Lilianna: The Edge of Paradise by Dolores Savannah Ponin (Daughters of the Distant Shores Book 3)

 

Published by Dolores Savannah Books
Poland 2026
Original title: Podróż po miłość. Liliana #3
 

Most of us associate Florida with warm beaches, scuba diving, sunny and stress-free vacations or luxury neighborhoods located in large cities. However, it is important to remember that Florida also has a very rich history, which can be seen in each of its towns. Florida's history also includes extremely interesting people who once spent sometimes even long years of their lives there. Probably one of the most famous figures is Ernest Miller Hemingway (1899-1961), an American writer who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1956 for his short story The Old Man and the Sea. In turn, two years earlier the writer was honored with the Nobel Prize for Literature.
 
Ernest Hemingway was born in the American state of Illinois in the town of Oak Park. There he spent the first years of his childhood, during which he began to create his first literary works. These were primarily texts published in school newspapers, but most likely paved the way for his career as a journalist. In the 1920s Hemingway was already a member of the Literary Avant-Garde. The writer also wanted to join the ranks of the U.S. Army, but due to his health he was denied admission, which was a relief to his parents, who were strongly against it. Nevertheless, after some time he got his way and enlisted in the Red Cross. As a result, he found himself on the Italian front. He returned to the United States in 1920 and then began his serious struggle with literature. His works eventually saw the light of day. During an extremely impressive career, he worked as a journalist and foreign correspondent for the Toronto Star newspaper, working in Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, Germany, Italy and France. In 1922, Ernest Hemingway even interviewed Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) while he was still holding the office of prime minister. During the Spanish Civil War, as well as during World War II, the writer was a correspondent on behalf of the North American Newspaper Alliance agency. He also traveled to Hong Kong, China and Burma as a correspondent.

Ernest Hemingway and his second wife, Pauline Marie Pfeiffer, in Paris in 1927.

Ernest Hemingway's biography is extremely rich, while his life experiences had a huge impact on his literary works. He wrote most of his works based on his own experiences, changing only the names of the main characters. Such novels as A Farewell to Arms, The Sun Also Rises and the short stories To Whom the Bell Tolls and the aforementioned The Old Man and the Sea followed exactly this pattern. Ernest Hemingway was married four times, which was effectively denied him. He also had three sons. The writer's first wife was Elizabeth Hadley Richardson (1891-1979). The marriage lasted from 1921 to 1927. Then the writer married Pauline Marie Pfeiffer (1895-1951), with whom he lived for thirteen years (1927-1940). Hemingway's third wife was Martha Gellhorn (1908-1998), with whom he was only five years (1940-1945). The writer was married the longest to Mary Welsh (1908-1986). Their marriage lasted from 1946 to 1961, the day Hemingway died.
 
The relationship with his second wife led to Ernest Hemingway's association with Florida and the town of Key West. It was with Pauline Marie Pfeiffer and his two sons that he spent most of the year in a cottage on Key West. His stay there lasted ten years, and began quite innocently. One day the writer stayed there, returning home from an overseas trip. The car that was supposed to be substituted so that Hemingway could continue his trip simply did not arrive in time. He was then offered a temporary stay on the island. Ernest liked it there so much that he settled in Key West for years, which had quite an impact on his personal and professional life. Hemingway was so enchanted by this unusual place that he used to say about it that he felt on Key West as if he were in a completely different country. So there was nothing left for him to do but live there. His long stay on the island inspired him with great enthusiasm. In turn, the house where he lived allowed him to divide his time between writing, hunting and fishing. It was from there that he sometimes ventured to Cuba to catch bigger and better fish. He also loved hunting, for which he went to the less populated areas of Wyoming and Montana. He made these kinds of trips on his beloved boat named Pilar. However, he didn't just use it for hiking or fishing. Reaching an agreement with the American embassy in Cuba, the writer also participated in a civilian counter-intelligence operation and conducted patrol cruises to find Nazi submarines. Nevertheless, none of these actions had the desired effect.

Ernest Hemingway’s house in Key West, Florida, where he wrote, among
other works, the novel To Have and Have Not.
Photo by Andreas Lamecker

 
Not insignificant for Ernest Hemingway was also the local bar Sloppy Joe's, which was located at 201 Duval Street and later secretly moved to 428 Green Street. It was there that the writer spent his free time with his buddies, drinking and having fun away from the lights of literary glitter. The owner of the bar was a certain Joe Russell, who in time became the writer's closest friend. It was in this bar after Hemingway's death that the then unpublished fragments of the manuscript of his novel To Have and Have Not, whose main character, Freddy, possesses the qualities of Joe Russell, were found. In addition to the text of the book, several of Ernest Hemingway's personal belongings were also discovered there. At Sloppy Joe's bar Ernest Hemingway also met his third wife, Martha Gellhorn.

Ernest Hemingway's presence on the island of Key West has been felt ever since. The villa at 907 Whitehead Street, where the writer lived with his wife Pauline, is open to the public and is a kind of museum. Anyone can go to the Key West house as a tour participant. One can visit the living area there, as well as the study where Hemingway created. The museum allows visitors to go back in time and see items that witnessed the presence of one of America's most talented writers. When visiting the home of Ernest Hemingway, one can even touch the items in question, which were once touched by the writer himself. These objects repeatedly provided him with inspiration and helped him with his writing.

