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Legend of the Lost Ass
I think we should take it through Guatemala.
A random text from a stranger inspires agoraphobic Colin to leave New York. His first stop is Brownsville, Texas, where he meets the sender, half-Mayan Luci Bolon, her ancient but feisty great-uncle Ernesto, and Miss Mango, a bright-orange Kubota tractor. Ernesto’s dream is that Miss Mango be driven to Belize and given to the family he left behind nearly seventy years ago. Colin agrees to join Luci on the long journey through Central America.
In 1949, seventeen-year-old Belizean Ernesto falls painfully in love with Michaela, an American redhead nearly twice his age. Their brief but intense affair changes everything Ernesto has ever known. When she leaves, Ernesto is devastated. Determined to find her, he “borrows” a donkey from his uncle and starts off for Texas. He meets a flamboyant fellow traveler, and the three of them—two young men and the donkey they name Bee—make their way to America.
The past and present unfold through two journeys that traverse beautiful landscapes. Painful histories are soothed by new friendships and payments of old debts.
A random text from a stranger inspires agoraphobic Colin to leave New York. His first stop is Brownsville, Texas, where he meets the sender, half-Mayan Luci Bolon, her ancient but feisty great-uncle Ernesto, and Miss Mango, a bright-orange Kubota tractor. Ernesto’s dream is that Miss Mango be driven to Belize and given to the family he left behind nearly seventy years ago. Colin agrees to join Luci on the long journey through Central America.
In 1949, seventeen-year-old Belizean Ernesto falls painfully in love with Michaela, an American redhead nearly twice his age. Their brief but intense affair changes everything Ernesto has ever known. When she leaves, Ernesto is devastated. Determined to find her, he “borrows” a donkey from his uncle and starts off for Texas. He meets a flamboyant fellow traveler, and the three of them—two young men and the donkey they name Bee—make their way to America.
The past and present unfold through two journeys that traverse beautiful landscapes. Painful histories are soothed by new friendships and payments of old debts.
- GenresWomens FictionFiction
280 pages, Paperback
First published July 21, 2020
12 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Karen Winters Schwartz
9 books40 followersKaren Winters Schwartz wrote her first truly good story at age seven. Forty-five years later her professional writing career finally began in 2010, when the first of three widely praised novels, Where Are the Cocoa Puffs?, Reis’s Pieces, and The Chocolate Debacle were published by Goodman Beck Publishing. Red Adept Publishing released Legend of the Lost Ass in 2020, and her latest novel The Vast Clear Blue in 2023. Both are richly emotional stories about love and relationships and take place in the exotic setting of Belize.
Educated at The Ohio State University, Karen and her husband moved to the Central New York Finger Lakes region where they raised two daughters and shared a career in optometry. She now splits her time between Arizona, a small village in Belize, and traveling the earth in search of the many creatures with whom she has the honor of sharing this world.
Educated at The Ohio State University, Karen and her husband moved to the Central New York Finger Lakes region where they raised two daughters and shared a career in optometry. She now splits her time between Arizona, a small village in Belize, and traveling the earth in search of the many creatures with whom she has the honor of sharing this world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
March 3, 2021
The book was quirky, wacky, and most of the time, clever. Many of the characters are fun. If you remember that this is a novel some of the crazy incidents are easier to take.
The plot was a bit of a slow mover. Bouncing between two timeframs was tedious.
I recommend this book and I hope you will take time to read it as well
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The plot was a bit of a slow mover. Bouncing between two timeframs was tedious.
I recommend this book and I hope you will take time to read it as well
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 14, 2021
2.5 ⭐ rounded up.
Ernesto's 1949 journey was much more my style than the 2019 storyline.
I wasn't invested in Colin or Luci the same way I was with Ernesto & Parchue.
Colin's unannounced daydreams and Miss Mango's chapters were distracting and wholly unnecessary in my opinion.
I think I would have enjoyed this more if it had only been Ernesto's story from 1949 and then flashed forward at the end to his present.
I seem to be in the minority on this, so give it a try and let me know what ya think.
Thanks to Karen Winters Schwartz for my DRC.
Ernesto's 1949 journey was much more my style than the 2019 storyline.
I wasn't invested in Colin or Luci the same way I was with Ernesto & Parchue.
Colin's unannounced daydreams and Miss Mango's chapters were distracting and wholly unnecessary in my opinion.
I think I would have enjoyed this more if it had only been Ernesto's story from 1949 and then flashed forward at the end to his present.
I seem to be in the minority on this, so give it a try and let me know what ya think.
Thanks to Karen Winters Schwartz for my DRC.
August 3, 2020
Adventure writer Colin receives an inviting text from a woman he doesn’t know. I think we should take it through Guatemala. Curiosity gets the better of him and he decides to take a leap of faith and reply. Before he knows what’s happening, he’s meeting Luci and a bright orange tractor affectionately known as Miss Mango. He also meets Luci’s great uncle Ernesto. While Colin dislikes Luci immediately, he loves the adventure Ernesto plans for them all. So off they travel to Belize to atone for Ernesto’s past mistakes and bring a fractured family back together. Will Colin find what he’s searching for and more importantly, will he see what’s awaits him if he follows his heart? Will Luci mend her family’s rift and her own scarred heart? Will Ernesto finally get closure and right his past mistakes?
Legend of the Lost Ass is a beautiful story on love, loss, friendships, and making amends. Life is an adventure and this theme is clearly presented in this tale. Told from two distinct time periods, the reader sees into the past to understand the present. At the heart of the story is a bright orange tractor named Miss Mango. She is symbolic of so many things, depending on which character you ask. But for me, she represents the essence of life. Descriptive, almost poetic narration breathes life into the story and makes for a lush reading experience. I found myself spellbound the more I delved into the story. The characters leap from the pages. While reading, Fans of Joanne Harris will soak up this lush piece of fiction. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
Legend of the Lost Ass is a beautiful story on love, loss, friendships, and making amends. Life is an adventure and this theme is clearly presented in this tale. Told from two distinct time periods, the reader sees into the past to understand the present. At the heart of the story is a bright orange tractor named Miss Mango. She is symbolic of so many things, depending on which character you ask. But for me, she represents the essence of life. Descriptive, almost poetic narration breathes life into the story and makes for a lush reading experience. I found myself spellbound the more I delved into the story. The characters leap from the pages. While reading, Fans of Joanne Harris will soak up this lush piece of fiction. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
August 4, 2020
“Legend of the Lost Ass” by Karen Winters Schwartz is a wickedly charming on-the-road adventure story with converging past and present plot lines and a host of beguiling characters. It is so well written and beautifully descriptive that even the orange tractor at the center of one of the story lines—Miss Mango—has a personality and sense of presence. And speaking of personality, wait until you meet Queen Bee, the lost ass of the title. The main human characters—Ernesto, Parchue, Luci and Colin—are equally well-developed, eccentric, and wholly captivating. Over it all, there is such a prevailing sense of open-eyed wonder that the book is uplifting and rings with genuine faith and natural humor.
