Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Atria Books
Formats: eBook, Hardcover
Pages: 480
Series: Book One, The Seven Sisters
Genre: Historical Fiction
Internationally bestselling author Lucinda Riley returns with THE SEVEN SISTERS, the first novel in a spellbinding new series (seven books in all) inspired by the ancient myth of the Seven Sisters of Pleiades. THE SEVEN SISTERS takes readers from the shores of Lake Geneva to modern day Rio de Janeiro to bohemian Paris of the 1920s in a sweeping saga of passion, sacrifice, and the enduring power of art.
Upon the death of their wealthy, enigmatic father, Maia D’Apliese and her sisters convene at their family home, a secluded estate on the shores of Lake Geneva. Each of the sisters had been adopted at birth from a different part of the globe. Maia, the eldest, is the first to learn of their adoptive father’s death. Confusion is added to her grief when the sisters — Maia, the beauty; Ally, the leader; Star, the peacemaker; CeCe, the pragmatist; Tiggy, the nurturer; and Electra, the fireball – gather to hear the reading of the will. Their father has left each of his daughters a simple clue about her birthplace.
Until now, Maia has constructed her life so that she does not have to leave the safety of the family nest. But spurred by her father’s final bequest, Maia embarks on a journey to Rio de Janeiro to discover the truth of her origins. In Rio, Maia is accompanied by Floriano Quintelas, a novelist and amateur historian, who is intrigued to discover that Maia is apparently descended from the Aires Cabrals, an aristocratic Portuguese family who have been prominent in the country for the past two centuries. Together, they delve into her complex family history, a quest that is helped by their discovery of the crumbling mansion where an elderly woman – Maia’s biological grandmother — is on the verge of death. When the old woman’s caretaker secretly slips Maia a stack of old letters, an astonishing family history unfolds.
Praise for The Seven Sisters“A brilliant page-turner, soaked in glamour and romance.” -The Daily Mail
“Riley launches her most ambitious and exciting writing project to date……a labyrinth of seductive time-switch stories, the enchanting brand of novel writing which has made Riley one of the best women’s fiction authors on the market… An epic start to an epic series.” -The Lancashire Evening Post
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Review:
A wealthy Swiss businessman has traveled the world and adopted six daughters, all named after the stars in the Pleiades constellation. The sisters have grown up with a life of privelege and have all been able to go their separate ways to fulfill their dreams in adulthood. Upon their father’s death, whom the sisters lovingly call Pa Salt, the sisters are brought back together at their childhood home on Lake Geneva, called Atlantis. Here they realize that they do not know much of their father, or where they came from. Pa Salt has left each daughter a letter with clues to their past if they want to find out more. The oldest daughter, Maia, who works as a translator takes the opportunity to follow her clues to Rio De Janiero, Brazil where she uncovers her past with the help of an author that she has translated for. She finds that she is connected to an aristocratic family and through her Great Grandmother’s letters, Maia learns of Izabel a Bonifacio’s time spent in Bel Epoque Paris and her connection with the Christ the Redeemer statue.
Enchanting and addicting, I could not put down The Seven Sisters. Maia and Izabela’s dual timelines unfold much like a fairytale, two elements that I love! There are mysteries upon mysteries that pulled me into the story. Each sister is introduced in the beginning, and each has their own distinct personality and their own past to find. This book focuses on Maia. Each of the characters has astounding depth; Maia is compassionate, emotional and intelligent. Maia’s intense feelings drew me in and rooted me to her story. When Maia reaches Brazil, her sense of adventure is tapped into and another layer is uncovered. The story flows flawlessly between Maia and her great-grandmother Izabela, and I loved both stories equally. Izabela and Maia’s stories parallel each other’s lives and both are strong female characters that are fighting for want they want out of life. I love that Izabela’s story took me from Rio De Janiero to Bel Epoque Paris, where she met sculptor Paul Landowski and his assistant Laurent Brouilly where I could learn of the construction of the Christ the Redeemer statue. I can’t wait for the other sister’s journeys. Filled with intrigue, adventure, romance, beautiful writing and imaginative scenes, The Seven Sisters is one of my favorite books so far this year.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Lucinda Riley was born in Ireland and during her childhood travelled extensively abroad, particularly to the Far East to visit her father.
Moving to London she became an actress working in film, theatre and television. Five years ago she designed and built a house on the island of Koh Chang in Thailand, where her father had purchased land many years before. Her passion for history combined with her love of travel, and Thailand in particular, inspired her to write her novel Hothouse Flower, published by Penguin in November 2010.
She currently lives in Norfolk and France with her husband and four children.
For more information please visit Lucinda’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Goodreads.
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