Sloppy Joe’s Bar, where Ernest Hemingway spent a great deal of time during
his stay in Key West.
The photo was taken in 1986.

 
Why did I write so extensively about Ernest Hemingway? Well, I did so because he is one of the protagonists of the third volume of the trilogy by Dolores Savannah Ponin. First the author introduced the readers to the figure of the medieval Persian poet Rumi (1207-1273), then there was the Russian painter-mariner of Armenian origin – Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900), while this time it is Ernest Hemingway, who most of us probably associate with the school reading The Old Man and the Sea. The writer is not the main character here, while Dolores Savannah Ponin focuses only on his stay on the island of Key West. From the book we do not learn how the writer's life was before arriving in Florida and after leaving it.
 
The narrative in Lilianna is carried out in two directions, so that the reader can observe the collision of two completely different worlds. On the one hand, we have the modern years and a kind of rat race connected with work in a certain multinational corporation, while on the other hand there are the interwar years and then the period of World War II. What happens in the present day concerns Marta, who is a successful woman. She works in a multinational corporation and is in charge of the Public Relations department. Her co-workers respect her a lot and count on her opinion, but Martha seems to feel that something is wrong despite everything. She has been feeling tired of her job for some time and somewhere subconsciously realizes that maybe it's finally high time to change something. When we observe Marta from the sidelines like this, we can easily come to the conclusion that the woman is not happy in life. However, a glittering career, prestige and big money are not enough to be able to say that she is satisfied with her life. One can also get the impression that she does her work like a programmed automaton.
 
One day Marta's father puts into her hands his mother's diary, which the latter began writing when she was still young, and she was very anxious that after her death this diary should go to Marta. Why? What is hidden in these notes that they are to prove so important to Lilianna's granddaughter? As a reminder, let me add that Lilianna is Maria's daughter, whom readers met in the second volume of the trilogy, and Emilia's granddaughter from volume one. Thus, throughout the trilogy we meet as many as five generations of the same family, which includes four generations of women and one male generation, which is represented by Marta's father. But let's return to the late Lilianna's diary. As Marta begins to read it, her world gradually begins to change. Using the leave she is entitled to at work, the woman sets out in her grandmother's footsteps and travels to Florida, specifically to the island of Key West, where for Lilianna it all really began. Marta follows not only Lilianna's footsteps, but also those of Ernest Hemingway himself, who played no small role in her grandmother's life. So will Marta, like her grandmother, find the love of her life there? Or will this trip turn out to be only a huge disappointment? Maybe such digging up of the past is completely unnecessary?

One of Ernest Hemingway’s great passions was catching large fish.
He practically hunted them as if they were wild animals, which he also loved.
In this 1935 photograph, the writer is seen with his wife Pauline and their sons.

Each of Dolores Savannah Ponin's novels has a certain unique atmosphere. In Emilia the reader experiences the peculiar atmosphere of the Orient, in Maria it is the distinctive climate of 19th century Crimea with the Crimean War in the background, while Lilianna fascinates with the specific atmosphere of 1930s America and the interwar period in Poland. The island of Key West – both past and present – is described with remarkable accuracy. The character of Ernest Hemingway is sketched to show not so much his creative work, but, above all, what kind of man he was and what really fascinated him and what bored him. The writer as seen through the eyes of the author is unlikely to arouse the sympathy of the reader, if that reader is a woman. It is possible that men would look at him differently, but for a woman he is a mere egoist looking only and exclusively at himself and interested in his own needs. He treats women objectively and only needs them so that he can feel valued. In retrospect, it may be surprising how much success Ernest Hemingway had with the opposite sex. Apparently, despite his flaws, he must have had some kind of latent magnetism in him that attracted women to him so much that they failed to see that the writer was simply playing on their feelings and, in a sense, exploiting them.
 
As for Marta and Lilianna, it would be fair to say that they are strong women who on the one hand have a lot in common, but on the other hand share just as much. Do they have a similar character? In some situations, indeed, between grandmother and granddaughter one can see some similarities. It is not clear how Marta would behave if she were in Lilianna's place, and vice versa. After all, each era has different social norms to which one would have to conform. Although Lilianna lived in an era that we associate with adherence to specific conventions, her attitude to the world began to change as soon as she left the family home. What she experienced in Vilnius was indeed extremely difficult for Lilianna and incomprehensible even to herself. It is possible that when going to America she wanted a change and did everything to make it happen, regardless of the consequences of her overly bold actions. One gets the impression, therefore, that her family home and Vilna environment incredibly restricted her, not allowing her to show herself as she really was. Marta, on the other hand, is a bit more reserved in her feelings, which may have something to do with the work she does. Holding a high position, after all, she is forced to constantly control her behavior, as all she has to do is forget once and read about it in the press the next day. Therefore, everything she does that is not related to work she does in secret.

