An enthralling story of secrets and discovering love where you least expect it, in The Tenth Gift the art of embroidery uncannily links two fascinating women of different eras and their equally passionate love storiesIn an expensive London restaurant, Julia Lovat receives a gift that changes her life. At first glance it is a book of exquisite seventeenth-century embroidery patterns belonging to a … embroidery patterns belonging to a woman named Catherine Ann Tregenna. Yet in its margins are the faintest diary entries; they reveal that “Cat” and others were stolen from their Cornish church in 1625 by Muslim pirates and taken on a brutal voyage to Morocco to be auctioned off as slaves. Captivated by this dramatic discovery, Julia sets off to North Africa to determine the authenticity of the book and to uncover more of Cat’s mesmerizing story. There, in the company of a charismatic Moroccan guide, amid the sultry heat, the spice markets, and exotic ruins, Julia will discover secrets long buried. And in Morocco—just as Cat did before her—she will lose her heart.
Though they live almost 400 years apart, the stories of these two women converge in an extraordinary and haunting manner that begs the question, is history fated to repeat itself?
“The Tenth Gift is wildly yet convincingly romantic—a rare combo . . . both a sensitive portrayal of Muslim culture and a delectable adventure of the heart.”—USA Today
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Loved the thoroughness of the research and description but didn’t particularly care for the ending.
Loved the intertwined lives of modern & historic women.
Interesting. I liked it.
Story told in alternating times about two women. Informative about Muslim culture and piracy and slavery in 1600’s. routing for both women.
Great combination of present and past.
Enjoyed the history of embroidery
This was a good story that was well-written. The narrative moved between 2 strong women separated by centuries, but not necessarily by circumstances. What ties them together is the first woman’s story, written in her own hand in a book on needlepoint published in the 1600s. Reading the book 400 years later changes the 2nd woman’s life in a positive way. I found it hard to put down.
Julia and Cat are not the type of women I like or admire. Their story is interesting and the book does have puzzles to solve which kept me reading. I did like the embroidery element and found that intriguing. For me, Rob is the most disturbing character.
I found it fascinating learning about the Europeans that ended up in the Turkish harems- something I did not know much about
I loved the character development and how the characters interacted. It’s not a love story – I dislike romance. I would recommend this book and worth buying a hard copy.
I literally cannot put this down. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book I can’t wait to get back to reading.
Historical fiction focused on an unusual part of the world. Although many have heard of the Barbary pirates, how many realize that their “cargo” could be human?
I loved it! I could see it all clearly in my imagination.