Month: January 2022

Overview:

This is my first ever book review. You can see my other posts here.   This post kicks things off with a fantastic read, Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash: A Novel by Tammy Pasterick.  Normally, I discard books that do not get my interest quickly.  I have many partially read books on my Kindle. I tend to cut my losses and discard any book that does not interest me. That is definitely not the case with Tammy Pasterick’s first novel. This was  an engaging read from the start. 

Category:

I think this book falls into the category of historical fiction. As such, this novel gives the feel of being meticulously researched and really gave me the feel of what it would be like to live in the early 1900s near Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. I felt transported back in time and my attention was kept there through a powerful story and engaging characters. The characters are real people just like people today, but in a different time and place.

Characters:

I love the way the Tammy Pasterik  teaches you about the characters so that you become familiar with them.  That makes this novel easy to read and absorb. The novel is divided into relatively short chapters, where each chapter focuses on one of the main characters and tells the story from their perspective. 

Ending:

I like an ending that resolves major story lines in a realistic. though somewhat unexpected way. This novel does not disappoint. While I would love to read more about the Kovac family, I did not feel betrayed by the ending. I felt like the end made sense, and I can move on to a new book. 

Summary:

I give this book my highest recommendation for this book review.  I look forward to reading future books by Tammy Pasterick. You can purchase this book here.