And this is how people had fun at Sloppy Joe’s in the 1930s.
Painting by Waldo Peirce (1884–1970)

 
Lilianna, like perhaps none of the previous parts of the trilogy, has a very important message about the modern busy man. Namely, it is about freedom in what we do every day. I'll admit that while reading this book, I began to wonder if I was actually comfortable where I am at the moment. Or maybe something should be changed? Maybe my work is only limiting and overwhelming me, taking up too much of my time, leaving me short of time to pursue my passions? It is known that a lot depends on the reality in which we live. It is not always the case that we can suddenly drop everything and take up only what gives us pleasure and satisfaction. But on the other hand, it is sometimes worth considering whether we are going down the right path and whether, by chance, in a few years we will not regret that we did not dare to change something in our lives.

Agnes Anne Rose

translator, essayist, journalist, author

 
 

 

Maria: Light over Crimea by Dolores Savannah Ponin (Daughters of the Distant Shores Book 2)

 

Published by Dolores Savannah Books

Poland 2026

Original title: Podróż po miłość. Maria #2

Before true Russian landscape painting capturing a realistic vision of native nature was created and developed, by a strange twist of fate Russian art received a great marine painter named Ivan Aivazovsky. The artist came from an Armenian family living in Crimea. He was a pupil of Maksim Vorobyov (1787-1855). The painter devoted himself to seascape from the very beginning of his artistic career, while specializing in this subject, he played a huge role in the development of Russian painting. Ivan Aivazovsky created a plethora of paintings over the course of his long career, combining the traditions of classical landscape composition layout with realistic fidelity of detail. In these paintings, the elemental elements always and everywhere are water, air and light.
 
The romantic mood of Ivan Aivazovsky's paintings is mainly due to the ever-new juxtaposition of daylight or moonlight, as well as the play of the sea waters, which sometimes calmly overflow into the boundless distance or again the raging boats, ships and castaways in the midst of huge waves threatening from all sides. Incidentally, the painter associates with the sea its shores, the port cities of Crimea or Sevastopol's war port, or depicts naval battles, thus celebrating the victories of the Russian naval fleet. Among Ivan Aivazovsky's works there is also no shortage of compositions on biblical themes. On the other hand, the painter achieves the strongest effects in contrastingly composed paintings that show the struggle between light and darkness, which is an essential motif of them.

Ivan Aivazovsky (1817–1900)
The portrait was created in 1841.
Artist: Alexey Tyranov (1808–1859)

Ivan Aivazovsky's most famous painting is The Ninth Wave, which is a shoreless foaming and agitated sea and a sky covered with clouds from beyond which sunlight shines through, while in the foreground is a group of castaways on a wave-swept, broken and shattered mast. The group of castaways appears remarkably small against the backdrop of a huge wave and a mountain of water that could flood it at any moment.
 
Despite his numerous travels, Ivan Aivazovsky worked best in his hometown of Theodosia, where he even built a house right on the seashore, having the best conditions to create there. In addition to his artistic work, the painter also devoted himself to social activities. Indeed, he opened an Art School and an Art Gallery. He created his own unique style. He never made sketches from nature, yet his works breathe authenticity; his storms and sea mornings let you feel the great and deep sensitivity and perceptiveness of the artist himself.
 
In the 1850s, the artist painted pictures filled with romanticism and the struggle of the individual against the immeasurable and untamed nature. In turn, the 1870s brought him criticism from, among others, Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881), who compared Ivan Aivazovsky to the French writer – Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870), claiming that “the works of both gentlemen are done for ordinary effect, because they do not reproduce ordinary things, they despise ordinary things.” During the same period, the painter began to take an interest in realism, which became apparent in his works. He also established a relationship with the Peripheral Artists, or the Society of Traveling Exhibitions, who promoted national art that presented social problems, poverty, backwardness and persecution.
 
During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, Ivan Aivazovsky painted paintings related to it. On the other hand, in the 1880s, when neo-romanticism was in vogue in Europe, the artist painted a series of paintings about Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), thus returning to the romantic marinas. These paintings show the element of water and immense power. About Black Sea (1881) Ivan Krmskoy (1837-1887), who privately had no sympathy for Aivazovsky, said: “In this painting there is nothing but sky and water, but the water is a boundless ocean, not stirred up, but swaying, menacing, infinite, and the sky, if that is possible is even more boundless. This is one of the greatest images I have ever seen in my life.”

The Ninth Wave (1850)
Artist: Ivan Aivazovsky

Ivan Aivazovsky is one of the characters in the second volume of Dolores Savannah Ponin's trilogy. In addition to the painter, the reader also meets other historical figures on the pages of the novel, but it is Ivan Aivazovsky who plays a significant role here. The others are placed, as if in the background. In Maria it is not really clear which of the leading characters can be considered the main protagonist. It would seem logical for it to be the titular Maria. But are we sure? After all, there is also Emilia, whose fate, as it turns out, did not end at all in the previous volume. There is also her friend Nadire, who knows and understands more than one might think. And there is also the aforementioned Ivan Aivazovsky.
 
