The Olive Tree: The bestselling story of secrets and love under the Cyprus sun

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The book is not only narrated by Helena, but also by Alex’s childhood diaries. How did you find this glimpse into his character? Do you believe this was an accurate representation of a 13-year-old’s voice? Simplemente lo amé. Se ha convertido en uno de mis favoritos de la autora. Con cada página que pasaba, llegaba hasta a sentir el sonido de las olas del mar, queriendo estar ahí, en Chipre y recorrer Grecia. Al principio tenemos a Álex que en 2016 llega a Pandora y al encontrar su viejo diario comienza a recordar lo que ocurrió 10 años atrás, en aquel verano y esta contado en primera persona, son unos meses de descubrimientos, situaciones dolorosas, un primer amor, recuerdos del pasado e incluso aventuras. Me ha encantado su visión de las cosas, es un niño superdotado, pero a pesar de ello, no deja de ser un niño y tener 13 años, maduro para algunas cosas, pero para otras se ve su inocencia, su sarcasmo y tiene sentido del humor.

Esta historia está llena de historias, se hacen algún guiños a algún que otro libro, como por ejemplo: "Lejos del mundanal ruido" y "Peter Pan". Alex tiene por costumbre escribir un diario, ese diario está lleno de emociones, escribe lo que siente y lo que piensa sin miedo a que nadie le diga nada, relatado exquisitamente y muy inteligentemente, utiliza mucho el sarcasmo y la ironía, me hizo reír en muchas ocasiones por las comparaciones que hace y otras veces me dejo con el corazón en un puño. La mayor distinción que le doy a este libro es sin duda, su propia trama. Usualmente, las novelas de Lucinda Riley se dividen en dos arcos argumentales, la trama pasada y la del presente, donde muchas veces terminamos por encantarnos más por un lado que por el otro, o donde uno tiene más peso que el otro. Me gustó mucho descubrir que aquí no pasa lo mismo. Es cierto que la novela comienza con un vistazo del futuro, pero diría, a mi punto de vista, que esto se utiliza más como un flashforward y la verdad es que funciona muy bien para adentrarnos en la trama y saber qué ocurrirá. Al mismo tiempo, otro dato que me parece curioso es que la sinopsis nos da a entender que esta es una novela romántica y lo es en parte, pero también me pareció una novela de suspenso, con la sensación de que la tranquilidad era pasajera y que, en el momento menos pensado, todo haría ebullición. Obviamente, no les diré si pasa o no.

Summary

THE AUTHOR: Lucinda Riley is an Irish author of popular historical fiction and a former actress. She spent the first few years of her life in the village of Drumbeg near Belfast before moving to England. At age 14 she moved to London to a specialist drama and ballet school. She wrote her first book aged twenty four. Lucinda died in June 2021.

For some reason, whenever I'm on a plane I think about dying. To be fair, I think about dying wherever I am. Perhaps being dead is a bit like the weightlessness you feel here, now, in this metal tube. My little sister asked if she was dead the last time we flew because someone told her Grandpa was up on a cloud. She thought she was joining him when we passed one. It all started in Cyprus for Helena, as a teenager she fell in love for the first time and Helena used to have holidays there then it all stopped until her Godfather passes and leaves her his house affectionately named “Pandora” in his will. It has been 24 years since she was last there Yet, as soon as Helena arrives at Pandora, she knows that its idyllic beauty masks a web of secrets that she has kept from William, her husband, and Alex, her son. At the difficult age of thirteen, Alex is torn between protecting his beloved mother, and growing up. And equally, desperate to learn the truth about his real father . . . Did your feelings towards the characters stay the same throughout the novel, or did your loyalties shift? Which characters did you find the most intriguing?There are only a few authors that no matter the theme or size of the book their stories are always filled with magical characters I can’t get enough of and stories that are so atmospheric and vivid I’m entertained, enthralled and swept away and Lucinda Riley is one of them. She has the incredible ability to take her innate knowledge of all the psychological and emotional entanglements found in nuclear families and weave them into a story you can’t put down. I absolutely loved this book and will now try my hardest to patiently await her next release, The Pearl Sister, book #4 in The Seven Sisters series due out late 2017/early 2018. There are a lot of allusions to the myth of Pandora’s Box, and to Aphrodite and Adonis. How do you find this mirrors the events of the story? When, by chance, Helena meets her childhood sweetheart, a chain of events is set in motion that threatens to make her past and present collide. Both Helena and Alex know that life will never be the same, once Pandora's secrets have been revealed ... Pero si hubo alguien a quién pensé que iba a detestar y terminé queriendo, fue al pequeño Alex. Me pareció un chico muy dulce bajo esa capa de arrogancia que tienen todos los adolescentes a esa edad, ya que, como todos los niños, quiere que su familia esté bien y poder conectar con ellos de verdad, debido a que su coeficiente intelectual es superior al promedio y eso también lo hace ser un niño diferente. Las anotaciones de su diario fueron muy divertidas y en parte, me recordaron a las que yo hice en mi propio diario a esa edad. The narration of the audiobook is superbly performed by Lucinda Riley herself and her son, Harry Whittaker. There is also an interesting discussion between the two at the end of the audiobook where they discuss Lucinda's writing.

Son de estas novelas que es imposible no sentir, no emocionarse y que me hizo meterme de lleno en sus vidas como un personaje más del libro. ABOUT 'THE OLIVE TREE': Please be aware that in some parts of the world, this book is published under the title 'Helena's Secret'. As he grows into a young man, falling in love and taking classes at the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris, he can almost forget the terrors of his past, or the promise he has vowed to keep. But across Europe an evil is rising, and no-one’s safety is certain. In his heart, he knows the time will come when he must flee once more. There are only a few authors that no matter the theme or size of the book their stories are always filled with magical characters I can't get enough of and stories that are so atmospheric and vivid I'm entertained, enthralled and swept away and Lucinda Riley is one of them. She has the incredible ability to take her innate knowledge of all the psychological and emotional entanglements found in nuclear families and weave them into a story you can't put down. I absolutely loved this book and will now try my hardest to patiently await her next release. Bueno ahora si con mi opinión y quiero decir que me ha parecido una historia sencilla pero bien real y bonita, la autora no recurre demasiado al drama desagradable o sin sentido y eso que se encuentra en ese género, pero la forma en que esta narrado, ambientado y junto con esos personajes tan maravillosos se ha convertido en una lectura que disfrute de principio a fin.

Other projects include ‘ The Guardian Angels’ series of books for children, written in collaboration with her eldest son, Harry. Is ‘Pandora’ just a place of tranquility and beauty or will it reveal the uncomfortable secrets that Helena is desperate to keep, secrets that could change their lives and there is an Olive Tree that holds a secret of its own. How did Alex’s character develop during the events of the summer at Pandora? Are there aspects of the adult Alex that are still the same as his childhood self? Atrapante, tierna, emotiva y muy conmovedora fue esta lectura, lo que comienza con unas felices vacaciones de verano del 2006 acaban siendo unas vacaciones de duras verdades que estaban muy escondidas. Presently she is happily married to William and he has always felt that she has kept a part of her life from him which he finds frustrating yet endearing at the same time. Little does he know Helena has secrets closely linked to Cyprus.