This is, truly, a gem of a book.
In the 1940 story line, Ernesto, a young native villager in British Honduras (now modern-day Belize), takes off for Texas on the trail of his lost American lover. He has never left his tiny village and has no concept of how vast Texas is, or how impossible his task. As he leaves, he takes his cousin’s ass, or donkey, which he later names Queen Bee. Along the way, he meets Parchue, a dark-skinned Garifuna youth from the coast also on a quest to find America, and they decide to travel together—along with Bee. As they are walking to Texas, they have many adventures, which gives the story an exotic road-trip aspect. Though Ernesto and Parchue are diverse in background, physical appearance, and personality, they form an endearing and enduring friendship.
Queen Bee, the “lost ass” isn’t really lost in the traditional sense, though she is lost to her owner when Ernesto borrows her, but the donkey is certainly a scene stealer. Queen Bee is no passive, sweet-natured critter, but a snappish, determined, bold animal who doesn’t put up with much nonsense.
The modern story line begins with a clever construct of miscommunications. Ernesto, now an old man and a successful farmer in Texas, wants to take “Miss Mango,” his large, powerful orange tractor, home to his village to make amends for taking and not returning Queen Bee decades before. But he is too old to do this himself and does not wish to risk hired transport, and so he enlists Luci, his great niece, to drive the tractor from Texas to Belize (at roughly 30 miles per hour). Ernesto offers to hire a man named Jody to help with the long trip. Luci, who has a compelling back story of her own, wants to break out of her well-organized rut, and so agrees. She in turn rather accidently enlists Colin, an agoraphobic but successful author. Accidentally because the text she meant to send to Jody went instead to Colin, who in his imaginative way, envisions a glorious, sexy escapade when he reads Luci’s text and decides to pretend he is Jody. Of course, being agoraphobic, he must get out of his house first, and on a plane, but that’s just the beginning of his many adventures with Luci, Miss Mango, and the long drive across Mexico and Guatemala to Belize. Border crossing are especially tense, but also give rise to a growing appreciation between Luci and Colin of the talents of the other.
The characters are completely delightful and the story exciting, and as an added bonus, the actual sentence-by-sentence writing is superb. The paragraphs shines with phrases like “she was as cool as a yoga instructor laid out on Flexeril” and “Colin was working so hard at trying not to appear nervous that he had no energy left over for nervousness.”
It's worth repeating, this is truly a gem of a book.
This is, truly, a gem of a book.
In the 1940 story line, Ernesto, a young native villager in British Honduras (now modern-day Belize), takes off for Texas on the trail of his lost American lover. He has never left his tiny village and has no concept of how vast Texas is, or how impossible his task. As he leaves, he takes his cousin’s ass, or donkey, which he later names Queen Bee. Along the way, he meets Parchue, a dark-skinned Garifuna youth from the coast also on a quest to find America, and they decide to travel together—along with Bee. As they are walking to Texas, they have many adventures, which gives the story an exotic road-trip aspect. Though Ernesto and Parchue are diverse in background, physical appearance, and personality, they form an endearing and enduring friendship.
Queen Bee, the “lost ass” isn’t really lost in the traditional sense, though she is lost to her owner when Ernesto borrows her, but the donkey is certainly a scene stealer. Queen Bee is no passive, sweet-natured critter, but a snappish, determined, bold animal who doesn’t put up with much nonsense.
The modern story line begins with a clever construct of miscommunications. Ernesto, now an old man and a successful farmer in Texas, wants to take “Miss Mango,” his large, powerful orange tractor, home to his village to make amends for taking and not returning Queen Bee decades before. But he is too old to do this himself and does not wish to risk hired transport, and so he enlists Luci, his great niece, to drive the tractor from Texas to Belize (at roughly 30 miles per hour). Ernesto offers to hire a man named Jody to help with the long trip. Luci, who has a compelling back story of her own, wants to break out of her well-organized rut, and so agrees. She in turn rather accidently enlists Colin, an agoraphobic but successful author. Accidentally because the text she meant to send to Jody went instead to Colin, who in his imaginative way, envisions a glorious, sexy escapade when he reads Luci’s text and decides to pretend he is Jody. Of course, being agoraphobic, he must get out of his house first, and on a plane, but that’s just the beginning of his many adventures with Luci, Miss Mango, and the long drive across Mexico and Guatemala to Belize. Border crossing are especially tense, but also give rise to a growing appreciation between Luci and Colin of the talents of the other.
The characters are completely delightful and the story exciting, and as an added bonus, the actual sentence-by-sentence writing is superb. The paragraphs shines with phrases like “she was as cool as a yoga instructor laid out on Flexeril” and “Colin was working so hard at trying not to appear nervous that he had no energy left over for nervousness.”
It's worth repeating, this is truly a gem of a book.
September 19, 2020
What an interesting tale! A bit of a rocky start but once invested it was impossible to set aside. There are two time-frames here, 1949 and 70 years later, in 2019. We see the modern world through the eyes of OCD agoraphobe Colin Mercer as he reaches for a new challenging step in his isolated world. Colin is a New York state fiction writer with several books to his credit, who has recently found himself isolating to a new, frightening degree. And we have Luci Bolon, second-generation Ohio school teacher of Mayan ancestry, seeking closure on her father's death while on a vacation in British Honduras in the 1990s when she was 6. She will finally return to Beliz and meet her extended paternal family and try to find peace. She has agreed to help her aging paternal Uncle Ernesto, a first-generation Texas farmer, in his effort to donate his treasured Miss Mango to his family remaining in Beliz. We will see the British Honduran (Beliz) Bolon family as they lived in 1949, and as they live today, and we follow the then 19-year-old Ernesto as he immigrates to the US with a donkey and a dream.