This time Dolores Savannah Ponin again takes us on a journey to Turkey, but nevertheless most of the action takes place in the Crimea in Theodosia, where Emilia finally ended up after various life setbacks and tragedies. It was here at the side of Ivan Aivazovsky that the woman arranged her life. However, please do not equate this relationship with romance, as Emilia's relationship with Ivan operates on completely different principles. The reader will also be able to visit St. Petersburg and Paris, and finally end up in Vilnius.
 
It would probably be appropriate at this point to focus on the title character. Who is Maria? Well, Maria is the daughter of Emilia. Some time has passed since the events recounted in volume one. Emilia's daughter is a young girl who stands on the threshold of adulthood. The girl knows no other life than the one in Theodosia surrounded by Tartars and, of course, Uncle Ivan, who has no small influence on her career. One day Aivazovsky decided that he needed a place where he could meet his friends without endangering his wife, who is somehow not very fond of the company haunting the painter's home. Since the political situation in Russia is not interesting, so many want to discuss it. Two fundamental camps are forming, as it were. One is staunch supporters of the tsar, while in the other are his opponents, who still want the death of the ruler. There are also those who are actually indifferent to everything that is going on around them.

The Caucasus (1863)
Artist: Ivan Aivazovsky

And that's how the guesthouse was created, the management of which the painter put in the hands of Emilia. Do not ask me how it happened that Emilia found herself in Theodosia, because I am not going to reveal that. This situation consisted of a number of various events, about which the author does not fail to tell the reader. The narrative is carried out in two directions. On the one hand, we have Maria, who tells us about herself and her life, while on the other, a third-person narrator reports to us the facts about Emilia. As for the historical background, it is, of course, the Crimean War (1853-1856), as well as the actions of revolutionaries, which ultimately led to the assassination of Tsar Alexander II on March 13, 1881.
 
Maria is a novel written in an identical climate as Emilia. Some of the plots that the author started in volume one find their finale here, such as the British plot. During the reading, the reader again has the opportunity to move to the magical world of fairy tales, in which characters familiar to us from history live. On the pages of the book we also meet strictly fictional characters. I must admit that I have always liked this kind of combination of pure fiction and truth. In my opinion, it is a great art to write a story where events from the lives of fictional characters are woven into the fate of authentic characters. Dolores Savannah Ponin did it perfectly.

Brig Mercury Attacked by Two Turkish Ships (1892)
Artist: Ivan Aivazovsky

It should also be added that Maria's characters experience a variety of emotions. In this case, this issue is probably much more developed than in Emilia. Growing up Maria experiences a series of situations that will eventually shape her personality. The girl, like her mother, seeks happiness, but places her feelings not where they should be. The same should be said of Emilia. Loneliness sometimes makes a person take actions that actually only harm him or even lead to tragedy. Sometimes many years have to pass before we can say that we are finally happy. Life can really surprise us, which is exactly what we see in this novel. On the one hand, we are reconciled to the situation and it seems to us that nothing will change anymore, but on the other hand, life writes its own script anyway. In addition, the characters make decisions that only on the surface may seem good. As a result, they can negatively affect the lives of those who are important and whom one loves. 

Finally, I would like to draw attention to the artistry of Dolores Savannah Ponin's writing. The author has a fantastic style that draws you in from the first page. She uses language that is simple and understandable to any reader. She does not introduce linguistic quirks, which sometimes appear in books by other authors. This and the perfectly created plot make Dolores Savannah Ponin's novels a pleasure to read. 

Agnes Anne Rose

translator, essayist, journalist, author

 

Emilia: Under the Sky of Rumi by Dolores Savannah Ponin (Daughters of the Distant Shores Book 1)

 

Published by Dolores Savannah Books

Poland 2026

Original title: Podróż po miłość. Emilia #1

Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi was born on September 30, 1207 in Balch, a city belonging to the province of Khorasan located in Central Asia and lying within such countries as Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Rumi's father was a teacher and preacher, while his grandfather was a famous scholar. The poet's mother, on the other hand, was related to the rulers of Khorezm, a historical land located on the Amu-daria River in present-day Uzbekistan. When Rumi was still a child, his parents left Balch because they feared the approaching armies of Genghis Khan (1155 or 1162-1227). So they headed west to Anatolia, a historical land that is part of present-day Turkey and lies on the Asia Minor peninsula. Eventually they arrived in Konya, where they decided to settle permanently. Rumi's father took a teaching job there in a madrassa, where he taught Islamic sciences. Jalaluddin studied under him, while after his death he took his parent's place.
 
At the same time, Rumi began to take a serious interest in Sufism. His genius for mystical meditations clearly manifested itself after meeting Shamsuddin Tabriz (1185-1248). This happened in 1244. It was because of Shamsuddin that the fire of mystical love began to burn in Rumi's heart, which further stimulated the poet's imagination. His outstanding talent continues to this day to be the way of the Sufi in his quest for Unity with the Beloved. Shams of Tabriz possessed an extremely expansive personality and great strength of spirit. An astonishingly strong spiritual bond developed between him and Rumi, to the detriment of the poet's family, as well as his students and friends. Rumi spent his days meditating and talking with Shams. The intensity of these feelings led him to consider Shams the creator of divine love.

