4 out of 4 stars
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Yesterday, a novel of reincarnation, is a historical romance fiction. The novel is set in modern-day Chicago, Illinois. The book opens up with Amanda Parker drinking a glass of Merlot, as she communicates with her cat, Oprah. She is talking to her cat about the six stages of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance, and resignation. Then, she sees the tiny lights twinkle in the sky above and she's happy. She realizes she's making progress, as her heart doesn't ache anymore at the sight of a plane. She believes she isn't depressed, nor has she accepted her loss, but she has resigned herself to the aftermath of the accident. Later, she takes a train ride. As she steps out, she sees two mounted Policemen on their horses. She stops to admire them in their spotless Chicago Police Department uniforms, and well-polished buckles and stirrups. She finds herself amazed at how incredibly sexy a Policeman on a horse looks. Then, all of a sudden, there's an accident; one of the Policemen looses control of his horse. Amanda screams and rushes down to save the Policeman, and they end up in each other's arms. That is how she meets Officer Mark Callahan, and the moment Mark meets her startling blue eyes, he feels like he knows her from somewhere. But, how?
The plot of this novel revolves around struggles, mystery, love, history, reincarnation, and the feeling of déjà vu. This is the feeling of familiarity and recollection, like one who has already lived through something before. Determined to find out where they know each other from, they embark on a journey to find the answer. Switching between viewpoints of Amanda and Mark, this historically-imbued tale follows them, as they struggle to find out how they know each other. Amanda comes from a past that is full of losses, and her heart is near a breaking point. Then, there's Mark: a Policeman, arrogant and charismatic in personality, but extremely sweet when he wants to be. They go together like fire and ice; one to keep the other in check, and vice versa. Mark falls in love with Amanda and he finds himself really crazy about her. It is his patience, and determination to win her over, that keeps them together.
In the quest to find answers to their questions, and to quench the déjà vu feeling, Samyann traces the story, back in time, to the 1800s. The author weaves the Chicago Fire of 1871, and the climate of the Civil War, into this novel; giving these events new lives, through the character of Bonnie. At the height of the Civil War, a young woman, Bonnie, and her cousin, Jack, are saved by two freed slaves; Ben and Magdalene. This happens after Bonnie's father dies. Though Bonnie endures the Chicago Fire and experiences losses, her fate is closely tied to Amanda's. Both women associate certain events, feelings and even people they know, with the chimes of St Michael. Bonnie hears the bells during her lifetime, and Amanda hears the tune from an antique clock she buys, not long after she meets Mark.
The language of the book is very simple, but the complexity of the ideas presented shows the author did a very thorough research. Samyann did the events justice in conveying those historical details with precision. The time travel of the soul makes the story very intriguing. At every past life regression, the reader holds on to his/her breath, and wonders what will happen next. Also, at each past life regression, the element of suspense is built, as the reader is eager to know what will be revealed in that particular session. There are no editing errors, as I believe the author must have corrected that before now. The characters are well-developed, and the reader can relate to every emotion portrayed by these characters. I'm impressed with the thorough historical research the author has done in order to create the plot. The last few pages, that remark on some of the historical facts, turned out to be beautiful additions.
I enjoyed this book very much because, besides the theme of love, I found the novel extremely educative. For this reason, in addition to the fact that there were no errors, I rate the novel Yesterday a perfect 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to all the historical romance and time-travel-stories lovers because the book is a treat for believers of fate and everlasting love.
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Yesterday
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I had some spare time and decided to read this one. I do love the book. It's amazing.
