A Book You Should Know About

One of my favorite hobbies is reading. But there are a few annoyances that block me from indulging as much as I’d like.

Annoyance #1: I can’t read for longer than 15-20 minutes daily because my life is so filled with other things. I have to tack it on to the end of my day, bedtime, when I’m already half-asleep.

Annoyance #2: Because of such a short reading time span, it takes me, like three years, to finish a book. What’s new for me was a hit movie in the eighties, ya know?

Annoyance #3: And I really hate being interrupted while I’m reading, so that limits other times of day where I might want to relax with a book. Anyone with me on that? Just like I can’t deal with people who try to talk to me when I’m watching a movie or an episode of Stranger Things. I mean, can you not see my attention is practically glued to the man-eating slime, as if that damn thing could slip through the screen and into my living room.

Stranger things have happened.

Anywho—when I do get to read for pleasure, it had better be a DAMN GOOD book, otherwise, I will not bother finishing it. I just don’t have that luxury when I am behind on my reading list by three years!

Of course, I’ll sneak books up to the front of the to-be-read list if I know there is something about them that will be worth my while. This leads me to my latest reading treasure find by the wonderful Jacqui Murray, A Quest for Home, the second book of her series Crossroads Trilogy.

Here’s what the story is about:

Driven from her home. Stalked by enemies. Now her closest ally may be a traitor.

Xhosa flees what she had hoped would be her new home after being attacked by invaders from the North. She leads her People on a grueling journey through unknown and dangerous lands of what we now call Europe. As she struggles to overcome strangers around her and disruptions within her People, Xhosa faces the reality that her most dangerous enemy may not be the one she expected. It may be one she has trusted with her life.

The story is set 850,000 years ago, a time in prehistory when man populated most of Eurasia. He was a violent species, fully capable of addressing the many hardships that threatened his survival except for one: future man, a smarter version of himself, one destined to obliterate any who came before.

Based on a true story, this is an unforgettable saga of hardship and determination, conflict and passion as early man spreads across Eurasia. Xhosa must regularly does the impossible which is good because nothing less than the future of mankind is at stake.

Here is my review (posted on Amazon & Goodreads): What a way to start a sequel! We pick up right where the first book leaves off, and the author is thorough and detailed with providing the necessary information a new reader might need in order to understand what is happening.

Give me a strong, brave, and compassionate female protagonist any day of the week, and I’m your reader. Author Jacqui Murray does not disappoint. Xhosa, our heroine, is determined to lead her tribe to safety in this prehistoric world. She is up against competition within her own tribe as well as from other tribes. Murray has clearly done her research. We learn interesting details and information about medicinal uses for plants, relationships, language, survival, and it is written with credibility, drama, intrigue, and passion.

The story follows several perspectives of well-rounded characters so that we see the quest from a few angles, and we soon become entrenched in their individual goals and motivations. The setting and descriptions are richly detailed, and the writing is consistently strong.

I highly recommend The Quest for Home to anyone who enjoys prehistoric adventures and stories led by compelling characters.

 

If you’re interested in knowing more about Jacqui, who is a wonderfully interesting person, check out her blog  and you can look up her books HERE. 

 

Have a writerly day!