Jalǎl al-Dĩn Mahammad Rũmĩ (1207-1273)

The most important point of Rumi's message was the notion that love is the power that inspires the universe. In turn, the universe, properly understood, is a harmonious whole whose individual elements are interconnected with the help of God-centered love. A human being created as a part of this shapely whole, or rather as its culmination, can achieve not only inner harmony, but also harmony with the universe, only if he learns to love God. Love will lead him not only to love his neighbor, but to love the entire divine creation.
 
For Rumi, as well as for all Sufis, drawing closer to God is the path to true fulfillment in life. The unparalleled beauty of reflecting this truth in poetry contributed greatly to his immense popularity. With identical accuracy, Rumi described the joy of closeness to God and the sorrow caused by moving away from Him. Rumi – like other Sufi poets – depicts God as the Beloved, while he defines the human soul as seeking its bridegroom, or God. Jalal ad-Din ar-Rumi was certainly a master of capturing, understanding and depicting the gravity of man's experience of moving away and losing God.
 
The figure of Rumi and his life described by the poet's son is really only the background of the plot of Dolores Savannah Ponin's debut novel. However, one cannot pass by indifferently the events that took place in the Middle Ages and concerned this outstanding Persian mystic. They constitute, as it were, a link between two eras: the Middle Ages and Romanticism. On the other hand, however, it is safe to say that a twenty-year-old heroine named Emilia, who seems to lead a really stable life, comes to the fore here. For the year is 1842, Poland is practically non-existent, having been torn apart by the invaders, while the effects of the November Uprising are still acutely felt. Whatever is Polish and connected with literature and art has found refuge in France. Paris, on the other hand, is a place where Polishness thrives. Turkey is also not without significance in this context.

Ludwika Śniadecka (1802-1866)
A Polish activist in Turkey during the Partition period.
Watercolor by S. Prószyński; the portrait was created in 1825.

 
Nevertheless, Emilia Konarska does not actively participate in all this, as she has taken refuge in a convent. It is behind its walls that she has found safety and shelter from the world. The girl is just before her final vows, while the mother superior has extremely serious plans for her. Although the strict convent rule significantly restricts her freedom, Emilia does not complain at all. She seems to think that this is the way it must be. She lost her father in the November Uprising, or at least she thinks he died, while her mother, as a result of various tragic events, also died. So what else is left for Emilia but to dedicate her life to God?
 
When Emilia thinks that nothing will really change in her convent life anymore, then quite unexpectedly a Tartar appears in the convent, who claims that the girl's father did not die in the uprising after all. He is alive, but is in captivity and needs outside help to get out of there. Since love for her father overshadows everything for Emilia, the girl does not think long about taking further steps. With the permission of her Mother Superior, she leaves the convent walls with the hope of returning soon. She only wants to get her father out of captivity, and then return to the convent life and carry out the plans of her prioress. Will this actually happen? Is Emilia Konarska's destiny really to live a life of confinement behind convent walls? What did such a fate have in store for her? Was Selim Akhmatovich's visit accidental? Or was it fate that sent him so that Emilia, thanks to this, would understand what her true vocation is?
 
In addition to the series of events and adventures experienced by the individual characters in the novel, the reader clearly sees the intermingling of two cultures, namely Western-Christian and Eastern-Muslim. In this case, Islam, based on the teachings of Rumi, is a faith that is characterized primarily by love, which is a faith that is friendly to the other, so that many barriers are removed. What really matters is love, which can work wonders. This feeling is the most important both in the context of the events unfolding in the medieval era and having to do with Rumi, and in relation to the situation existing in the 19th century, when Emilia Konarska lives and struggles with her life problems.

Michał Czajkowski (1804-1886)
An émigré independence activist in Turkey;
founder of Adampol - a Polish settlement near Istanbul.

 
As the author devotes a lot of space to the culture of the East, the reader has the opportunity to learn about the customs and way of life of people who follow Islam. In addition to fictional characters, on the pages of the book we also meet typical historical figures. Among them are not only the already mentioned Rumi and his friend Shams of Tabriz, but also Ludwika Śniadecka (1802-1886) or Michał Czajkowski (1804-1886). There is also mention of Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855), or the English Queen Victoria (1819-1901). In this connection, mention should also be made of the British plot, which Dolores Savannah Ponin introduced into the novel's plot in order to make it more interesting.
 
I must admit that I found it difficult to tear myself away from this book. While reading, I got the impression as if the author had transported me to some fairy-tale land, where life goes on according to its own rules, and the characters are seemingly familiar to us from history, and yet completely unlike them. Some kind of hard-to-identify atmosphere surrounds them. I once read an excellent book aimed at young people by a German writer – Antonia Michaelis. The novel was titled Tiger Moon (in German: Tigermond). It is a typical fairy tale with elements of Eastern culture. So I couldn't help thinking that between Dolores Savannah Ponin's work and Antonia Michaelis' book one could put an equal sign, although the two novels differ in plot and creation of characters. What they have in common, however, is that special atmosphere that can really work wonders in the reader's life.
 
