The Turquoise by Anya Seton (Tuesday Intros & Teaser Tuesday)

 

Title: The Turquoise

Author: Anya Seton

Publication: originally 1946 -- Houghton Mifflin

Format: Kindle ebook

Amazon Description

A novel of a girl’s journey from an orphaned childhood in New Mexico to an opulent life in Gilded Age New York, by the author of Avalon.

In 1850, as her mother lay dying and a priest stood by, Santa Fe Cameron was named by her Scottish father after the town in which she had just been born. At seven years old, she would also lose her father.

Shortly thereafter, a Navajo shaman recognized psychic power in the orphan girl, and gave her a turquoise pendant as a keepsake. This turquoise, the Indian symbol of the spirit, will dominate her life—even after she leaves the simple beauty of her native New Mexico to search for happiness in the glamorous New York of the 1870s.

For “Fey,” life is made up of violent contrasts: the rough wagon that brings her East and the scented carriages waiting before her own Fifth Avenue mansion; the glittering world of the Astors and a dreary cell in the Tombs. Filled with color, excitement, and rich period detail, and starring an unforgettable heroine, this is a stirring historical saga from the author of Katherine, Foxfire, and many other novels.

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

I wasn't sure what to expect from Anya Seton. She published twelve novels between 1941 and 1975 and I had no idea who she was until she made a place on my neverending TBR back in December thanks to Amazon offering up her Dragonwyck as a Deal of the Day on my birthday. I still haven't read it, but the monthly mini-challenge for the Alphabet Soup group is birthstones so I knew it had to be when I did a search for "turquoise" on Goodreads and Seton was the first one to pop up. I try not to read too much into reviews (I know, right?), and read that it was "not her best" over and over again. If this wasn't one of Seton's best then I am definitely looking forward to reading her others as I quickly became entranced by Fey and her journey -- personally, spiritually and geographically.

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"First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros" is from the first paragraph or two of a book being read now (or in the future) and is hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews. 

"Teaser Tuesday" at The Purple Booker asks for a random line or two from anywhere in the book currently being read.