Discovery

Discovery by Barbara Greig is an immersive story of love, loss, challenge, and fate that keeps you hooked from beginning to the end. Discovery is a dual-timeline saga, set in 1557 and from 1607-1611, about the fates of various members of the Gharsia family. Originally Moriscos from Spain, who fled the country when the Inquisition was at its height, they blend in with the Protestant towns of the Pays d'Oc in south-western France. Discovery by Barbara Greig sweeps you off your feet with its beautiful setting, the dangerous undercurrents of religious dissent, and its group of warm, realistic characters with all their strengths and flaws. A true family saga that makes you research the history of the religious wars and learn about the Moriscos and their plight. A highly engaging read!

I'd been waiting for Discovery as I'd loved the Secret Lives volumes that preceded it - and it didn't disappoint! Discovery draws you in, gives you a real sense of time and place. The characters old and new are appealing and real. Barbara Greig is especially good at dialogue - always a challenge for writers, and Barbara has it down to a fine art. The North American scenes are fascinating and the brutal realities of the times are described without sensationalism. I look forward to this author's next book.

What a marvellous read,this novel is! I particularly enjoyed the French sections with their beautiful evocative language and engaging characters.The author's research is painstaking and Margaret's journal is a'tour de force'. The plotting is intricate and for those readers who appreciate adventure, the Canadian parts of the novel are most appealing. I look forward to Ms. Greig's subsequent novels.

I loved this book. It was rich in well researched historical detail and I wanted to keep following all of the likeable characters to the end of their very different journeys. As I nearly finished it, I found myself compulsively picking it up and snatching a quick read in any spare moment I had, desperate to find out what happened!

I loved this book, from its stylish cover to the very last word. I was as keen as Elizabeth to find out about her parents' past and what secrets they may have kept from the family. And I was concerned about her nephew Gabriel who sets off to New France for adventure, supposedly for two years, but goes missing from the community where he's been working. The historical aspect gave the story an extra dimension. We've all read about the Spanish Inquisition, probably in history lessons at school, but to hear about it through the trials of one of the novel's gentle characters made it more real to me. The indigenous tribes in and around Quebec have cruel rituals that appear barbaric. But then the reader is reminded that in Europe people who didn't conform to the current religious regime could be burned alive. Who are the 'savages'? The inclusion of real historical characters, such as Samuel Champlain and Etienne Brûlé, lend authenticity to Gabriel's adventures in Quebec. It is a harsh environment and he literally has to fight to survive. Those are just threads of a story containing timeless themes of love and loss, skilfully woven across sixty years. Elizabeth's family history is revealed slowly while the reader knows more of Gabriel's fate than she does. I turned the pages faster to discover his ultimate destiny. With so many discoveries in this accomplished novel, it has the perfect title.