I received a free electronic copy of this most interesting book from BookSIRENS, Karen Winters Schwartz, and Red Adept Publishing on August 5, 2020. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am grateful for the exposure to the works of Ms. Schwartz. She is an author I will follow.
Pub date July 21, 2020
Red Adept Publishing
Reviewed on Sept 19, 2020, at Goodreads, BookSirens, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, Kobo, and GooglePlay.
I received a free electronic copy of this most interesting book from BookSIRENS, Karen Winters Schwartz, and Red Adept Publishing on August 5, 2020. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am grateful for the exposure to the works of Ms. Schwartz. She is an author I will follow.
Pub date July 21, 2020
Red Adept Publishing
Reviewed on Sept 19, 2020, at Goodreads, BookSirens, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, Kobo, and GooglePlay.
October 21, 2020
I really loved this book. It is hard to categorize, because it crosses so many genres and I would recommend it to anyone, regardless of what genre you usually read. It's psychological fiction, with interesting and flawed characters who take risks to pursue the things they want. Not everybody gets what they think they want, but everybody is changed and ultimately finds some sort of inner peace and a home that is right for them. I particularly love Luci and Colin, but there will always be a place in my heart for Bee the ass.
September 4, 2020
This is an adventure, and a history-and-mystery, and two road trips. It is also about journeys of the heart and spirit, and about choices made and lived with. Red Adept published it in July of this year. All credit to them for spotting its worth. They have something quite unusual on their hands. I have no hesitation in recommending it heartily to you.
Fundamentally this is a story about two road trips. One heading north to the USA from Belize in 1949: the other heading south to Belize from the USA in 2019.
Road trips can be fruitful vehicles for novels. There is always something to see out of the window. Winters Schwartz is very good at helping us see the sights as we move along. She is also very good at ruminations on what it is like to leave a village without electricity in Belize and move up through the gears, from dirt roads to paved highways, through towns, an illegal logging camp, and cities to eventually arrive at what in 1949 was the pinnacle of civilisation: the United States. In the second strand the journey is, of course, reversed, and the 2019 characters (Colin and Luci) find their ‘civilised’ preoccupations stripped away one by one as they move south into a smaller, slower world.
At the beginning I did have a few moments of ‘are we there yet’ with what seemed like a lot of backstory. But I can counsel those who give this book a whirl – it all comes good. It is, actually, all plot. Relax and enjoy it. Winters Schwartz is oh so good at holding back essential information until one is almost at Kindle-flying-across-the-room point and then divulging. At which point the reader gives a sigh of satisfaction and plunges on. In this way the story becomes incrementally more rewarding, on both its journeys.
Ernesto and Parchue are the 1949 characters, leaving home in search of adventure, as young men will. And what adventures they find! Winters Schwartz finds perilous points at which to leave them and return to the 2019 strand which leaves the engaged reader truly fearful of what she will find when she returns to see how they’re getting on.
In the modern strand the tensions between Colin and Luci are of a different kind as they journey south. Their relationship is founded on a lie. They believe they have nothing in common. They are cooped up, cheek by jowl, day after day in … without a horrid spoiler I can only tell you that it is an unusual form of transport.
This is a thoughtful story of what may happen when you go adventuring: the aftermath, the way it changes you, what it does to family, how you relate to the friends you make along the way. It is also fascinating about Central America, an area the author knows well and has obviously researched carefully with people who remember 1949.
Fundamentally this is a story about two road trips. One heading north to the USA from Belize in 1949: the other heading south to Belize from the USA in 2019.
Road trips can be fruitful vehicles for novels. There is always something to see out of the window. Winters Schwartz is very good at helping us see the sights as we move along. She is also very good at ruminations on what it is like to leave a village without electricity in Belize and move up through the gears, from dirt roads to paved highways, through towns, an illegal logging camp, and cities to eventually arrive at what in 1949 was the pinnacle of civilisation: the United States. In the second strand the journey is, of course, reversed, and the 2019 characters (Colin and Luci) find their ‘civilised’ preoccupations stripped away one by one as they move south into a smaller, slower world.
At the beginning I did have a few moments of ‘are we there yet’ with what seemed like a lot of backstory. But I can counsel those who give this book a whirl – it all comes good. It is, actually, all plot. Relax and enjoy it. Winters Schwartz is oh so good at holding back essential information until one is almost at Kindle-flying-across-the-room point and then divulging. At which point the reader gives a sigh of satisfaction and plunges on. In this way the story becomes incrementally more rewarding, on both its journeys.
Ernesto and Parchue are the 1949 characters, leaving home in search of adventure, as young men will. And what adventures they find! Winters Schwartz finds perilous points at which to leave them and return to the 2019 strand which leaves the engaged reader truly fearful of what she will find when she returns to see how they’re getting on.
In the modern strand the tensions between Colin and Luci are of a different kind as they journey south. Their relationship is founded on a lie. They believe they have nothing in common. They are cooped up, cheek by jowl, day after day in … without a horrid spoiler I can only tell you that it is an unusual form of transport.
This is a thoughtful story of what may happen when you go adventuring: the aftermath, the way it changes you, what it does to family, how you relate to the friends you make along the way. It is also fascinating about Central America, an area the author knows well and has obviously researched carefully with people who remember 1949.
March 22, 2023
The title and the cover of this book captured my attention, especially when I realized it was focused on a journey in Central America. I have a family down there, so I took a personal interest in this novel and was excited to review it. Now that I finished this novel, I have mixed feelings with this debut novel.
I enjoyed the character development and how they progressed throughout the story. The author also managed to make current and past narratives interesting. Typically, I prefer one over the other, so I was impressed I enjoyed both.
Unfortunately, the biggest drawback of this novel is how overly sexual the character, including the tractor. I don’t mind reading books with sexual themes, but it felt forced.
Overall, I thought this book was an okay read. There are some good and bad parts of this novel that could annoy readers. On the other hand, there are those that have enjoyed the journey of this novel so maybe this book just wasn’t for me.
I received a free copy of this novel through BookSirens and in return this is my voluntarily review.
I enjoyed the character development and how they progressed throughout the story. The author also managed to make current and past narratives interesting. Typically, I prefer one over the other, so I was impressed I enjoyed both.
Unfortunately, the biggest drawback of this novel is how overly sexual the character, including the tractor. I don’t mind reading books with sexual themes, but it felt forced.
