The Crooked Path

In my last review of a book by Irma Joubert, I said that I'd read several of her books.  I guess now that I have read three of her books, I can claim that. There are some remarks I made that I will stand by for a long time.

 I find each one to be exquisite in plot, character, and depth. Her writing ability is unsurpassed and she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. She's not afraid to tackle hard subjects in her writing and her research bears out in all the historical details she includes in her novels. 

This book, The Crooked Path is a sequel to Child of the River, and many of the same characters show up in the book, along with a whole company of new ones.  Lettie is the daughter of the village doctor in South Africa, and desires to be a doctor in her own right.  Her marks in school and in university are the envy of those who don't work as hard.

Marco is in love with a Jewess but in Italy as well as the rest of Europe, the Jews are in danger.  After hiding her family in a cave for three years, they are all found and relocated to a concentration camp.  When the war ends, Marco finds that his love is dead along with the rest of her family, and Marco is very sick.  His brother Lorenzo comes to take him home from the hospital so his mother can nurse him.  His brother Antonio was a prisoner of war, taken to South Africa to work on a farm where he fell in love with the daughter of the farmer.  When he goes back to South Africa, he convinces Marco to come along--the dry climate is going to be better for his health.

While the book starts during World War II, it ends with the advent of the polio vaccine.  Marco and Lettie's love story is a happy/sad one all at the same time.  Because Marco is so fragile, he doesn't want Lettie to get pregnant, but he finally gives in and they have two beautiful daughters.

Irma has woven the stories of a number of characters into one cohesive novel that engages the reader from the very beginning, and doesn't let go until after the last page has been read.  This is one of the best books I've read in a while, and I appreciate Irma's talent in writing the story.  Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and an Opera at La Scala!

My thanks to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book.