Intriguing, heartwarming, and incredibly captivating!

This is the first book in “The Seven Sisters” series and boy is it a good one.

This is the story of Maia, a young woman who embarks on a journey to discover her parentage and ancestry after recently suffering the loss of her beloved, adoptive father.

It is predominantly set in Rio, Brazil during both the late 1920s, as well as present day, and is told from two perspectives, Maia and Maia’s maternal great-grandmother, Izabela.

The story, itself, is a sweeping saga filled with self discovery, family, loss, determination, strength, grief, heartbreak, happiness, and everlasting love; as well as an in-depth look into the culture, history and landmarks of Rio, complete with the construction of the iconic Christ the Redeemer and the boom and subsequent demise of the coffee industry.

The prose is precise, poetic, and exquisitely descriptive. And the characters are multi-faceted, genuine, empathetic, and engaging.

I have to admit I was a little skeptical at first about the size of this novel, but don’t be daunted. This is truly a powerful, fascinating story that will make you cry, make you smile and will have you mesmerized from start to finish.