Overall, I thought this book was an okay read. There are some good and bad parts of this novel that could annoy readers. On the other hand, there are those that have enjoyed the journey of this novel so maybe this book just wasn’t for me.
I received a free copy of this novel through BookSirens and in return this is my voluntarily review.
April 20, 2021
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Legend of the Lost Ass ” by Karen Winters Schwartz, Red Adept Publishing, July 21, 2020, On Tour with Suzy Approved Book Tours
Karen Winters Schwartz, the author of “Legend of the Lost Ass” has written an intriguing and memorable story. The genres for this book are Action and Adventure, Historical Literature, and Fiction. This is also a witty story. There are two timelines in this novel, one in 1949, and one in 2019. This story is pure adventure, and is in the United States and Central America, and does land in Belize. The author describes her characters as quirky, flawed, complex, and complicated.
In this novel, there is the past and present. The past consists of a young Ernesto with a stubborn borrowed donkey, “Bee” set off to find the love of his life, in America. In the present, an older Ernesto is trying to make amends by sending his precious tractor, “Miss Mango” to his family in Belize. The author discusses the importance of second chances, forgiveness, the importance of family, friends, love, and honesty.
Is it ever too late to ask for forgiveness? Can a person overcome their weaknesses? I would recommend this witty and thought-provoking novel to other readers.
Karen Winters Schwartz, the author of “Legend of the Lost Ass” has written an intriguing and memorable story. The genres for this book are Action and Adventure, Historical Literature, and Fiction. This is also a witty story. There are two timelines in this novel, one in 1949, and one in 2019. This story is pure adventure, and is in the United States and Central America, and does land in Belize. The author describes her characters as quirky, flawed, complex, and complicated.
In this novel, there is the past and present. The past consists of a young Ernesto with a stubborn borrowed donkey, “Bee” set off to find the love of his life, in America. In the present, an older Ernesto is trying to make amends by sending his precious tractor, “Miss Mango” to his family in Belize. The author discusses the importance of second chances, forgiveness, the importance of family, friends, love, and honesty.
Is it ever too late to ask for forgiveness? Can a person overcome their weaknesses? I would recommend this witty and thought-provoking novel to other readers.
November 2, 2020
What a lovely, unexpected book! I was a bit skeptical at first, but once the book got really chugging along I quickly realized that this was a completely unique and delightful tale about following your dreams, taking risks and conquering one’s own perceived limitations! Colin and Luci become travel companions on a quest for Luci’s great uncle Ernesto, to get Miss Mango, a big Kubota tractor from Texas to Belize, by driving it there from Texas! Luci thought she was texting Jordy, a fellow her uncle knows, who knows tractors, but she miss dialed and got agoraphobic Colin instead! Colin decides to pose as Jordy, flying from New York State to Texas, once it is agreed that Colin can take Jordy’s place, off they go! In a parallel story, we hear about teenage Ernesto’s efforts to get to the US, back in 1949, with a young man he meets along the way, Parchue. Both storylines have interesting journeys and the travelers in each timeline get to know each other well and form indelible bonds! Loved the book! Thank you book sirens for this free ARC! I loved this book!
October 25, 2020
This book is about a young man walking to America for love, and a young woman traveling (by tractor) to Belize for family, but, of course, it is much more. I thought it started a little slow but then I got caught up in the stories. I came to really care about the characters and the changes they went through. The author adeptly and gently wrote about our dreams for ourselves and for others, and how they impact our lives, even if we never attain them or if they change along the way. Though there are tense moments, it is generally hopeful and positive.
October 12, 2020
Very interesting book . A must read for book of interest. This about love, sorrow and heartbreak. I can't wait to read more books by this author.
August 21, 2020
The setting really sold me on this book. A road trip through South America has to be a fun adventure, especially with characters who don't mesh so well, at least on first encounter. The flashbacks to characters living in Guatemala and traveling in the area in the 40s had really cool atmosphere and I felt transported to the settings that were described.
The drawback for me in this book is that there wasn't enough forward motion in the story. Not that there has to be stakes necessarily, but there was no mystery or specific event I was looking forward to. There is a location the characters are trying to get to, but I didn't know why I had to be invested in it.
There was a lot of backstory given to each character that bogged down the pacing. We'd get flashbacks of little events in characters' lives to inform of us some aspect of their personality. For the most part it just distracted from the ongoing plot and left me confused as to the relevance of the story as a whole.
So if you are interested in a slow burning plot with great atmosphere, this is the book for you. If you wanted high action, this might not be the story you're looking for.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The drawback for me in this book is that there wasn't enough forward motion in the story. Not that there has to be stakes necessarily, but there was no mystery or specific event I was looking forward to. There is a location the characters are trying to get to, but I didn't know why I had to be invested in it.
There was a lot of backstory given to each character that bogged down the pacing. We'd get flashbacks of little events in characters' lives to inform of us some aspect of their personality. For the most part it just distracted from the ongoing plot and left me confused as to the relevance of the story as a whole.
So if you are interested in a slow burning plot with great atmosphere, this is the book for you. If you wanted high action, this might not be the story you're looking for.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 2, 2024
An interesting book; it isn’t often that I lament that a book would have benefitted from being longer, but I think that might apply here. Much of the character developments seem truncated, and the dual storylines could have been fleshed out. About the dual storylines….they did jump back and forth a bit too much, sorta like drops of water on a hot fry pan; I do think this tale would have been improved with better editing.
All that said, I enjoyed reading this, and it was definitely a story that had me turning the pages to see “what happens next!” That’s a solid endorsement, folks.
As with so much of my reading nowadays, I ran across this on a shelf at the used book store, and I’m quite happy that I followed my impulse and brought it home!
All that said, I enjoyed reading this, and it was definitely a story that had me turning the pages to see “what happens next!” That’s a solid endorsement, folks.
As with so much of my reading nowadays, I ran across this on a shelf at the used book store, and I’m quite happy that I followed my impulse and brought it home!
April 12, 2021
Am I glad to be on this tour, noooo am just so happpy abt it!!
Am just back, from a long journey/ trip/ travel & this writing ✍, re-energized me completely!
If you love RUSKIN Bond's writings, you are gna love this one too.
For ppl who know me, know pretty well, RB is my comfort-read author.
@_kaws_ writing is just amazing, feels so at home, flirty, peppy, witty, humorous, nostalgic, emotional, realistic, dreamy...its all at the same time🤎.