In my opinion, Daughters of the Distant Shores trilogy is a kind of breath of fresh air on the Polish publishing market and generally among the works of our domestic authors. It is an excellent read for those who like moral novels with history in the background, as well as for readers who prefer family sagas. If, on the other hand, such a slightly fairy-tale climate is close to someone's heart, then of course they should reach for Emilia.

Agnes Anne Rose

translator, essayist, journalist, author

 

“Settling Accounts” by Iwona Kienzler

I read the book thanks to the author's courtesy. 

Thank you!

 

Published by Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd

London ⁎ Cambridge ⁎ New York ⁎ Sharjah

Original title: Uppgőrelser på Gotland

Two daughters of a prominent Swedish politician head to Alanya on the Turkish Riviera for a holiday, accompanied by the elder daughter’s boyfriend. In the picturesque resort, they befriend a charming young man who takes a special interest in the younger sister. But idyllic vacations never last. The elder sister and her boyfriend mysteriously vanish, and days later, their bodies are discovered. The murder of a politician’s daughter and her partner shocks the nation, but the crime goes unsolved for years. That is, until the younger sister comes face-to-face with the killer. Meanwhile, their father – a well-known Swedish figure – refuses to wait for justice. Investigators Klaudia Jassem and Erik Lindberg are drawn into a complex case that unfolds into not just a double, but a quadruple murder. Blending political intrigue, social commentary on contemporary Sweden, and a gripping romantic subplot, this thriller will captivate readers from start to finish. How far would you go to protect your family? With twists that linger long after the final page, this novel promises to ignite discussion and leave a lasting impression.

Settling Accounts by Iwona Kienzler – a Polish writer best known to Polish readers for her historical biographies and series of books about the British Royal Family – is a gripping crime novel that masterfully combines suspense with an excellent description of the setting. In addition, it is a story that is intriguing on the one hand and sophisticated on the other. The daughters of a well-known Swedish politician enjoy the beauty of sun-bathed Alanya, only to be suddenly thrown into a world of darkness and mystery when their holiday proves tragic in its consequences. The juxtaposition of the idyllic holiday atmosphere with unexplained deaths and successive disappearances is striking and sets the scene for a plot-complicated thriller.

The individual characters are brilliantly created, especially the sisters, whose relationships with each other are put to the test by dramatic events. The tragic end of the older sister and the ensuing chaos not only act as a catalyst for the narrative, but also underline how quickly one's world can be turned upside down, which is palpably felt throughout the novel. Jan Wetterberg, a devastated father, becomes the embodiment of parental desperation as he sets out to find truth and justice, which – as a thriller read – demonstrates the author's remarkable ability to create emotionally resonant characters.

The shift of the narrative from Turkey to Gotland adds another fascinating layer to the story, creating a sense of dislocation and intrigue. The author makes excellent use of her experiences gained during her time on Gotland, adding colour and depth to the setting while hinting at the darker aspects of the place. The island, often associated with opulence, is a stark contrast to the mysteries hiding there, making for a fascinating backdrop to the unfolding story.

Iwona Kienzler's writing is crisp and engaging, making the reader fall into a web of intrigue from which it is difficult to escape. The twists and turns keep the viewer hooked, and the investigative duo of Klaudia Jassem and Erik Lindberg provide a familiar but effective framework for the detective genre. Their pursuit of the truth brings a sense of suspense to the plot, especially when it intertwines with Wetterberg's personal vendetta.

While the novel touches on themes of loss, guilt and the search for answers, it also prompts readers to reflect on the consequences of unsolved mysteries – the ever-present shadows of the past. Iwona Kienzler deftly navigates these themes without overshadowing the plot, allowing the story to unfold at a pace that keeps readers engaged until the final page.

In short, Settling Accounts is an exceptional crime novel that demonstrates Iwona Kienzler's talent for creating complex plots with richly detailed character descriptions and atmospheric settings. It is a story that resonates on many levels, balancing personal grief with a relentless pursuit of justice. Intended for fans of the genre and those looking for an engaging read, it firmly establishes the author's position as a notable voice in contemporary crime fiction.

In 2023, the novel was originally published in Swedish, while it is now premiering in English. This year, the book was also published in Polish by the Polish Publishing House LIRA. So if you would like to read my review in Polish, please click here.

Agnes Anne Rose

translator, essayist, journalist, author

 

 

When I am writing, I try not to think of anything else except for the characters ...

INTERVIEW WITH LUCINDA RILEY

BY AGNES A. ROSE

Lucinda Riley was born in Ireland and she lived for the first six years of her life in a tiny village called Drumbeg. Lucinda and her family moved across to England where she started school. Being a child, if she wasn’t reading and writing stories or at ballet lessons, she was dressing up in her mother’s old ball gowns the moment she came home from school and becoming a princess, with a storyline that could last for weeks. When she was nine years old, she played a child murderess in “The Bad Seed”. At fourteen, she went to London to full-time dance and drama school. At sixteen, she got a leading role in the BBC television series called “The Story of the Treasure Seekers”. And for the next seven years, she acted professionally in theatre and TV. She also got married to an actor. At twenty-three, she fell ill. Then she turned to her imagination to help her through and while in bed, she wrote her first book, “Lovers and Players”. One of her friends read it and passed it onto an agent. Finally, she was offered a three-book contract. So far she has written many books but the most popular seems to be “The Seven Sisters Series”. A few weeks ago “The Butterfly Room” was released in Poland.

