon, waarom? Ja, gewoon. De verering van Pa Salt was extreem ongemakkelijk en ongepast. De nonchalante rijkdom overal was om misselijk van te worden. 'Alles is op te lossen met geld!' vertelt dit verhaal.
Also, paspoorten waren toen nog geen ding?! Men kon zonder paspoort en met valse namen de wereld over reizen?! Sure...

Mijn lievelingsboek als kind was 'Alleen op de Wereld', daar deed deze me vaak aan denken. Maar dan slécht geschreven. Oh man, de dialogen, zó plat, zó weinig aan de verbeelding overlatend...
Ben blij dat ik ervan verlost ben. Ik kijk er naar uit om weer goede dingen te lezen.

[Nicole Kemper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this series of books from the start. This final instalment was an excellent wrap up of the series. I was enthralled in each story, and loved how they all came together.