THE BOOK FAIR

Review:

The intermingling stories of two women, Alice, a young woman who visits France in 2005, and Alais, a young woman, who lived in Carcassonne, in the 1200’s.

 

Alice, a guest on an archeological dig in the Sabarthes Mountains comes across artifacts idolized by an ancient religious sect, the Carthars.  Alais lives during the French Crusades, the fall of Beziers, as well as the fall of her beloved Carcassonne.  Both women become involved in the quest to save the religious artifacts, Alais by promising her father to protect the precious artifacts and Alice by discovering the ancient artifacts in a cave during excavations eight centuries later.

 

The plot involves mystery, intrigue and the politics of war in France during the 1200’s, and in present day, the story revolves around mystery, greed and murder.

Historically descriptive of 1200’s France with illustrative detail of architecture, foods and clothing.  The interweaving of two plots offers an interesting angle.  The author portrayed several distinct characters, some good and some evil in high drama situations.  Three stars.