SECRETS OF THE POMEGRANATE
BY BARBARA LAMPLUGH
Contemporary Women’s fiction/ Reading Group fiction
Release Date: 23/4/2015
Publisher: SilverWood
Passionate, free-spirited Deborah
has finally found peace and a fulfilling relationship in her adopted city of
Granada - but when she is seriously injured in the Madrid train bombings of
2004, it is her sister Alice who is forced to face the consequences of a
deception they have maintained for ten years. At Deborah's home in Granada,
Alice waits, ever more fearful. Will her sister live or die? And how long
should she stay when each day brings the risk of what she most dreads, a
confrontation with Deborah's Moroccan ex-lover, Hassan? At stake is all she
holds dear... '
Secrets of the Pomegranate
deals with topical themes such as inter-cultural relationships and the moral
dilemmas around truth and lies – whether personal or political. It explores,
with compassion, sensitivity and - despite the tragic events - humour, the
complicated ties between sisters, between mothers and sons and between lovers,
set against a background of cultural difference and prejudices rooted in
Granada's long history of Muslim-Christian struggles for power.
“Lamplugh
does a great job of unveiling a little at a time – but still maintaining
tension until the surprise of the final revelation.” Rebecca Foster, Bookbag
Buy Links
About the Author
Barbara Lamplugh has been writing
since the 1970s. Her love of adventure and travel took her first on an overland
journey to Kathmandu, which inspired her to write Kathmandu by
Truck (1976) and then on the Trans-Siberian railway, by boat to Japan
and around SE Asia, which led to her second book, Trans-Siberia
by Rail (1979). Becoming a mother put a stop to such long travels but
not to writing. She turned instead to fiction, inspired by the often
fascinating and unexpected stories of ordinary people she came across in her
work in the community. She also wrote occasional articles for magazines and
newspapers, including The Guardian
and Times Educational Supplement. In
1999, with her two children now independent, she moved to Granada in Spain,
where Secrets
of the Pomegranate is set. Her encounters and experiences of life in
Granada provide her with abundant inspiration. For several years she worked as
a features writer for Living Spain
magazine, contributing around a hundred articles on topics ranging from Olive
Oil to Machismo to Spanish names. Alongside her writing, she teaches English,
edits and translates. With two children and five grandchildren in the UK, she
makes regular visits there. Other passions include cycling, dancing, travel,
jazz and reading.
Author Links
GIVEAWAY
A SIGNED COPY OF THE
BOOK (Open Internationally)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
5/5
My Review
This book has one of the best openings I’ve
read in a long while and immediately grabbed my attention. Add a long-held
family secret to the mix and this is compulsive reading. Although I guessed
Deborah’s secret long before we were told, there were sufficient hints after
all and it didn’t spoil my enjoyment, despite the fact that it would have been
very difficult to actually pull it off.
The author captures the real Grenada with
all its undercurrents, racism, mistrust and kindness too. This deals with relationships
on all levels, between sisters, mother and son, inter-racial and I enjoyed
every minute of this book despite knowing that I was also going to shed a few
tears. Very moving, well-written and has put Grenada to the top of my ‘to
visit’ list.
