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Marcia was born and raised in Argentina during the military regime which
ended with the loss of many young lives in the invasion of the Falkland
Islands. Amidst the devastating effects of military government and war,
reading and writing became a passion which expanded and transported her
imagination with the possibility of a brighter future.
At the age of eighteen, she moved to the United States, where she
studied English and started her own family. She soon discovered that the
love she has for her husband and children would naturally unfold towards
her European roots, leading her to become a genealogist and family
historian. A decade of searching, compiling, and learning the stories of
thousands of people has instilled in her a profound gratitude for the strong
ties that can be achieved in families through personal sacrifice.
So it is that through fiction, Awaken explores and exposes the
characteristics of true love and loyalty in times of fear, war, and finally,
death. But perhaps the most captivating element in the story is the battle
within the souls of the main characters as they search to know who they
really are and how they are connected.
Reviewed by Arya Fomonyuy for Readers' Favorite
Awaken, Shadows of a Forgotten Past by Marcia Maidana is a beautiful blend of mystery and romance, with enticing elements of the supernatural, a book that will appeal to fans of time travel and romance. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, the reader meets a nineteen-year-old girl, Florence, who has to leave behind her work at the monastery to look for a job. She is employed by a loner, the rich General Alexander Sterling. Her boss is a troubled man, with very dark secrets, haunted by a past he wishes never existed. General Alexander feels strangely connected to his employee and as though he were seeing his dead wife in her. The reader follows these two compelling characters as they brave all obstacles, fast falling in love with each other. But their romance won’t last long when the past catches up with their present. Thanks to a stranger, Florence must travel back in time to reconnect with her destiny, but can she return in time to the present to save their relationship from grave danger?
I was pulled in from the very beginning of the story and I enjoyed how the author portrayed elements of the setting, immediately drawing the reader’s attention to the hardship Florence experienced. Character development is top-notch and the reader can’t fail to connect with the characters. The plot is well-imagined and constructed to move fast. The story is told in excellent prose, filled with emotionally rich text and powerful descriptions that capture elements of the plot. Awaken, Shadows of a Forgotten Past is a work of great entertainment, a tale with deep characters and an emotional intensity that will keep readers focused. Marcia Maidana has the gift of sustaining the reader’s curiosity for as long as her story lasts. She is a mistress in the art of entertainment.