Agnes Anne Rose: Thank you so much that you accepted my invitation to take part in this interview. I am very honored that I can host you here and talk to you. As most of authors you also started writing stories when you were a child. Could you tell us something more about it?

Lucinda Riley: Writing has always been a passion of mine since I was a small child — I was always making up stories, and when I later worked as an actress, I would re-write my character’s plot in my head. However, I didn’t start writing in earnest until I was 22.

© Roni Rekomaa

AAR: As I mentioned above, “The Seven Sisters Series” seems to be the most popular of all your books. How did you come up with the idea for this series?

LR: In January 2013, I was searching for my next story but wanted to find an overarching angle to add another element to my past/present writing, something that would challenge and excite me – and my readers. I had always watched the stars – especially the Seven Sisters in the belt of Orion, and on that frosty night in North Norfolk, I looked up to the heavens, and, thinking also of our own children, came up with the idea for a seven book series based allegorically on the legends of the Seven Sisters constellation.

AAR: Which part of the above novel series did you write the easiest and which one was the most difficult to write?

LR: The easiest book in the series was the first – Maia’s story. The most challenging has been the most recent one, ‘The Sun Sister’, Electra’s story. With each book, the series gets more complex, not only in terms of the themes and the historical content, but also in terms of the plot itself – there are so many strands that I have to mentally keep hold of, and now at Book 6, the mysteries are all beginning to come to a conclusion… although I can’t give any secrets away just yet. You’ll have to wait for Book 7!

This is the Polish edition of 

The Girl on the Cliff

Published by ALBATROS

Translated by Marzenna Rączkowska

AAR: I have read most of your books published in Polish. The first one was “The Girl on the Cliff”. What inspired you to write such a moving story?

LR: My inspiration is always sparked by an evocative location that begins the 'feeling'. I was born in Ireland and lived in West Cork and loved its windswept rawness. Extreme locations are always exciting to me because they are dramatic and of course, romantic. The thought of a vulnerable child, barefoot and alone during the Atlantic storms that used to break with such fury when I lived there with my own small children, gave me the character of Aurora, the narrator of the book.

AAR: Your next book that left the greatest impression on me was “The Angel Tree”. I couldn’t stop thinking about it for a very long time. In this book, you focus on very difficult relationships between a mother and a daughter. Why did you decide to tell your readers this kind of story and how much difficult it was for you to create Cheska?

LR: I met some fascinating characters during my time as a young actress, on the London stage and in film and television. Actors, in particular, tend to be a tortured bunch, with the ‘public’ face often very different to the reality of the human being behind it. Unless of course, they start to believe their own myth and the fantasy world they inhabit, as Cheska does. When I met my husband Stephen some years after I wrote the book, I found out that he had known someone very much like Cheska… I’d also experienced being in the spotlight and have a number of close friends who are famous in their field or married to someone who is, so I’ve learned first hand how fame can affect people. The whole concept of fame terrifies me, so when I was writing about Cheska and the extremes of her fame and lack of freedom, I put a lot of my own fears into that. To be honest, I have no idea why anyone would go out of their way to seek fame for its own sake like today’s reality TV stars seem to do. I treasure and protect my private life and my family – they’re what keeps me sane.

AAR: Your first book “Lovers and Players” you wrote as Lucinda Edmonds. It tells about the lives and love of three young women. What made you write your first book? Can your readers still buy it even though it was published almost thirteen years ago?

LR: I began to write ‘Lovers and Players’ at 22 when I became ill with glandular fever. As I was not able to work, the novel was completed in one fell swoop and was mainly inspired by my experiences of living in London and the people I had met. It’s currently out of print, although I do have a copy of it on my shelf… perhaps one day I’ll take a look at it again and re-write it.

AAR: Why did you stop writing books under the name Lucinda Edmonds?

LR: I got married in 2000 and decided to focus completely on my family of four children… although that didn’t stop me from simply writing for myself! During that time, I wrote a few manuscripts, some of which eventually became ‘The Olive Tree’ and ‘The Butterfly Room’, and used my married name of Lucinda Riley from that point.

This is the Polish edition of 

The Butterfly Room

Published by ALBATROS

Translated by Anna Esden-Tempska

AAR: A few weeks ago “The Butterfly Room” was released in Poland. I read on the Internet that some of your readers even compare it with “The Forsythe Saga”. In their opinion, your novel is layered, complex, fascinating and deeply satisfying. How do you remember your work on this book?

LR: ‘The Butterfly Room’ began its life as a manuscript I wrote almost ten years ago called ‘Red Admiral’, which is a type of butterfly. I decided to revisit it after finishing ‘The Moon Sister’ in 2018. At first, I thought it would be a ‘light’ summer project – something to take my mind off the more challenging Seven Sisters series. However, as ‘The Butterfly Room’ developed, I found myself rewriting the entire manuscript, adding and deleting characters and plotlines. Since writing the initial manuscript, I realized I had grown a great deal as an author, and many of the characters gained more depth and complexity.

