4 out of 4 stars
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Yesterday: A Novel of Reincarnation is about the relationship between Amanda Parker, a young woman living in Chicago, and mounted police officer, Mark Callahan, whose life she saves after an “L” train derailment. There is plenty of action right from the start as Amanda and Mark first meet. It is clear from the beginning that they are strongly attracted to one another. But, Amanda is reluctant to let herself get close to anyone new as she has lost so many loved ones including, most recently, her fiancé. Yet, Mark is determined to find a way to gain Amanda’s trust. As he comes to know her better, Mark begins to uncover the reasons for her reluctance and becomes nearly obsessed with helping her work through her vulnerabilities. Assisting the two young lovers is Amanda’s godmother, Mary, who resides in the apartment upstairs from Amanda. Mary is always on hand to provide a comforting cup of tea and words of wisdom. Mary is quite fun to read because her salty language subtly lets the reader know she is not just a sweet little old lady.
With Mary’s help, Mark and Amanda explore the sometimes erratic path of getting to know one another. I enjoyed the way Mark and Amanda feel a strong connection and a sense of deja vu leading them to explore the possibility that they have known each other in a previous life or maybe multiple lives. At the same time the story offers just the right amount of tension to keep the reader turning the page quickly. The unraveling of the entwined connections through the Civil War and the Great Chicago Fire was a delight to follow.
The one small drawback for me was the too brief mention of Mark’s family at a critical time. It did not seem believable to me and left me feeling that perhaps leaving them out would have been better. I was left wanting to know more about them, their reactions to Amanda and to the situation.
I was drawn to this book because of the dual timelines and the theme of reincarnation. I was not disappointed. The author presented these themes through past life regression sessions that were intriguing and conceivable. Thankfully, the discussions on reincarnation and past lives were more matter-of-fact than mystical or “woo-woo”. Yesterday entertains on several levels while offering the reader likable, plausible characters. I love historical romance that is stuffed with great details and well-researched facts and this book had both. The action scenes were described quite vividly and were believable. The details drew me in so that I felt I was there in the South and especially in Chicago, both past and present. There is good balance between the time spent in present day scenes and historical scenes, which kept me interested in both.
I would love to see Mark and Amanda explore other past lives. More of Mary’s colorful character would be great also! Because I wanted more of this well written story, I feel this book deserves four out of four stars.
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Yesterday
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