40 chapters, 253 pages, this is one precious read.
It bounces between two timelines, memories, nostalgia & the present. A zeal, drive to bring back, the moment, the bond, the emotions, the feelings..lost long ago.
🌸 In your life, which period was the most precious & memorable for you? One you visit, so much, in your thoughts..n long for.
🌸 for me, it was my childhood.
❤️ Do you procrastinate bumping into known people when stepping outside your den?
🦉 Do you rush to pick your phone, the moment it beeps?
Synopsis: I think we should take it through Guatemala.A random text from a stranger inspires agoraphobic Colin to leave New York. His first stop is Brownsville, Texas, where he meets the sender, half-Mayan Luci Bolon, her ancient but feisty great-uncle Ernesto, and Miss Mango, a bright-orange Kubota tractor. Ernesto’s dream is that Miss Mango be driven to Belize and given to the family he left behind nearly seventy years ago. Colin agrees to join Luci on the long journey through Central America. In 1949, seventeen-year-old Belizean Ernesto falls painfully in love with Michaela, an American redhead nearly twice his age. Their brief but intense affair changes everything Ernesto has ever known. When she leaves, Ernesto is devastated. Determined to find her, he “borrows” a donkey from his uncle and starts off for Texas. He meets a flamboyant fellow traveler, and the three of them—two young men and the donkey they name Bee—make their way to America.The past and present unfold through 2journeys that traverse beautiful landscapes. Painful histories are soothed by new friendships and payments of old debts.
"A hauntingly beautiful story that not only makes you feel as if you visited beautiful landscapes, experienced new cultures and met unforgettable characters, but also reminds you that sometimes it is the unanswered prayer, the trip you never meant to take, or the gift you never knew you needed that completes the circle that brings you home. It is an unforgettable journey and a perfect read for these times." - Rebecca Cox
Am just back, from a long journey/ trip/ travel & this writing ✍, re-energized me completely!
If you love RUSKIN Bond's writings, you are gna love this one too.
For ppl who know me, know pretty well, RB is my comfort-read author.
@_kaws_ writing is just amazing, feels so at home, flirty, peppy, witty, humorous, nostalgic, emotional, realistic, dreamy...its all at the same time🤎.
40 chapters, 253 pages, this is one precious read.
It bounces between two timelines, memories, nostalgia & the present. A zeal, drive to bring back, the moment, the bond, the emotions, the feelings..lost long ago.
🌸 In your life, which period was the most precious & memorable for you? One you visit, so much, in your thoughts..n long for.
🌸 for me, it was my childhood.
❤️ Do you procrastinate bumping into known people when stepping outside your den?
🦉 Do you rush to pick your phone, the moment it beeps?
Synopsis: I think we should take it through Guatemala.A random text from a stranger inspires agoraphobic Colin to leave New York. His first stop is Brownsville, Texas, where he meets the sender, half-Mayan Luci Bolon, her ancient but feisty great-uncle Ernesto, and Miss Mango, a bright-orange Kubota tractor. Ernesto’s dream is that Miss Mango be driven to Belize and given to the family he left behind nearly seventy years ago. Colin agrees to join Luci on the long journey through Central America. In 1949, seventeen-year-old Belizean Ernesto falls painfully in love with Michaela, an American redhead nearly twice his age. Their brief but intense affair changes everything Ernesto has ever known. When she leaves, Ernesto is devastated. Determined to find her, he “borrows” a donkey from his uncle and starts off for Texas. He meets a flamboyant fellow traveler, and the three of them—two young men and the donkey they name Bee—make their way to America.The past and present unfold through 2journeys that traverse beautiful landscapes. Painful histories are soothed by new friendships and payments of old debts.
"A hauntingly beautiful story that not only makes you feel as if you visited beautiful landscapes, experienced new cultures and met unforgettable characters, but also reminds you that sometimes it is the unanswered prayer, the trip you never meant to take, or the gift you never knew you needed that completes the circle that brings you home. It is an unforgettable journey and a perfect read for these times." - Rebecca Cox
May 11, 2021
I wish I could quote the entire Prologue for you! It was like a beautiful piece of poetry! So descriptive was the land and act of washing Miss Mango that I honestly didn’t care what the book was about, I just wanted to enjoy any other descriptions the author had in store for me.
I came into this book for its descriptive beauty and stayed for a unique story and life-like characters.
Usually thrillers are the genre for me that keep me glued to my seat, but this book had me in its spell.
I don’t know what to say about this book except it is a unique and wonderful fictional reading experience that I didn’t put down until the Epilogue was finished.
About the Book:
Set in 2019 and 1949, this book tells the story of two quests that are intertwined.
2019 in Auburn, New York, adventure writer, Colin Mercer, who is a relative hermit, gets a text from an unknown number that says “I think we should bring it in through Guatemala.”
The text was sent by Luci Bolden and was meant for someone named, Jordy.
Jordy was supposed to be helping Luci get Miss Mango, a huge orange tractor, from Texas to Belize to deliver it for her Great Uncle Ernesto to his home village.
Colin fakes his way onto the trip and he and Luci begin their 50 hour adventure driving Miss Mango from Texas to Mexico to Guatemala to Belize.
1949 in Belize (back then it was called British Honduras) and Ernesto has taken a donkey and a cart from his uncle and is going to make his way to Texas to reunite with a beautiful woman.
In both past and present quests, the characters find deep relationships while healing old wounds.
I came into this book for its descriptive beauty and stayed for a unique story and life-like characters.
Usually thrillers are the genre for me that keep me glued to my seat, but this book had me in its spell.
I don’t know what to say about this book except it is a unique and wonderful fictional reading experience that I didn’t put down until the Epilogue was finished.
About the Book:
Set in 2019 and 1949, this book tells the story of two quests that are intertwined.
2019 in Auburn, New York, adventure writer, Colin Mercer, who is a relative hermit, gets a text from an unknown number that says “I think we should bring it in through Guatemala.”
The text was sent by Luci Bolden and was meant for someone named, Jordy.
Jordy was supposed to be helping Luci get Miss Mango, a huge orange tractor, from Texas to Belize to deliver it for her Great Uncle Ernesto to his home village.
Colin fakes his way onto the trip and he and Luci begin their 50 hour adventure driving Miss Mango from Texas to Mexico to Guatemala to Belize.
