Last Updated on October 23, 2023
Charlestown resident Mark Buehlman will review Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker [McKinney, TX: Blue Box Press, 2023] on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at 7 PM in the Auditorium.
Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt is written by Harry Whittaker after the death of his mother Lucinda Riley. She was the author of the first seven books in the Seven Sisters series. The cover of this eighth and final book in the popular series says that everything will be revealed, and it answers many questions for those who have followed the series.
The book travels back in years between the First and Second World War in Paris, introducing a young mute boy, who is taken in by a generous family after a brush with death. The boy is musically gifted, but his tumultuous history follows him all his life. He meets a beautiful girl during his music studies, vows to stay by her side, but the world and his arch enemy have other plans.
Moving ahead to 2008, a family reunion is playing out as the seven sisters gather on the family vessel to say good-bye to the man that rescued each of them. But a long-lost sister holds the key to unlocking each personal history connected to this sprawling family. As the cover claims, truths are revealed that will change each one.
For readers of prior books in the series, we finally get to meet the unknown Pa Salt. To enjoy this book, you do not need to have read all the prior books, but if you have not read any of the series you might be left with questions. The book is long and sometimes gets bogged down in detail, but overall is an interesting read. I would recommend it.
Author Lucinda Riley was a Northern Irish author of popular historical fiction. Her son Harry Whittaker and she co-wrote a series of children’s books before her death. He completed this novel which she had begun.
Resident Mark Buehlman, an environmental engineer, serves on the Residents’ Council . He has taught environmental science courses in colleges and currently teaches classes for ELLIC.