Against the Tide: An Unexpected Novel

I didn’t know what to expect when I went into reading this book. The description on the back speaks of a young woman who serves as a translator for the U.S. Navy and her encounter with a young man trying to end the opium trade. What it didn’t say was that this Against the Tide takes place in 1876. This is not a time period I read much about and while I knew a little bit about the opium trade during this period, I had never read a novel set in the United States that talks about it (a couple of British themes novels I have read in the past mentioned it.) I was immediately fascinated with Lydia Pallas, a Greek orphan with a gift for languages. Her ability to survive in a male dominated world is written believably, even considering the era. As a writer myself, I have the unfortunate gifts of predicting the climax and ending of many novels. While some things about the end proved true to my prediction, the journey blew my expectations out of the water. The level of adventure, excitement and intrigue was unmatched within this genre and I was impressed with the real feel of the characters. All of the characters, including the protagonist felt realistic

Spoiler Alert: One of the more impressive aspects of this book was the detailed descriptions of opium withdrawal. This author has a talent for accuracy as well as tactile description.  I would highly recommend this book as a unique read in a genre often characterized by too much emotion and characterization without strong plot. This book is a definite exception

I was not compensated for this review but I did receive a free copy of the book to review.

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