1949 in Belize (back then it was called British Honduras) and Ernesto has taken a donkey and a cart from his uncle and is going to make his way to Texas to reunite with a beautiful woman.
In both past and present quests, the characters find deep relationships while healing old wounds.
April 9, 2021
A beautifully written, endearing story of two journeys that take place seventy years apart but have much in common.
In 1949, seventeen year old Ernesto "borrows" his uncle's donkey and takes off on a journey from his home in Belize to find the American woman he fell in love with. At the start of the trip Ernesto meets Parchue, a young man who also wants to go to Texas so they, along with the donkey they named Bee, set off for America.
The other journey takes place in 2019 when agoraphobic Colin receives a text meant for someone else that compels him to go to Texas to meet Luci, her great uncle Ernesto and Miss Mango, the bright orange tractor Ernesto wants delivered to the relatives he left all those years ago in Belize. So Colin and Luci set off to drive Miss Mango through Central America determined to fulfill Ernesto's wish.
Both journeys are fraught with danger and give the unlikely trios experiences they didn't see coming.
With wonderfully expressive, descriptive prose this story is infused with the love of unexpected friendships and the discovery of ones self. This is a character driven story where even the donkey and tractor have their own personalities. And although it has a meandering pace it kept me invested from start to finish.
I loved going on these journeys with these characters and highly recommend this literary gem.
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Many thanks to the author, Red Adept Publishing and Suzy Approved Book Tours for including me on this journey and tour.
In 1949, seventeen year old Ernesto "borrows" his uncle's donkey and takes off on a journey from his home in Belize to find the American woman he fell in love with. At the start of the trip Ernesto meets Parchue, a young man who also wants to go to Texas so they, along with the donkey they named Bee, set off for America.
The other journey takes place in 2019 when agoraphobic Colin receives a text meant for someone else that compels him to go to Texas to meet Luci, her great uncle Ernesto and Miss Mango, the bright orange tractor Ernesto wants delivered to the relatives he left all those years ago in Belize. So Colin and Luci set off to drive Miss Mango through Central America determined to fulfill Ernesto's wish.
Both journeys are fraught with danger and give the unlikely trios experiences they didn't see coming.
With wonderfully expressive, descriptive prose this story is infused with the love of unexpected friendships and the discovery of ones self. This is a character driven story where even the donkey and tractor have their own personalities. And although it has a meandering pace it kept me invested from start to finish.
I loved going on these journeys with these characters and highly recommend this literary gem.
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Many thanks to the author, Red Adept Publishing and Suzy Approved Book Tours for including me on this journey and tour.
November 11, 2020
I really enjoyed going on this journey, the characters were great and I really enjoyed the story itself. This was a beautiful journey and I look forward to reading more from the author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 3, 2020
This novel about a young man’s journey from Belize to America and his great grand niece’s journey back to Belize in a tractor for her great grand uncle is both heartwarming and sad. This is a story of hardships, coming into oneself, family, loss, and making amends. Told from Colin, an agoraphobic adventure writer who gets an email intended for another and decides to answer it, and Luci, a disheartened school teacher points of view in 2019, as well as the great uncle’s Ernest’s point of view in 1949, the story is told with adventure, pathos, and humor.
October 24, 2020
In continuing my quest to branch out into different genres I found this little gem. This book was good for me. I could relate to the main character and some of his idiosyncrasies. And I appreciate the effort it took to overvome his fears.
After receiving a text that was intended for someone else, Colin, a New York author, totally steps out of his mundane life as well as his comfort zone and sets out on the adventure of a lifetime. He meets a spunky girl, Lucy, who becomes his traveling companion, and her elderly uncle, Ernesto, not to mention "Miss Mango". They each have their own issues to work through, as do we all.
Throughout this book, I traveled with them through Texas, Mexico, Guatamala, & Belize; these were all places that were totally foreign to me. The book shifts back and forth between Colin and Lucy's present day adventure and Ernesto's experiences making his way to the United States 70 years earlier. The descriptive writing made me feel like I was there, with my own machete cutting my way through the jungle in 1949, as well as sitting on a foreign beach watching the sunset in 2019. Love, lust, friendship, family, fear, regret, determination, this book has it all.
Other than some language that I personally found offensive, I loved this book. In fact, if it wasn't for that I would have given it 5 stars.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
After receiving a text that was intended for someone else, Colin, a New York author, totally steps out of his mundane life as well as his comfort zone and sets out on the adventure of a lifetime. He meets a spunky girl, Lucy, who becomes his traveling companion, and her elderly uncle, Ernesto, not to mention "Miss Mango". They each have their own issues to work through, as do we all.
Throughout this book, I traveled with them through Texas, Mexico, Guatamala, & Belize; these were all places that were totally foreign to me. The book shifts back and forth between Colin and Lucy's present day adventure and Ernesto's experiences making his way to the United States 70 years earlier. The descriptive writing made me feel like I was there, with my own machete cutting my way through the jungle in 1949, as well as sitting on a foreign beach watching the sunset in 2019. Love, lust, friendship, family, fear, regret, determination, this book has it all.
Other than some language that I personally found offensive, I loved this book. In fact, if it wasn't for that I would have given it 5 stars.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 29, 2021
Let's first talk about what is right with this novel: the setting. Central America - in 1949, and again in 2019, is described in such detail, it feels as much a character as any of the protagonists do. And Miss Mango - a bright orange tractor with a history and an air of mystery, is a prominent part of the story as well.
But really, the most important element of a novel, to me, is character, and I found that lacking here. Not because they aren't well-developed, but perhaps because they are TOO developed - so much backstory and reflection, but not neccesarily in a linear way, so I really found it difficult to latch on to and deeply care about any one of them. There are three main characters: Ernesto - the story of his journey as a young man, out of Belize and into America, takes about half of the novel, told in alternating chapters. The other chapters detail events in the present day, as our other two characters take the trip in reverse. Luci - Ernesto's niece who occasionally is written as sexually charged and confident but then the very next she is written as a brash, misunderstood, awkward woman. Her job in this novel is to fulfill a "bucket list" item for Ernesto while also searching for self, because ultimately, aren't we all? Then there's Colin, an eccentric author with motivations I didn't understand at all, (I mean, AT ALL, who drops everything for a random text and perhaps more importantly, who travels to a third-world country with a stranger? but I digress...) he is also full of pent-up sexual energy that plays out in these scenarios that often seem to really be happening but then it all starts to read like low-budget, strangely creepy and borderline sexist erotica and you realize - nope, that can't be real - and, what exactly, was that all about anyway? Of course, there is rom-com energy between Colin and Luci, as they vacillate between annoying each other and being attracted to each other. It's a long way to Belize, after all, especially when riding there in Miss Mango.
