Struggling with guilt over her sister’s death and the stress of her medical residency, Maya Radelis runs away to Scotland. A robin seems to lead her to an antique shop, where she finds a century-old engagement ring. But what is the ring’s history? She follows the slim paper trail, wondering if it is only coincidence that her dreams reveal the story of a Swiss woman physician who wore the ring … during World War I.In Paris she meets fellow New Yorker David Fischer, a lawyer with family in Switzerland as well as America. He helps Maya follow the memories stored in the ring as they lead her around Europe. The attraction between David and Maya grows, and when they discover a connection between the ring and David’s family, they learn, bit by bit, more about the ring’s earlier owner. Will Maya’s own life have the same tragedy of lost love?
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“People who take time to notice synchronicity may find some interesting meaning to their lives.”
This novel is based on the “threads” that can link people together, even throughout time.
Two women- one in the early 1900’s and the other in present day are looking to follow their dreams and find happiness and peace. Maya and Rebecca both want to be physicians.
Rebecca is living in a time when that choice is not given to women and she must fight to attain her goals.
Maya, living in the present day, runs to Scotland for some needed time away after she is accused of making a deadly mistake during her residency program which may end her dream.
While she is wandering through an antique store, Maya finds a ring that can transport her at times to the past and Rebecca’s life. What is the “connection”?
The story has romance, mystery, family, friendship, and some mysticism as it shifts easily from two timelines.
This was such a good book – This book caught my eye because it reminds me of my heritage from Scotland. A good book is always based around loves, heartache, and Fate! A story always takes some magical turns when mystery is involved! Such a page Turner!
WRAPPED IN THE STARS by Elena Mikalsen is a beautifully-written and heartfelt story of love, loss, and fate that kept me captivated from beginning to end. It is told from the points of view of two young female physicians in dual timelines one hundred years apart. Maya’s story is set in the present day and Rebecca’s in the early 1900s. The two timelines are woven together seamlessly with an element of history and a touch of magic. It was intriguing to see how the lives of these two strong women, although separated by a century, were connected by a grand love story and an antique ring that seems to hold memories and secrets of the past. The vivid descriptions of the scenery from Edinburgh to Paris to Bern made me feel I was right there with the characters. The story has just the right blend of mystery and romance to keep the reader turning the pages. I thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming book and highly recommend it.
Review of Wrapped in the Stars
By Elena Mikalsen
People – buy this book! Seriously.
It is the perfect combination of all of my favorite genres – historical fiction/romance/magical realism. I guess you could call it Magical Historical Romance!
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
Ms. Mikalsen created the book around the theory that we exchange energy fields when touching an object or a person, so that parts of our energy, our memories, our love, are all transposed, and so can transcend time.
She combined that idea with the theory of synchronicity, “the simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.” Just watch for signs – things that keep appearing over and over throughout the course of your life. You will probably discover a pattern if you pay attention. And once you notice a pattern, you may be able to solve a puzzle that has been eluding you.
You will fall in love with these characters and their story.
Five stars. Because I can’t give six.
Wrapped in the Stars by Elena Mikalsen is a beautiful tale of love, anguish, and destiny, written with a touch of magic realism. It’s modern day time and Maya Radelis travels to Edinburgh, Scotland after a tragedy at her hospital where she is doing her residency. She is ridden with guilt and blame and is trying to escape her emotions. A robin emerges which leads Maya to an antique shop where she discovers a beautiful vintage moonstone ring. She is immediately drawn towards the ring and compelled to buy it.
She then begins to have mental flashbacks and memories, of a time in history, and that are not her own. She is entranced by the ring and finds herself traveling throughout Europe in search of the meaning behind the woman who previously owned the ring. While in Paris, she meets David, a New Yorker as well, and has an immediate attraction. David wants to help her with her search. From there, Elena and David travel to Switzerland where they discover they have more in common than they expected. They uncover a parallel connecting the ring to David’s family and begin to learn more about its original owner.
From there we begin to meet Rebecca, the ring’s original owner. It is back in time during World War l, 1911. Rebecca is a young Swiss woman that wants to become a doctor. She is determined, although her parents don’t support her decision to go to medical school. They insist that she find a husband and marry. During her time at medical school, she meets a poor Russian student and falls deeply in love. Out of his love for her, he gives Rebecca the ring. Does the ring have a connection between the two women? Is the ring magical?
Wrapped in the Stars is a passionate, engaging story that weaves two timelines together to form a beautiful tapestry of love and fate. It is full of history and intrigue. It is written with a unique voice and proficiency. I loved it and couldn’t put it down. The way that Elena Mikalsen so aptly combines the present with the past is beyond reasoning. She merges the two young women’s lives together in unanticipated and distinct ways. I was floored by the amount of historical research that was put into this story. We learn about the history of women in the field of medicine, the Russian Revolution, European social history and more. I learned a lot while reading this splendid novel.
The scenery is picturesque, defined and striking, as we are lead from New York to Paris to Switzerland and more. I felt like I was there experiencing the same things as Maya and Rebecca. At the core of the book is an exquisite love story. A love that surpasses all boundaries and hindrances. It’s a mysterious magical tale that takes readers on a journey to beautiful places, and through time and history and back to the present day. I was hooked from the very beginning and remained engaged throughout the entire book. It is intelligent, yet easy to read. There are surprises and many things that I didn’t see coming which made it so interesting and entertaining. One would never know that Wrapped in the Stars is a debut novel. It surpassed my expectations and I highly recommend it to all avid readers.
Reviewed by Chick Lit Cafe
In Wrapped in the Stars, with a touch of magical realism and a sprinkle of quantum physics, Elena Mikalsen blends the present with the Belle Epoque past, deftly weaving two points of view into two timeless romances into a can’t-be-put-down novel.
Maya tries to escape her past by running away to Scotland . She finds an engraved engagement ring and the mystery, charm, love and loss begins!!
I loved this audiobook and would definitely recommend it I
Elena Mikalsen took me away to so many different places in “Wrapped in The Stars”. I listened to it on Audible and I feel that made the visits feel like really getaways!
Maya’s story before and after she found the ring was like a vacation through Edinburgh, Paris and other European countries to find the origin of the ring.
I loved the characters and how they were woven into the ring’s story.
romances were yet complex. These love stories were nostalgic and magnificent.
Throughout the book, I found myself trying to figure out the ring’s story myself and when I thought I had it figured out, it was only to find out that I was wrong.
The different chapters going from present to the past was not confusing and kept me wanting to listen.
I was totally enthralled listening to this Audible book read by Ginger Wiseman. The narration was great. I highly recommend this version!
I received a copy of this Audible book from the author in exchange for fair and honest review.