The Debt of Tamar by Nicole Dweck Virtual Tour

 

 Title: The Debt of Tamar

Author: Nicole Dweck

Series: Stand Alone

Pages: 330

Published: February 4th 2013 by Devon House Press 

ISBN: 978-0615583617

Source: Arranged Tour

Description: During the second half of the 16th century, a wealthy widow by the name of Doña Antonia Nissim is arrested and charged with being a secret Jew. The punishment? Death by burning. Enter Suleiman the Magnificent, an Ottoman "Schindler," and the most celebrated sultan in all of Turkish history. With the help of the Sultan, the widow and her children manage their escape to Istanbul. Life is seemingly idyllic for the family in their new home, that is, until the Sultan's son meets and falls in love with Tamar, Doña Antonia's beautiful and free-spirited granddaughter. A quiet love affair ensues until one day, the girl vanishes.  Over four centuries later, thirty-two year old Selim Osman, a playboy prince with a thriving real estate empire, is suddenly diagnosed with a life-theatening condition. Abandoning the mother of his unborn child, he vanishes from Istanbul without an explanation. In a Manhattan hospital, he meets Hannah, a talented artist and the daughter of a French Holocaust survivor. As their story intertwines with that of their ancestors, readers are taken back to Nazi-occupied Paris, and to a seaside village in the Holy Land where a world of secrets is illuminated.  Theirs is a love that has been dormant for centuries, spanning continents, generations, oceans, and religions. Bound by a debt that has lingered through time, they must right the wrongs of the past if they're ever to break the shackles of their future.

I Give This ...

I was intrigued by the historical aspects of this novel.  I read quite a bit of historical fictions but honestly, I tend to be country specific.  I do love the chance to expand that.

I really enjoyed the characters in the past.  I loved learning about Dona Antonia.  Her connection with the nobility and with the Jewish people.  I admired her courage to do all she could do for the Jewish people until she knew her time had come.  She instilled that same determination in her children.  However, I think her son-in-law grossly overreacted when it came to the news that the Sultan wanted to arrange a marriage between his son and the daughter.  It turns out he had no idea that they had been courting all along.  The vow the Sultan's son when gross centuries until it had been fulfilled.  

I was less intrigued by our present day prince.  He's taken the curse and made it his own.  It seems that the misfortunes of the past are directly tied to everything he does.  He comes across as selfish, even as he is dieing.  Enter in Hannah, who's past I found completely fascinating.  Although, I did find it a little odd that she would be the one to break the curse because the ring didn't pass directly through her by blood (at least that is the impression that I got).  

As the stories come full circle, I was really impressed with how the author managed to weave it all together.  I'm also enthralled with the idea that things are meant to be.   I think a key point of the stories is how the generations meet and come together in different places and different times.   Does history repeat itself?

I will be looking for what this author does next!

******

Link to Tour Page: http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/thedebtoftamartour

Tour Hashtag: #DebtofTamarVirtualTour

Publication Date: February 4, 2013
Devon House Press
Paperback; 332p
ISBN-10: 061558361X During the second half of the 16th century, a wealthy widow by the name of Doña Antonia Nissim is arrested and charged with being a secret Jew. The punishment? Death by burning. Enter Suleiman the Magnificent, an Ottoman “Schindler,” and the most celebrated sultan in all of Turkish history. With the help of the Sultan, the widow and her children manage their escape to Istanbul. Life is seemingly idyllic for the family in their new home, that is, until the Sultan’s son meets and falls in love with Tamar, Doña Antonia’s beautiful and free-spirited granddaughter. A quiet love affair ensues until one day, the girl vanishes.
Over four centuries later, thirty-two year old Selim Osman, a playboy prince with a thriving real estate empire, is suddenly diagnosed with a life-threatening condition. Abandoning the mother of his unborn child, he vanishes from Istanbul without an explanation. In a Manhattan hospital, he meets Hannah, a talented artist and the daughter of a French Holocaust survivor. As their story intertwines with that of their ancestors, readers are taken back to Nazi-occupied Paris, and to a sea-side village in the Holy Land where a world of secrets is illuminated.
Theirs is a love that has been dormant for centuries, spanning continents, generations, oceans, and religions. Bound by a debt that has lingered through time, they must right the wrongs of the past if they’re ever to break the shackles of their future.

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About the Author

Nicole Dweck is a writer whose work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country.
As a descendant of Sephardic (Spanish) refugees who escaped the Inquisition and settled on Ottoman territory, Dweck has always been interested in Sephardic history and the plight of refugees during the Spanish Inquisition. The Debt of Tamar, her debut novel, was a two-time finalist in the UK’s Cinnamon Press Novel Award Competition. It has also received an honorable award mention in the category of Mainstream/Literary Fiction from Writers Digest and was the highest rated book for two weeks running on the Harper Collin’s “Authonomy” website. It has claimed a #1 Bestseller spot in the Amazon Kindle Middle East Fiction category, a #1 Bestseller spot in Amazon Kindle Jewish Fiction category, and has been included as one of the “Hot 100″ Kindle bestsellers in the category of Historical Fiction.
Dweck holds a BA in Journalism and a Masters Degree in Global Studies with a focus on Middle East Affairs (NYU) . Her non-fiction articles have appeared in several magazines and newspapers including The New York Observer and Haute Living Magazine.
She lives in New York City with her husband and son.

For more information visit Nicole’s website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.