AAR: On the pages of some of your books, you invite readers to visit some exotic countries. I mean “Hothouse Flower” or “The Midnight Rose”. Could you tell us something about the research? Did you visit Thailand and India?

LR: I travel to all the places that I write about. In the case of ‘Orchid House’, we were actually living in Thailand at the time – for a while, our family had a house on Koh Chang, the island where a part of the book is set, and it is one of my favourite places in the world. For ‘The Midnight Rose’ I travelled to India and visited the Moon Palace in Jaipur where I’d imagined Anahita living. I also stayed at the amazing Rambagh Palace which is now a hotel, still owned by the royal family of Jaipur and where they are regularly seen playing polo. I also went to Mumbai, where Ari lives, Cooch Behar up in the north and New Delhi. The architecture and landscapes in India are truly breathtaking!

AAR: I know you have very close contact with your readers living all over the world. How important for authors is to be online?

LR: The world is becoming more technology-based year by year and I think it’s incredibly important to find different ways of reaching your audience. Social media allows direct contact with readers all over the world. When I was an author twenty years ago, there was no such thing as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or even private websites, and I would do a lot of my publicity in bookshops and during book tours. Today, however, my 2-minute inspiration videos can reach readers all over the world, and the feedback I get is amazing and is a constant inspiration to keep writing. I also did the first ever live ‘Google Hangout’ Q & A in Brazil which was watched over 200,000 times.

AAR: What is the greatest challenge you have faced in your career as an author?

LR: In 1998 I moved publisher to Pan Macmillan with a two-book deal and released ‘Seeing Double’ (now re-written and published as ‘The Love Letter’), a book which involved a story about members of the British royal family, in 1999. At the time Pan Macmillan was going through ‘restructuring’ and it was not a good time for them to publish anything. In addition, many people felt that the story was not welcome by ‘the Establishment’, and the book did well in Ireland, but all the orders were cancelled in the UK. We will never know what really happened!

This is the Polish edition of 

The Angel Tree

Published by ALBATROS

Translated by Jan Kabat

AAR: When you are writing in your study, do you imagine what your very large audience will think about a character or an incident?

LR: When I am writing, I try not to think of anything else except for the characters and the setting – I can’t allow myself to be swayed, or to feel pressured by the knowledge that millions of people will be reading what I’m writing! The characters live in my head and tell their stories through me, so dictating the first draft into my trusty Dictaphone is a very private process.

AAR: How long does it take you to complete a book, from the time the idea for the book is conceived, to when you submit it to your editor?

LR: I realised that from conception to giving birth, all the books take nine months, just like a pregnancy. Weird, but true. I start with the research process, which includes reading all the books I can get my hands on and travelling around the location. Then I dictate the first draft and pass it on to my editorial assistant to type up. Once the first draft is complete, I begin the editing process, which is the most intense part – I go over each sentence dozens of times, playing Rubik’s Cube with the words to make sure everything is perfect.

AAR: You’ve achieved so much as a writer and career woman. Is there any goal you feel you have yet to attain?

LR: I absolutely love what I do, and having had my time in the wilderness as a writer, I appreciate every single moment of what’s happened now. I work 24/7 and gain enormous satisfaction from putting the stories in my head on paper and seeing them published around the world – even if I get rich I would still always write. Currently, all my energies are devoted to the Seven Sisters series, but I already have a lot of ideas in mind for future projects. My goal is simply to write until I drop!

AAR: How can you be so productive with so many outside and family obligations? How do you keep a balance between home and work?

LR: I have to take myself off for two or three weeks and live like a hermit, working eighteen hours a day writing the first draft. Once this is finished and I’m onto the technical editing stage rather than the ‘creative’ part, I’m able to work from home and spend time with my family. However, like any working mother, I’m permanently exhausted and perform the usual juggling act that any mother with kids and a full-time job will recognize!

AAR: You told me that you are working on the seventh part of “The Seven Sisters Series”. Could you tell us something more about it? What can your readers expect from this book?

LR: I’m very secretive about the future of the Seven Sisters series – readers write to me all the time asking to have their theories about #whoispasalt and the ‘missing’ sister confirmed. All I can say for now is that I have just begun the research process on Book 7 – in fact, I have recently been on a journey, following in the footsteps of the ‘missing’ sister…

AAR: Lucinda, thank you so much for this interesting and pleasant conversation. This is very important to me because I know you are very busy at work, so thank you very much once again. Is it anything you would like to tell your Polish readers? In Poland, you have a lot of fans who always look forward to each of your next books.

LR:  Thank you so much for all of your insightful questions! And I’d like to say DZIĘKUJĘ CI to all of my Polish readers for your support and kind words – I receive so many messages from Poland and they motivate me a great deal in my writing. I’m wishing you all a peaceful winter and a happy new year!

This is the Polish edition of Seven Sisters series

(The Seven Sisters, The Storm Sister, The Shadow Sister, The Pearl Sister & The Moon Sister)

Published by ALBATROS

Translated by Marzenna Rączkowska & Maria Pstrągowska 

 If you want to read this interview in Polish, please click here.