My book reviews have been a little few and far between recently, so I thought tonight should be the night that I share another one of my recent Orchard Book Club reads with you.
Although this book is quite different to anything I have picked up before, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone.
Crimson Sky
Gretchen Craig
“Crimson Sky” is the heart-felt story of Zia, a strong woman, mother and wife living within a traditional tribe in New Mexico in the late 1500′s. The story explores her struggles and her heartaches when, after she believes her beloved husband, TapanAshka, to be dead, she must do unthinkable things in order to survive the unforgiving weather and lack of food to keep her young son, TyoPe, safe and ensure his survival.
At this time, the Spanish have settled in New Mexico looking for development opportunities and are offering the tribes of the pueblos food and homes, in exchange for their labour.
Zia feels this is her only option. To leave her home and her freedom behind and start again in a bid to keep herself, her baby and her family safe through their time of desperation.
“Crimson Sky” explores the issues and compromises made when these two highly different cultures are forced to come together as one.
Will the traditional, spirit worshiping people of the tribes be able to feel at home within the settlements of the Spanish, with their new animals, new tools, strange crops, and deadly weapons?
Will the Spanish be able to make the newcomers feel at home, or constantly view them as unequal, as slaves?
Will Zia find new love and a new life with the strong, powerful, seemingly kind and loving Spanish conquistador, Captain Diego Ortiz? Or will their differences, and his brutal treatment of her people prove they can never be together?
I thoroughly enjoyed “Crimson Sky”.
The characters are very well developed, and the plot is fast paced and exciting. I liked that I was able to “look into” real historical events and look at a snippet of how people at this time may have lived.
At the beginning of Chapter 17: “The March”, I had a little “Oh No” moment though I must admit, and I had to force myself to put the book down and stop reading for a while.
This was only because I felt I knew the direction the plot was going to take…and I didn't want to see what I thought was going to happen actually happen!!
I couldn't stop myself reading for long though, and I enjoyed every page!
Oh – and I got the EXACT ending I wanted too. :)
A recommended 4*
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