I loved this book! I did read it in one day. It was very interesting. In addition to having a romance thrown in
there is a very real history of diving off boats for sponges. I knew nothing about this business or how it
came to be. Although the story line is
fiction, there was actually a group of over 500 Greeks that moved to Tarpon
Springs to live and work diving for sponges.
I enjoy reading about Greek families as I lived with a Greek man for 13
years. Back in 1905 there was a thriving
sponge business and also many came to that area to use the mineral springs that
were thought to be beneficial. The
Greeks that came to that area used some of the first diving gear, really quite
a process to keep themselves from getting sick or dying while going down or
coming up in these suits. A lot of
research went into the writing of this book in regard to diving, the sponge
business, and Tarpon Springs in that time period. The story line is also built around a Greek
woman who studies and passes the bar to become a lawyer without her Father’s
permission, which was a very big deal in those days. She ends up running the sponge business for
her friend who inherited it from her Father who died suddenly. Her friend works as a doctor another career
not taken up by ladies by many in those days.
The Greek men didn’t want lady doctors taking care of them, nor do they
want to do business with ladies and are superstitious about having a lady on
any of their boats. This book was so
interesting and the love story and the mystery built into the story line made
up for a great read. Hat’s off to Judith
Miller for another very interesting read!
I received this book from the publisher as part
of their book launch program, the review is entirely my own. I’m a member of "Bethany House
and Chosen Books Reader Crew".
#Bethany House. #BakerPublishingGroup. #ChosenBooksReaderCrew.
The description as
follows of the book was found on Good Reads:
Much to the dismay of her Greek
family, Zanna Krykos makes a living as a lawyer in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
When her friend Lucy needs legal advice about the business she inherited upon
her father's passing, she ends up asking Zanna to run the business instead so
she can focus on her medical career.
Nico Kalos is a Greek diver who has worked on sponging boats in the Aegean Sea since the age of 14, giving him a vast knowledge of the trade. When he hears of an opportunity to lead a group of spongers to the United States, he seizes it. But his excitement is quickly quelled when he arrives only to discover that a young woman with no experience in the business will be in charge of the new crews.
But as Zanna and Nico face even more complications than they could have imagined, they must learn to work together or risk everything they've worked so hard for.
Nico Kalos is a Greek diver who has worked on sponging boats in the Aegean Sea since the age of 14, giving him a vast knowledge of the trade. When he hears of an opportunity to lead a group of spongers to the United States, he seizes it. But his excitement is quickly quelled when he arrives only to discover that a young woman with no experience in the business will be in charge of the new crews.
But as Zanna and Nico face even more complications than they could have imagined, they must learn to work together or risk everything they've worked so hard for.
