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Elizabeth Doyle's newest novel, NOW AND
FOREVER takes place in 1880 St. Petersburg, Russia. Tatiana Siskova is
a street peasant--one of the best lockpickers around actually--whose
home is an alley shared with a friend since her family died when she was
a young girl and she was left without means. Not knowing anything else,
she considers herself quite fortunate.
Her luck runs sour when she breaks into
an empty home in a wealthy area, only to find no wealth and the home not
empty. Erich Reitz is a retired soldier in the Prussian army who is
working undercover for his government to learn secrets of the Russian
army. After finding Tatiana in his home, he fears for his and his
partners safety should she mention to anyone that he isn't what he seems
from the outside. The only logical thing to do is to make sure she
doesn't talk to anyone, which means keeping her under surveillance
twenty four hours a day.
Tatiana is the warmth that has been
missing from Erich's heart. Despite her years on the street, she is
young and naive and innocent, features Erich has forgotten exist in his
cynical life. He knows he wants her, but he also knows that his career
as a soldier has hardened him past the point of being able to share his
life with anyone, so he tortuously turns from her, causing himself pain
he never thought he'd feel again.
Tatiana sees in Erich all the things
she's never had--security, love, someone to protect her. She falls
deeply and passionately in love with him, only to be thrown into turmoil
when her life takes an unexpected twist.
Elizabeth Doyle has braved the unusual in
Tatiana. As a street person and a crook, she should be the villain
rather than the heroine, but the author has managed to write her in such
a way that we side with her from the very start. Tatiana is strong,
smart and streetwise, while also being gentle, loving and innocent at
the same time. Her relationship with Erich should be one of unease,
distrust and even hatred but in the manner of true love, the two
together become one in happiness.
I must add that this book made me laugh
out loud at times, completely unexpectedly. The scene at the Winter
Palace was priceless, and gave a wonderful insight into the characters.
Reviewed by Sue Waldeck for The Road to
Romance
April 7, 2000 |
