Review: A Most Delightful Read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 10, 2013
You know those books you used to read long, long ago, when you were a little child and every page was a revelation? That's exactly how I felt while reading INZARED.I rarely enjoy reading novels set anywhere other than the contemporary world. I like having a good idea of where I am and enjoy the comforts of knowing what to expect. Inzared took me far out of my comfort zone, but the story was like nothing I've read before.Set in the 1840s, and on the background of a Gypsy travelling circus, Inzared is the first book in a series depicting the hard yet fulfilling life of on-the-road performers. The queen of the show is Bertha, a 16 year-old girl who leaves the comfort of a family home in the mountains of North Carolina to follow her heart, set on the elephant trainer, Paytre, and sample the excitement of life as a performer.What made this book, for me, was the lulling voice of Inzared, who narrates in the lulling tones of a `true hillbilly'.  The whole book sounds so authentic, the speech and its musicality, the dialogue, the descriptions - they all add up to one amazing experience. The characters are real, the emotions human and you can't help but admire the inner strength, discipline and professionalism these Gypsies, despised by so many, exhibit every single day.This isn't a modern story, but it's a good story, and it's well written. If you like animals, performing, circus life and that particular era, you'll love this novel. It would be an easy read for children, too, though the not fully happy-ever-after might require a warm hug from the comforting arms of a parent. Inzared receives five shiny gold stars from me. A most delightful read.