Lone Star Book Blog Tour Review and Giveaway: The Way of Beauty

I confess that I (virtually) ran shouting and waving to the Lone Star Book Blog tour group to get my hands on this book as her last novel, Before the Rain Falls, was probably one of my favorites from 2017.  I’ve also been on a historical fiction kick, and The Way of Beauty spans both World War I and World War II (and beyond, in the Epilogue) as it explores the lives of mother and daughter, Vera and Alice.

Vera’s world has included Angelo since she was five-years old, and she is blind-sided when he introduces his fiancée, Pearl Pilkington to her.  Matters are complicated further when Pearl – who comes from a completely different world than that of Vera and Angelo, befriends Vera, who proves undeniably likable despite their differences, and asks a favor that complicates her life.

Years later, Vera’s daughter Alice meets a fascinating photographer who is mysterious and exciting. But when a ghost from their family’s past reappears, Alice must choose between two men, equally different.

This is one of those books that ticks all the boxes for me – really well-developed, strong and likable characters (you’ll find your heart breaking for Vera), a wonderful story, an incredibly well-researched look at an era and an interesting angle (it’s been some time since I’ve read anything about the Suffragettes). Alice is a strong, independent woman and her story – and personality – was so different from her mother’s, and yet in the end, they each faced a challenging situation or decision when it came to love. This truly is a wonderful story of love and family.

And speaking of characters – because honestly, Camille Di Maio creates some really amazing characters in her writing – Pearl Pilkington was also a very complex, fascinating character. (Camille, I would love to see a novel on the Suffragette movement from the perspective of women like Pearl, hint, hint.)

This book may prove to top my list of favorite books of 2018!