This review is perhaps a bit all over the place, which is how I felt while reading this book - I just couldn't get a coherent sense of it. It may be a case of right book, wrong reader. It seemed very "soap opera" to me, so if that is a genre you enjoy, this may be a very different experience for you.
I received an Advance Reader's Copy of this book from Book Sirens, in exchange for this review.
But really, the most important element of a novel, to me, is character, and I found that lacking here. Not because they aren't well-developed, but perhaps because they are TOO developed - so much backstory and reflection, but not neccesarily in a linear way, so I really found it difficult to latch on to and deeply care about any one of them. There are three main characters: Ernesto - the story of his journey as a young man, out of Belize and into America, takes about half of the novel, told in alternating chapters. The other chapters detail events in the present day, as our other two characters take the trip in reverse. Luci - Ernesto's niece who occasionally is written as sexually charged and confident but then the very next she is written as a brash, misunderstood, awkward woman. Her job in this novel is to fulfill a "bucket list" item for Ernesto while also searching for self, because ultimately, aren't we all? Then there's Colin, an eccentric author with motivations I didn't understand at all, (I mean, AT ALL, who drops everything for a random text and perhaps more importantly, who travels to a third-world country with a stranger? but I digress...) he is also full of pent-up sexual energy that plays out in these scenarios that often seem to really be happening but then it all starts to read like low-budget, strangely creepy and borderline sexist erotica and you realize - nope, that can't be real - and, what exactly, was that all about anyway? Of course, there is rom-com energy between Colin and Luci, as they vacillate between annoying each other and being attracted to each other. It's a long way to Belize, after all, especially when riding there in Miss Mango.
This review is perhaps a bit all over the place, which is how I felt while reading this book - I just couldn't get a coherent sense of it. It may be a case of right book, wrong reader. It seemed very "soap opera" to me, so if that is a genre you enjoy, this may be a very different experience for you.
I received an Advance Reader's Copy of this book from Book Sirens, in exchange for this review.
February 23, 2023
I'm the author so this is a tad bit bias! :)
April 9, 2021
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“Legend of the Lost Ass” is a charming tale about friendship and family, filled with adventure and love, and I enjoyed reading it.
Many moments made the story memorable for me. Some moments made me laugh out loud, like when Colin and Luci try the salsa. Similarly, some moments made me emotional, like Ernesto’s relationship with Michaela. Also, some moments fascinated me, like when Luci learns about the ancient sacrifices her family performed.
Moreover, I loved the way the author wrote the friendship and bond between the main characters. Colin and Luci share a sweet bond in the present timeline as they go on their mission to Belize. Similarly, Parchue and Ernesto share a beautiful friendship, and I loved how far they went to help out each other. The author beautifully portrays that the best way to deal with challenges is to confront them, and our experiences in life are in the journey and the people we meet, not the destination.
I also enjoyed the author’s style of writing. She toggles the story between the present and the past, where we meet various characters (but still connected) who go on different journeys yet face similar challenges. Furthermore, I also loved the author’s exciting tidbits about Mayan history, like Xtabay, Xkeban, and Utz-Colel. I loved reading about ancient civilizations and was thrilled when the author included such stories with the plot. It was also witty that she gave Miss Mango a distinctive personality.
Overall, I enjoyed "Legend of the Lost Ass" and went through various emotions reading the story.
January 23, 2021
I have to say that I fell in love with the obstinate Bee and faithful Miss Mango immediately. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the human characters too but Bee stole my heart with her biting and kicking ways until she felt affection. Miss Mango took me back to my childhood when I would climb on the back of my dad’s vintage tractor in the fields, sometimes being allowed to steer the wheel if I had been really good that week, and I always ended the journey with a little pat on her red bonnet. So I understood the affinity and care Ernesto had for his much-loved tractor (and Miss Mango for Ernesto!).
I didn’t like Colin much at first but the bickering between him and Luci was comical at times and poignant in others as a friendship began to take root and by the end of the book, I’d changed my opinion of him. Luci’s self-discovery of not only her heritage but also more about her own challenges and hopes was interesting to explore. Ernesto was my favourite human character, as he bravely struggled to achieve his dreams whilst placing his trust in a stranger and trying to avoid being bitten by Bee.
The descriptions of the landscape, sights, sounds and smells made me want to trek across Central America. The country felt vibrant and bursting with life, even if that life came with a bite…
I enjoyed this story of hope and friendship, which reminded me to seize opportunities and dare to step out of my comfort zone because who knows what wonders I might discover if I do. 4 / 5 stars from me.
I didn’t like Colin much at first but the bickering between him and Luci was comical at times and poignant in others as a friendship began to take root and by the end of the book, I’d changed my opinion of him. Luci’s self-discovery of not only her heritage but also more about her own challenges and hopes was interesting to explore. Ernesto was my favourite human character, as he bravely struggled to achieve his dreams whilst placing his trust in a stranger and trying to avoid being bitten by Bee.
The descriptions of the landscape, sights, sounds and smells made me want to trek across Central America. The country felt vibrant and bursting with life, even if that life came with a bite…
I enjoyed this story of hope and friendship, which reminded me to seize opportunities and dare to step out of my comfort zone because who knows what wonders I might discover if I do. 4 / 5 stars from me.
May 30, 2021
This book takes you on two journeys from Belize (British Honduras) to Texas and Texas to Belize during 2 timelines, 70 years apart. The alternating timelines work in many books; however, I found it a bit disruptive to the flow in this one.
