Blog Tour: Bitter Greens

Today I am absolutely thrilled to be a stop on the Bitter Greens blog tour hosted by the wonderful Amy over at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours! This has been on my wishlist since the initial release date in Australia last year, and when Amy offered me the opportunity to join the tour -- oh giddy gumdrops. After you read my review below, click the banner above to check out the complete tour schedule. And swing back by tomorrow for some Q&A with Kate Forsyth!

Bitter Greens
Kate Forsyth
Allison & Busby, 2013 (UK publication)

Most of us fairytale nuts are familiar with 'Rapunzel,' but if you're anything like me you have a tendency to think more along the lines of carefree whimsy (think Tangled). Bitter Greens is an intricate retelling of Rapunzel's story, weaving it into a historical context that makes the familiar tradition live and breathe in unexpected ways. This is a fairytale for adults and historical fiction lovers.

Charlotte-Rose has been exiled from the court of the Sun King, sentenced to finish out her days in a nunnery after losing the favor of Louis XIV. Fighting violently against her new life, Charlotte-Rose finds she can no longer ignore her memories or run from her past. Her story is one of heartache and lost love, missed opportunities and the fickle gaiety of court. It's lush and extravagant, yet also threadbare and built upon a fragile base of shifting allegiances. At the nunnery, Charlotte-Rose meets a nun - Sœur Seraphina - who extends a hand of mercy and friendship, and offers a welcome distraction from her troubles. The story Sœur Seraphina tells is a strangely fascinating one to Charlotte-Rose, about a beautiful young Venetian girl, Margherita, stolen from her parents by a strega - a witch - and locked away in a convent. When the strega comes back for Margherita (whom she calls Petrisonella), she whisks her away to a remote tower, sewing a strange, abnormally long collection of hair into Margherita's own bronze locks. And so begins the Rapunzel story.

Forsyth does a masterful job of weaving Margherita's story into that of Charlotte-Rose, even working in a piece that addresses the history of the strega - Selena - who has a fascinating story of her own. Rich in historical detail and intricately-fleshed out characters, Bitter Greens gives new insight into several different historical periods, and is a testament to the power of Love. It's a beautiful retelling of a classic fairytale, with raw, rough emotions and just enough "harsh reality" to make the story strong, believable. The connections between the three, stunningly different women -- it's masterfully written. Worth the wait.

Book provided by publisher for review.