Official Review: The Messenger from the Mountain

[Kelebogile Mbangi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Messenger from the Mountain" by Sarah Katz.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Messenger from the Mountain is a book by Sarah Katz. It is set in the time period just after World War I and follows a young girl living in a small village on the Thracian coast of Greece. She struggles to reconcile her family's religious beliefs with what she has recently seen and experienced.

After her father dies at war and her mother is violated by enemy soldiers, Alexandra and her sister struggle to find a way to go on. They realize that they have to soldier on for the sake of their mother. Alexandra feels suffocated by the war and its tragic effects. It is in this disillusioned state that she meets a mysterious shepherd on a mountain who bears her four messages. The identity of the messenger baffles her and triggers within her an internal struggle. Could he truly be who he claims to be?

As you have probably gathered from the summary I have given of The Messenger from the Mountain, this is a heavy book with a heavy theme. It exposes war for what it is - a power struggle between rulers that has devastating effects on innocent civilians. We see how Alexandra and her sister are forced into being their mother's caretakers and must make difficult decisions. We see the fear, pain, and loss that survivors of war live with.

I loved that the book did not just focus on the effects of war on Alexandra's people's side. We see how both sides, Greeks and Turks, are scarred and devastated. Alexandra and her sister come into close contact with a young Turk. Through their interactions with him, they realize that the "enemy" is no different from them. This part of the book was beautiful.

The Messenger from the Mountain is a historical fiction book but has elements of fantasy and has a mystique feel to it. There are some scenes that baffled me. I still don't understand their significance completely. Yet, I enjoyed these scenes as they added to the book's mystique feel.

Overall, this was a pleasant book to read. It is emotionally involving and delves deeply into the human psyche. I do not advice it if you are looking for a light read. As mentioned earlier, it carries a heavy, thought-provoking theme. It has very few errors. Thus, I can find no reason to give it less than 4 out of 4 stars. Readers who enjoy Greek mythology will particularly enjoy this book.

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The Messenger from the Mountain
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[Nyambura Githui]

I'm curious to know about the four messages Alexandra receives from the mysterious shepherd. The book sounds interesting. Thank you for the review.

[Taps_0928]

I am also curious about the four messages told to Alexandra. Thank you for the review. Interesting story..

[Brendan Donaghy]

Doesn't sound like a light and lively read! I'm curious as to why there's no book cover with this one. If I was an author trying to promote my book, I'd want to give myself every possible chance of attracting interest in my new book. Not having a cover is a lost opportunity, in my opinion. Thanks for the review!

[ElizaBeth Adams]

I am intrigued by this combination of elements. I love historical fiction and can sometimes get into a good fantasy read. This also appears to have some valuable themes, like seeing how you and your enemy are not really that different after all. I'll have to keep this one in mind. Thanks for your thoughts.

[janinewesterweel]

Thank you for your honest review on this one. While I love historical fiction as a genre, I've just had to give up on one with way too much complicated Greek mythology and ancient Greek characters, names and places. Although you say it's a heavy theme, would you consider it an easy enough read?

[8amaseter]

I can imagine the state of mind of Alexandra's mother; it will be filled with confussion and hopelessness. Her daughters at this moment have to manage her, as they move to fill the vaccum created due to the loss of her husband in the war. Other aspects of the book are also interesting, like the misterous four messages. Great review.

[janinewesterweel]

Doesn't sound like a light and lively read! I'm curious as to why there's no book cover with this one. If I was an author trying to promote my book, I'd want to give myself every possible chance of attracting interest in my new book. Not having a cover is a lost opportunity, in my opinion. Thanks for the review!

We humans are strange creatures. I almost skipped the review on this one myself, simply because there's no book cover!

[kandscreeley]

This definitely sounds a bit heavy for me. War is devastating to both sides; soldiers, though, should NEVER take advantage of their position. Sadly, it does happen. I think I'm going to give this a skip, as it's just too dark for me right now. Thanks, though.

[kdstrack]

The struggle Alexandra has between her faith and what she has experienced in the war is interesting. It would be intriguing to know if the four messages helped her recover her faith. The positive aspects you highlight make the book appealing, in spite of the heavy topics. Thanks for the recommendation!

[Rachel Lea]

I appreciate stories that take war, or any other divisive issue, and show both sides of it equally and fairly, reminding us that people are still people. We all have more in common than we might think we do. Thanks for your review!

[Outlawm]

I’m not sure if this is a book I would enjoy but I am going to recommend it to my daughter. I do enjoy historical fiction but the fantasy part is not appealing to me. Thank you for the review.

[janelwhite]

The character, Alexandra, sounds very interesting and relatable. A historical fiction with elements of fantasy. That is very unique. Thank you for that great review.