I enjoyed the present day story and the complex characters. I liked how you could get in to their minds and follow their thought processes. The observations along their travels was descriptive and added depth to the storytelling. I wanted to know how they would fare upon reaching or even if they would reach Belize. As the terrain changed, so did their personal narratives.Both Luci and Colin opened up about their pasts and evolved to the point of being able to face certain aspects of their past during their trip. I enjoyed their tale and found it to be quite original. As much as I found Ernesto and Parchue's journey interesting, there were times that it seemed a bit slow to me. As slow as the journey itself , I guess. I found myself skimming parts of their travels. I never really became emotionally attached to Ernesto even though he was the driving force of both journeys. It was a pleasant read about family and friendships and taking risks but it did not stay with me after the final page. In that, I mean that I feel neither a need nor a desire to dissect it or to discuss it with fellow readers. Unlike others ( and I am in the minority) , I never felt immersed in their lives
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
I enjoyed the present day story and the complex characters. I liked how you could get in to their minds and follow their thought processes. The observations along their travels was descriptive and added depth to the storytelling. I wanted to know how they would fare upon reaching or even if they would reach Belize. As the terrain changed, so did their personal narratives.Both Luci and Colin opened up about their pasts and evolved to the point of being able to face certain aspects of their past during their trip. I enjoyed their tale and found it to be quite original. As much as I found Ernesto and Parchue's journey interesting, there were times that it seemed a bit slow to me. As slow as the journey itself , I guess. I found myself skimming parts of their travels. I never really became emotionally attached to Ernesto even though he was the driving force of both journeys. It was a pleasant read about family and friendships and taking risks but it did not stay with me after the final page. In that, I mean that I feel neither a need nor a desire to dissect it or to discuss it with fellow readers. Unlike others ( and I am in the minority) , I never felt immersed in their lives
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
May 10, 2021
Thank you Suzyapprovedbooktours and the author for my complementary copy. All opinions are my own
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Author: Karen Winter Schwartz
Format: #ebook
Available Now in Kindle and in Paperback
Genre: #womensfiction
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Synopsis: "I think we should take it through Guatemala".A random text from a stranger inspires agoraphobic Colin to leave New York. His first stop is Brownsville, Texas, where he meets the sender, half-Mayan Luci Bolon, her ancient but feisty great-uncle Ernesto, and Miss Mango, a bright-orange Kubota tractor. Ernesto’s dream is that Miss Mango be driven to Belize and given to the family he left behind nearly seventy years ago.
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MY THOUGHTS : Karen where do I begin ? I have never heard of you or read any of your books. But you have written a very moving and thought provoking book . Fast pacing I read it in a day ! You give readers fun characters. A unique story and a great adventure. The story alternates between two time frames. Also focuses on themes such as : Loss Friendship , Love , Forgiveness . This book definitely surprise me in a good way. It's a hidden gem
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Rating : ☆☆☆☆
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Author: Karen Winter Schwartz
Format: #ebook
Available Now in Kindle and in Paperback
Genre: #womensfiction
.
Synopsis: "I think we should take it through Guatemala".A random text from a stranger inspires agoraphobic Colin to leave New York. His first stop is Brownsville, Texas, where he meets the sender, half-Mayan Luci Bolon, her ancient but feisty great-uncle Ernesto, and Miss Mango, a bright-orange Kubota tractor. Ernesto’s dream is that Miss Mango be driven to Belize and given to the family he left behind nearly seventy years ago.
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MY THOUGHTS : Karen where do I begin ? I have never heard of you or read any of your books. But you have written a very moving and thought provoking book . Fast pacing I read it in a day ! You give readers fun characters. A unique story and a great adventure. The story alternates between two time frames. Also focuses on themes such as : Loss Friendship , Love , Forgiveness . This book definitely surprise me in a good way. It's a hidden gem
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Rating : ☆☆☆☆
December 12, 2020
This was mostly a fun, easy read. It is a story of adventures in two periods of time. I was fine with going back and forth in time, but it did get a bit confusing when the characters were remembering things from the past. There were things I didn't like - the use of the F word by the main characters and the crude all sexual references, though there are not any steamy sex scenes. I imagine most people won't be bothered by those things (and I realize that this is how some people are, but I probably wouldn't have chosen to read this story had I known, especially about the profanity). At first I really wasn't very excited about reading about someone with OCD, but as the story went on, it wasn't so much of an issue. It was nice seeing the two main characters warm up to each other and they did grow and mature from their adventure. I enjoy stories set in other countries and learning about other cultures and I have been to Belize.
April 11, 2021
I think we should take it through Guatemala. Strangest text Colin had ever received, but it piqued his curiosity nonetheless. Colin is an author who writes adventure stories, so when he got this text from an unknown number, he figured he play along. Little did he know, he was about to embark on quite an adventure.
Told in dual timelines, Colin in 2019 and Ernesto in the 1940's, it weaves the tale of making an old man's dreams come true while pushing Colin way out of his comfort zone. But, Colin did it to himself by lying and Ernesto didn't care one way or the other. Either way, his dreams were about to come true. He was going back to his hometown for the first time since he left in 1940 and that was all that mattered to him.
This quirky, unique tale made me giggle quite a bit. The title alone made me chuckle.
Told in dual timelines, Colin in 2019 and Ernesto in the 1940's, it weaves the tale of making an old man's dreams come true while pushing Colin way out of his comfort zone. But, Colin did it to himself by lying and Ernesto didn't care one way or the other. Either way, his dreams were about to come true. He was going back to his hometown for the first time since he left in 1940 and that was all that mattered to him.
This quirky, unique tale made me giggle quite a bit. The title alone made me chuckle.
January 22, 2021
This review is an unbiased review of a book I received free of charge from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This is a beautifully written book about journeys made 70 years apart, each affecting the characters in profound ways. It is a story about Central America in both time periods and gives the reader a wonderful view of life in both eras. Smartly funny, this book tugs on your heart as well as entertains and educates. The characters are so well-formed that it is difficult to leave them at the end of the book. The settings are beautifully described without dullness or cliché, so that you feel as if you have taken the journeys with the characters. A story of life, loss, family, friendship, making amends and the beauty of taking a leap of faith. Wonderful writer.
This is a beautifully written book about journeys made 70 years apart, each affecting the characters in profound ways. It is a story about Central America in both time periods and gives the reader a wonderful view of life in both eras. Smartly funny, this book tugs on your heart as well as entertains and educates. The characters are so well-formed that it is difficult to leave them at the end of the book. The settings are beautifully described without dullness or cliché, so that you feel as if you have taken the journeys with the characters. A story of life, loss, family, friendship, making amends and the beauty of taking a leap of faith. Wonderful writer.
May 10, 2021
I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It covers many genres and has a dual timeline I would say the author completely nailed all of them flawlessly! I found the characters interesting and liked the way the book wrapped the past with the present. I loved the detailed description throughout of everything and felt I was there with them. A fantastic story of friendship, family, and forgiveness I’d highly recommend you read this!
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