The Sparks Fly Upward

Diana Norman is such a good writer. The Sparks Fly Upward is the third in a trilogy of interesting characters, set in historical periods of interest to many. Ms Norman actually uses the English language in her writing, I keep my dictionary at hand. Her characters develop, evolve. I plan to read any of her writings I can get my hands on! So if you enjoy historical novels, Diana Norman's books will entertain you in style.

I've read all three of the books in Diana Norman's historical trilogy. I did like the first two but I thought this was a much more satisfying read. While this book focuses on the same themes as the other two; freedom, abolition and suffrage, the depiction of these issues was much more dramatic in this story. We return to find Makepeace Burke and her always eventful life in England welcoming home her brother, the famous actor Aaron Burke and his theatre troupe, including Sir Michael Murrough, an Irishman. Makepeace's eldest daughter Philippa Dapifer has just announced her betrothal to Stephan Heilbron, a man she's sure she doesn't love. The man she does love is married to someone else. In France the Reign of Terror is beheading thousands, among those in hiding is an old friend of Philippa's, the Marquis de Condorcet. Philippa impetuously decides to save him from a certain death herself and travels to France directly into the chaos, betrayal and fear of the Reign of Terror. There are a lot of historical reference that I didn't grasp that someone who is familiar with this period in time would better understand. But Norman vividly conveys the incredible fear and uncertainty that people endured during this period regardless of the specific names of the perpetrators and their politics. I really enjoyed the two stories that simultaneously unfold in England and France and I thoroughly enjoyed the ending. I think that this book would be satisfying as a stand alone book though it's certainly much richer when you understand the history of the characters. And if Diana Norman writes another, which I hope she does, I will certainly read it.

Diana Norman spins a great novel around historical events. The perspectives on time/place/events are appreciated as they enhance intriguing stories of life. I hope she keeps up the series!

The Reign of Terror has engulfed France with the festive activity being the beheading of the aristocracy by Madame Guillotine; in England, though horrified by what is going on across the Channel, the Ton continues partying with no fear of their inferiors rising up. In that London atmosphere where Lord Andrew Ffoulkes hosts waltzes, Philipa feels alone with no one loving her. Her dad died two years ago and her mother Makepeace Hedley mourns her late spouse yet firmly believes she and her daughter must do useful things to help people at the cost of showing no affection towards Philippa. When the man Philipa loves marries someone else, the heartbroken young lady decides to settle on a marriage of convenience to a kind person that she knows she will never love. However, everything changes when Philipa learns her friend, the Marquis de Condorcet, has been arrested in Paris and his sisters are in hiding. Determined to heed her mother's advice to get involved, Philippa obtains a forged passport for the Marquis and arranges to get him to England. However, first she must get him out of the Bastille, which means she must journey to France where a date with Madame Guillotine awaits her if she is caught. More a historical novel than a late eighteenth century romance though a romantic subplot enhances the thriller, THE SPARKS FLY UPWARD is a vivid acute look at A Tale of Two Cities during the French revolution through the eyes of a lonely young woman caught in both worlds. The story line is filled with non-stop action yet it is the cast especially the intrepid forlorn heroine who captures the reader's attention as she risks her life for a friend while observing how immune the locals have become towards the public deaths. Fans will appreciate Philipa's saga echoing the Scarlet Pimpernel. Harriet Klausner