Fallam's Secret: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: de ja vu
Review: As I started reading this novel, I was struck by the many similarities between Fallam's Secret and The Outlander Series by Diana Galbaldon. Given the choice, I would strongly urge someone to read The Outlander series instead. As a reviewer before noted, Diana Gabaldon's books really give you a feel for the past and more insight into the characters. Fallam's Secret so closely resembles The Outlander series, that I was able to predict many scenes and the end of the book. If you have already read Diana Gabaldon's books, go ahead and read this and see if you come to the same conclusions.

Rating:
Summary: (2.5) From science to physics to fantasy
Review: Giardina is a favorite author, having written on a number of fascinating topics in her novels. Fallam's Secret takes a different approach, one that involves wormholes and time travel with a new twist, given recent scientific advances.

When Carlo Falcone comes to West Virginia in 1918, he is poverty-stricken. After WWII he returns to West Virginia, purchases a plot of land on Fallam Mountain, where he builds his family home in the style of his beloved Italian countryside. One Christmas Eve, a tragic fire destroys their home, killing Carlo's wife and five of their children; only Carlo and the baby, Lydde, survive. The mother's body is found in the ashes, but the other bodies are never discovered and there is no reasonable answer to the absence of the children's bones. Consequently, Carlo spends the rest of his life searching for his children, leaving Lydde to be raised by her aunt and uncle.

Lydde grows, attends school and graduates from college, where she develops a lifelong love of Shakespearean Theater. Lydde is an actor, living in London, until she reaches a certain age, at which time she takes a position as a teacher. Her Uncle John begs Lydde to return home, hinting of an important discovery there, but unwilling to divulge the details prematurely. Unfortunately, she doesn't come home until her uncle's funeral.

Lydde searches through John's personal papers until she finds a key and specific directions for passing through an opening in a cave John stumbled across years earlier. Following the very specific directions, Lydde falls through time like Alice down the rabbit hole, turning up in a village in 1657 England, where she meets her Uncle John, alive. Surprisingly, both are younger, Lydde in her early twenties. John explains about "wormholes" in space and "thin places" where one dimension may be accessible to another, all explained by quantum physics and imagination. No longer wild theories, such possibilities are seriously considered in the world of physics.

The story is believable through the first half of the book, but once Lydde finds herself in 17th century England, the tale turns into a fairy tale. Lydde's adventures work well enough until morphing into a romance novel when she meets the man of her dreams, a sort of Robinhood redux. Thereafter she enters into a passionate, fated romance, one made possible by the gift of a younger, fresher physical body. Lydde makes a critical decision about traveling through time and the future of her love affair, but the story is, at best, formulaic.

The plot device is not as interesting as I have come to expect from the accomplished Giardina, although historically accurate. The premise is interesting: time travel, wormholes and contiguous worlds. Still, the author offers no conclusions, giving the reader, instead, a simple tale of romance and escapism. Luan Gaines/2004.

Rating:
Summary: Another Compelling Story by Ms. Giardina
Review: I am usually a big fan of Denise Giardina..."Storming Heaven", "The Unquiet Earth", and "Saints and Villians" are all among my favorite books. Fallam's Secret appears to be a quickly slapped together story without much of an ending (she appears to be leaving the door open for sequels). Denise also tries to weave in her usual "isms" into the story - Environmentalism, Socialism, Feminism, but their role in the plot is uneven and often forced. For example, as a native West Virginia, I am not a big fan of surface/strip mining...but the inclusion of it in the book did nothing to further the plot or to explore the issue.
Worst of all, her character development is way off this book. Denise's strength in writing has always been great characters: believable, well defined and explored. At the end of the Fallam's Secret, I found myself not caring at all what happened to the characters (and definitely not craving a sequel).
I can't recommend this book (unless perhaps you wait for the paperback and read it at the beach).

Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointing
Review: I am usually a big fan of Denise Giardina..."Storming Heaven", "The Unquiet Earth", and "Saints and Villians" are all among my favorite books. Fallam's Secret appears to be a quickly slapped together story without much of an ending (she appears to be leaving the door open for sequels). Denise also tries to weave in her usual "isms" into the story - Environmentalism, Socialism, Feminism, but their role in the plot is uneven and often forced. For example, as a native West Virginia, I am not a big fan of surface/strip mining...but the inclusion of it in the book did nothing to further the plot or to explore the issue.
Worst of all, her character development is way off this book. Denise's strength in writing has always been great characters: believable, well defined and explored. At the end of the Fallam's Secret, I found myself not caring at all what happened to the characters (and definitely not craving a sequel).
I can't recommend this book (unless perhaps you wait for the paperback and read it at the beach).

Rating:
Summary: Another Compelling Story by Ms. Giardina
Review: I liked Ms. Giardina's story. Set in south-central West Virginia, Ms. Giardina weave the history of the area with the local roadside tourist attractions and creates an entertaining story. Lyddie, with her obscure beginnings, returns home when her beloved uncle (and guardian) dies. While going through his belongings, she finds a key to a red door, located in a local tourist attraction. As she explores the underground cavern, and yes, is transported in time to 17th century England, she unlocks the secrets of her family and her passions.

Appalachia has a mysticism that appeals to many people. Fallam's Secret tells a story that contains the mysticism, the grit, and the integrity of an isolated group of people.

Rating:
Summary: Not completely original to me
Review: In my opinion (and what is a review but an opinion?), this book is not the greatest. It seemed to me simply to be a rehashed telling of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Girl goes back in time, girl falls in love with a somewhat rebellous character, girl stays in the past. This book lacked the detail of Outlander and seemed to gloss over historical details as well. It is more of a romance in a historical setting, with little to no details as to food, dress, customs, etc. It doesn't give much detail as to how a person from present times would have trouble adjusting to the past. Indeed, it seems to slide right past all that.
Also, this book leaves you hanging at the end, feeling unfufilled as the story does not come to a conclusion. The book was long enough, but by ending as it does the reader almost feels cheated. If I were you, I'd try Outlander instead. If you've read that, you may want to read this one, just for kicks. The similarities will either amuse or frustrate you, as they did me.

Rating:
Summary: What an awesome time travel romance!
Review: Then I started reading this book, I was sceptical. Can this author really write a good time travel? Yes she can, this book is wonderful and it has the right combination of history, adventure, time travel and of course romance and the ending promises (hopefully!) that there might be another book!! This book goes directly to my keeper shelf! Thanks to the author for this terrific reading experience!