Official Review: Echo from Mount Royal by Dave Riese
Posted: 06 Feb 2016, 10:58
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Echo from Mount Royal" by Dave Riese.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Echo from Mount Royal by Dave Riese is a love story between 18-year old Jewish-Catholic girl, Rebecca Wiseman and the son of a wealthy businessman, Sol Gottesman.
The story started with a newspaper article in 1984 about a plane crash in Canada and a picture of a girl dated 1952. Then came the Prologue told in the first person perspective of an 81-year old woman being tutored in computer by her grandson in Boston in 2014. Astonished by the wonder of technology, particularly the internet, the old woman was able to locate and email her friend, Jackie, from Montreal, Canada. Not only that, she also saw a picture of a particular store in Montreal that brought back memories of distant past.
The story, then, flashed back to 1951 told in the first person perspective of 18-year old Rebecca. Rebecca met Sol Gottesman at a Young Man’s Hebrew Association Dance in October 1951. He happened to be a friend of her older brother, Robert. It was a serious case of love at first sight. Sol fell desperately in love with Rebecca and Rebecca was deeply infatuated with the handsome young man. Raised by honorable parents, Rebecca, though not overly excited about Sol’s wealth, enjoyed the benefits of being the girlfriend of a rich boy, like riding a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce, dining in restaurants in the most luxurious hotels in Montreal and receiving lavish and priceless gifts.
However, Rebecca’s blissful relationship with Sol was marred by his family’s cold reception of her, especially his older brother, Ezra, a fact which Rebecca initially withheld from her parents. She was happy with Sol and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Sol obviously felt the same way, and that was what mattered. After all, Sol was the most important person in her life besides her family and she has his ardent affection and unwavering loyalty. Then one night, Rebecca’s trust and faith in Sol were put to the test by one unexpected and devastating phone call that changed her life forever.
The story basically portrayed how delicious and exciting romantic love can be; the extreme desire to be together all the time, the nagging ache of separation no matter how temporary and the constant torment of sexual needs. Initially, I thought this was just one of those ordinary and predictable romantic books that tickle the heart. As I got deeper into the story, it began to be difficult to put it down. I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
The author wrote an absorbing romantic book spiced with family secrets and shocking revelations. He successfully developed relatable characters. Rebecca was strong minded while Sol was naïve. Mr. and Mrs. Gottesman were shrewd businessmen and acted accordingly and Mr. and Mrs. Wiseman, despite their flaws, were the epitome of supportive and loving parents. Ezra Gottesman was the perfect antagonist, rude and cruel. The storytelling was casual and easy-to-read. My only problem with the book was the French phrases which I did not understand. Thankfully, the author included only a few.
In view of that, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars and I recommend it to those who enjoy stories about romantic love and family. There are, however, delicate scenes that are sexual in nature that may not be suitable for young readers.
******
Echo from Mount Royal
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4 out of 4 stars
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Echo from Mount Royal by Dave Riese is a love story between 18-year old Jewish-Catholic girl, Rebecca Wiseman and the son of a wealthy businessman, Sol Gottesman.
The story started with a newspaper article in 1984 about a plane crash in Canada and a picture of a girl dated 1952. Then came the Prologue told in the first person perspective of an 81-year old woman being tutored in computer by her grandson in Boston in 2014. Astonished by the wonder of technology, particularly the internet, the old woman was able to locate and email her friend, Jackie, from Montreal, Canada. Not only that, she also saw a picture of a particular store in Montreal that brought back memories of distant past.
The story, then, flashed back to 1951 told in the first person perspective of 18-year old Rebecca. Rebecca met Sol Gottesman at a Young Man’s Hebrew Association Dance in October 1951. He happened to be a friend of her older brother, Robert. It was a serious case of love at first sight. Sol fell desperately in love with Rebecca and Rebecca was deeply infatuated with the handsome young man. Raised by honorable parents, Rebecca, though not overly excited about Sol’s wealth, enjoyed the benefits of being the girlfriend of a rich boy, like riding a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce, dining in restaurants in the most luxurious hotels in Montreal and receiving lavish and priceless gifts.
However, Rebecca’s blissful relationship with Sol was marred by his family’s cold reception of her, especially his older brother, Ezra, a fact which Rebecca initially withheld from her parents. She was happy with Sol and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Sol obviously felt the same way, and that was what mattered. After all, Sol was the most important person in her life besides her family and she has his ardent affection and unwavering loyalty. Then one night, Rebecca’s trust and faith in Sol were put to the test by one unexpected and devastating phone call that changed her life forever.
The story basically portrayed how delicious and exciting romantic love can be; the extreme desire to be together all the time, the nagging ache of separation no matter how temporary and the constant torment of sexual needs. Initially, I thought this was just one of those ordinary and predictable romantic books that tickle the heart. As I got deeper into the story, it began to be difficult to put it down. I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
The author wrote an absorbing romantic book spiced with family secrets and shocking revelations. He successfully developed relatable characters. Rebecca was strong minded while Sol was naïve. Mr. and Mrs. Gottesman were shrewd businessmen and acted accordingly and Mr. and Mrs. Wiseman, despite their flaws, were the epitome of supportive and loving parents. Ezra Gottesman was the perfect antagonist, rude and cruel. The storytelling was casual and easy-to-read. My only problem with the book was the French phrases which I did not understand. Thankfully, the author included only a few.
In view of that, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars and I recommend it to those who enjoy stories about romantic love and family. There are, however, delicate scenes that are sexual in nature that may not be suitable for young readers.
******
Echo from Mount Royal
View: on Bookshelves
Like kimmyschemy06's review? Post a comment saying so!
