Reviews of Etruscan Evenings

Etruscan Evenings is the second novel of Linda Lambert’s that I have read. I loved every minute of reading it!!! It’s a fabulous continuation of the story in her first novel, Cairo Dairy. The book is an incredibly rich tapestry of people, places, and events as Lambert weaves history, archeology, the goddess, Italian cuisine (I could just taste and smell all the food described. Don’t read this book when you’re hungry or better yet read it when you’re hungry and then go out to an Italian restaurant!), and even D. H. Lawrence into the story. And speaking of D.H. Lawrence, the book contains letters from D. H. Lawrence that are absolutely amazing. If I didn’t know this was a work of fiction I would swear they were written by Lawrence himself. Lambert really entered the soul and psyche of D.H. Lawrence when she wrote this book. And one more thing – I often find book endings to be disappointing. Not so with this book. The ending was a wonderful surprise and left me anxiously awaiting the third book in the trilogy.

-Judy Vandergrift, Santa Cruz

I have read and loved Linda Lambert’s CAIRO DIARY and find it uniquely enjoyable that Lambert carried many of the interesting characters from her earlier novel into this second one. I had been sorry to let them go when she moved her central character, Justine, to Italy for another adventure in discovering ancient times and artifacts. Lambert’s novels are more interesting to me than Dan Brown’s because they are more sensual and her characters are so fully realized that we keep them with us long after the plot has played itself out. While her novels are real page-turners, they also satisfy me on an intellectual level with what I learn and explore via her characters and locations. Because Lambert’s characters often refer to wonderful other books, I have followed the bread-crumb trail and been introduced to other worthy books. I’m looking forward to the third novel in her trilogy. It’s fun for me to find an author whose writing reliably fulfills.

-Beverly Mays Raymond, San Diego

A good novel should be entertaining as well as instructive and Etruscan Evenings meets both tests. The characters are vivid and, if you have already read Cairo Diary, feel like family. If you have not read Cairo Diary, it is a good stand-alone piece in its own right.  It is obvious that the author has done a substantial amount of research, which she has cleverly woven into the story. Part of the reason I began reading Cairo Diary was because I knew a little bit about that great city and liked it. I found myself liking the book characters more. Part of the reason I began reading Etruscan Evenings was because I knew a little bit about Tuscany and liked it. I found myself liking the book characters more. Next stop, Taos.

-Seymour Collins, Medford, Oregon

 

 

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