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“She looked at her husband, who is an odd, ironic reversal of roles and was now looking at the view outside. Why are we together? What binds us apart from the stupid glass of lemonade? What? What? What- ?”
Introduction
Title - Lemonade
Author - Nina Pennacchi
Genre - Historical Romance/Fiction
Pages - 443
Language - Originally Italian
About the Author
Not much is available about the author, not even her photo. The internet can be a weird place, can’t it? All we know about our dear author is that she is one mysterious being. She lives in a city near the sea, enjoys walking on the beach, and imagining stories of nineteenth-century England. She writes books that contain dark themes and bleak reality.
About the Translator
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Sheridan is a professor of French and Italian at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois. He holds a Ph.D. in French literature from the University of Iowa, an MA in modern languages from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
He offered courses to his students in French, Italian and English Translation covering wide areas of world literature, western humanities traditions; international studies; and women’s and gender studies as well as on travel courses to France, Italy, Canada, and the UK.
About the Book
"Of all the truths told, the most distressing are those we discover about ourselves."
Major Characters
Christopher Devenport
Anna Champion
Lucy Edwards
Daniel DeMercy
The book was originally written in Italian. It was translated into English by Scott P. Sheridan.
The Plot - Spoiler Alert!
The story is set in the conventional world of the European country, England in the early 19th century.
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When Anna's mother died a part of her father's soul died with her. He became ill and his health started deteriorating. Being the eldest of four siblings, Anna stepped up to take care of her family. Lucy, her only best friend, was her comfort and confidant. She had eyes for Daniel with green eyes and handsome smiles. He was the best suitor for her but a far-fetched dream.
In London, Christopher sophistically planned retribution to those who wronged him. Moved to another city to write the final chapter of his revenge story, he met Anna by accident which sealed her fate. Posthaste, he became obsessed with an unbridled carnal desire to hurt and subdue her.
My Reviews
Few readers criticized it as a rewritten combination of ‘Pride and Prejudice with a modern touch of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’. But in my point of view neither every book set in the Victorian era is Pride and Prejudice nor every debauchery is Fifty Shades of Grey. But ‘Lemonade’ could be fifty shades of scary.
Why did I read this book?
To be honest I chose this book purely without knowing what I am getting myself into. With a lot of contemporary and historical novels, this one is an “out of the comfort zone” choice. Christopher took what he desired, consequences are damned. He portrayed a man in want of money and a woman. Anna was forced into a hateful marriage with a man who brutally took her innocence, making her life miserable.
Themes Involved
The book’s themes are archaic and patriarchal. The era of male superiority and female inferiority. Patriarchal kinship is the core of central social relationships. Women were supposed to look pretty and dumb, maintaining their reputation at social gatherings and running after a man’s whims.
The themes involved in this book are; ‘hate at first sight, ‘horrendous past’, ‘secrets to unravel’ and ‘forced marriage’. The hero i.e. Christopher Davenport is a vengeful, possessive, and manipulative guy, completely obsessed with the heroine. The Heroine i.e. Anna Champion is a proud, resilient, passionate, tenacious, and beautiful young girl.
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What I liked and hated about this book?
Once I started with this book, I couldn't put it down. I was hooked. I slowly read and absorbed each word and emotion. The writing style was fascinating and gives historical fiction vibes. Easy and simple.
The author very creatively used quotes from historical writers and exemplary personalities which served twofold purposes. First, it gives glimpses of time. Second, it discreetly gives a title to every chapter and a realistic start.
The story develops in a world full of understandable, frequently relatable, often amusing characters in a Victorian setting where manners are as important as class status, marriage prospects, and money. It's all so delicate and subtle.
"It is during darkest moments that we must focus to see the light"
-Aristotle
The author managed to keep the hero, a deplorable character until the end which is kind of impressive in itself. The story portrays how two fractured souls trapped in loveless marriage found solace in each other, one being the victim, the other being the culprit. The characters were so real doing natural human things, laughing and celebrating, grieving and supporting. It felt like an actual story rather than a work of fiction. No exaggeration, no underplaying.
The Bottom Line
This book is considered a Dark Victorian romance novel, but I think it depicts society’s bleakness in broad daylight. The few scattered scenes are dubious and debauched cringe-worthy. It has the realistic bitterness of a bluestocking society. I wished I could reach the characters through the book; give Anna a tight warm hug, smack Davenports' devious ugly head, devise naughty pranks with Lucy and Matthew, kick Leopold DeMercy and make plans with little Grace.
A Gentle Warning Before You Read the Book
This book is not for everyone! It features dark forbidden content. The main character is irredeemable, evil, and obsessive. He will bring out all the eight emotions proposed by Robert Plutchik; anger, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise, anticipation, trust, and joy. It must be read with caution. The content may have triggers.
My Ratings for the Book - 5 on 5
Grab Your Copy Now at - Lemonade
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Written By - Arpita Singh Chauhan
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