The 1980s. Jack, a geologist in Libya is rescued from jail by Bushra, daughter of wealthy Greek/Libyan parents. Their ten-year affair is fraught with difficulties, her political activism, his loveless marriage. They have twins, born in Athens and separated at birth against their parents’ will; Stavros is taken to Benghazi by Bushra’s parents, Emma to London with Jack.
The 2020s. After Russia sweeps through the Balkans, Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean, the UN creates two mandates in Libya; Cyrenaica in the east governed by the Russians, Tripolitania and Fezzan in the west led by the European Defence Alliance (EDA). Tensions in the region are further compounded by an increasingly unstable climate and overwhelming refugee crisis.
2031. Emma’s daughter Isabel joins EDA. After surviving a life-threatening incident on the border, she is forcibly taken into Cyrenaica. Bushra, barely existing in occupied Greece, unexpectedly contacts Jack, who struggles to come to terms with their past. They are shocked to hear from Stavros, long-thought dead, who leads the resistance against the Russians in Cyrenaica and is responsible for Isabel’s abduction.
The effects of history bind family members together as they and Cyrenaica move towards a new future in this thought provoking-novel of love, tragedy and reconciliation.
I'm delighted to be hosting the blog tour for In the Silence Long-Forgotten, Almond Trees Blossom today. Many thanks to David B P Mayne, Book Guild Publishing and Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and for sending me a copy of the novel.
I was initially drawn to In the Silence Long-Forgotten, Almond Trees Blossom by that intriguing, wistful sounding title then ensnared by the description which promised a fascinating mix of the historical and the speculative.
The first part of the book takes place in the 1980s and it sets the scene for everything that follows which is precipitated by the great love affair between Jack and Bushra. These earlier chapters have an inevitable sense of foreboding and even at their most contented moments, it's obvious that their romance is almost certainly doomed. The political turmoil within Libya is obviously a tense, uncertain backdrop for a relationship but their personal lives have a part to play too. Jack seems to be the quintessential adventurous spirit, reluctant to settle down despite having a long-term girlfriend waiting for him back in London. It's perhaps hard to defend his infidelity here without giving too much away but given what happens to him - in Libya and England - and the emotions these events induce in him, I sympathised with him, for the most part. However, this is a book which delights in the strength of its female characters and this begins with the wonderful Bushra. Brave, enigmatic and passionate, I could happily read another book which revealed more about her activism and innate courage.
The bulk of the novel is set in an imagined future but rather than a distant, strange dystopia, David B P Mayne has opted for a wholly believable, near-future world. There are a few technological advancements but it's the geopolitical differences that drive the storyline here and it's all scarily plausible. With climate change an ongoing concern and the seemingly relentless plight of refugees, resulting in scores of Universally Displaced People, combined with a resurgent Russia who have created a new empire having swept through the Balkans, Eastern Mediterranean and Greece, there's a humanitarian crisis and new Cold War. By 2031, Jack and Basra's family are inexorably drawn into the dangerous, shady conflict as Isabel takes on a new role in Libya with the European Defence Alliance (EDA) and her grandparents are reunited in Greece.
The sense of place is excellent throughout the book and I was transported to Libya and the Peloponnese, experiencing the arid North African heat and the bracing cold of a Greek winter, while the imagined high-tech border between the EDA and Russian controlled mandates of Libya in 2031 is chillingly easy to envisage. I was reminded throughout of The English Patient; due partly to the vividly cinematic scope of the novel but mostly because it's such a beautifully bittersweet story. The tension as Jack's adult granddaughter Isabel is thrust into danger is incontrovertible, particularly as there are so many clever echoes of her grandparents' characteristics and experiences but there's an aching sense of loss woven into the storyline too and it's this which made the biggest impression on me.
In the Silence Long-Forgotten, Almond Trees Blossom is a richly evocative tale of desire and loss, family and love. Poignantly melancholic yet imbued with hopeful determination, it's both a sweeping epic of shared humanity and an intense, intimate love story, I was captivated throughout and highly recommend it.
In the Silence Long-Forgotten, Almond Trees Blossom is published by The Book Guild. It can be purchased directly from the publisher's website, bookshop.org, Hive, Waterstones, Kobo and Amazon.
Don't miss the rest of the blog tour, details are below.
About the Author
David B P Mayne was born and brought up in Ireland and graduated from Trinity College Dublin. For many years he worked for Irish, British and American engineering consultants on large projects throughout Africa, the Middle East, Greece and Russia but is now retired. He has completed two courses with the London School of Journalism; Short Story Writing and Travelling Writing. He now lives in Surrey with his wife.
Thanks for the blog tour support Karen x
ReplyDelete