Curses and Smoke

April 7, 2014
Shecter (Cleopatra’s Moon) returns to the ancient world, following star-crossed lovers in shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. Curious Lucia, who longs to discuss the tremors shaking the city with the great naturalist Pliny the Elder, faces a life of intellectual stagnation with her much older betrothed. She sees herself as being sold to the highest bidder, but as her childhood friend, the Etruscan slave Tag, reminds her when she compares their fates, the restrictions on her freedom are nothing compared to his daily reality. Including detailed descriptions of ancient medicine, religious practices, and gladiatorial combat, Shecter explores Roman society from the perspective of the oppressed. Minor hitches—Lucia seems unrealistically surprised by the then-standard practice of abandoning unwanted infants—are outweighed as the author tackles complex topics like intersectionality vividly and comprehensibly. As Tag and Lucia begin a forbidden romance, Lucia’s ambitious father, in many ways a perfectly normal man of his time, becomes a bigger threat than even the volcano looming over Pompeii. Shecter makes clever use of the historical eruption to give her tragic climax a bitterly ironic twist. Aged 12–up. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

April 1, 2014
An impossible forbidden love in ancient Pompeii delivers history to romance fans. Sixteen-year-old Lucia dreads her upcoming marriage to a rich old man chosen for her by her father, the owner of Pompeii's least prestigious gladiator school. When she learns that Tag, one of her father's slaves, has returned from Rome, she fondly recalls playing together as children. When the two meet, true love blossoms. Can they keep their romance a secret while Lucia tries to escape the awful marriage? Can they actually get away from Pompeii and have a real life together? The standard romance plot widens with Lucia's passion for natural history and her hope to meet her hero, the naturalist Pliny. Tag hopes to become a gladiator and win his freedom, but he also finds himself drawn to continue in his ailing father's profession as a medical slave. Meanwhile, Lucia notices abundant small earthquakes and strange natural disturbances....The eruption engenders considerable tension as the lovers try to escape. Although the romance seems highly improbable, Shecter tempers the implausibility by giving Tag's enslaved family a noble Etruscan background. Aside from the romance, the book's focus on daily life in ancient Pompeii rings true. Their firm belief in various gods and goddesses and other superstitions comes across strongly, as does the author's examination of slavery in ancient times. Romance with benefits. (Historical romance. 12-18)

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May 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-Lucia, the daughter of Titurius of Pompeii, is doomed to marry a rich old man to secure money for her father's gladiatorial school. As the wedding approaches, she falls into forbidden love with Tag, the family's medical slave. The two eventually plan to run away together, but many factors interfere. Lucky for them, Mount Vesuvius throws the city into chaos by erupting, providing the young lovers a perfect chance to escape. Unfortunately, Titurius manages to follow them, with tragic results. The novel illuminates many historical details of first-century Pompeii, such as that the law allowed fathers to abandon unwanted infants outside the city gates; that an 18-hour ash eruption preceded Vesuvius's killer explosion; and that, as private property, most gladiators in Pompeii's stadium received careful medical attention. The well-researched historical setting is the strongest aspect of the novel and may keep many readers hooked. Unfortunately, the ambitious web of relationships among slaves, citizens, parents, friends, lovers, and children does not always resonate with sufficient intensity-nor does the city's final devastation. Good for die-hard historical fiction fans.-Denise Ryan, Middlesex Middle School, Darien, CT

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2014
Grades 7-10 In ancient Pompeii shortly before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, inquisitive and carefree Lucia, the teenage daughter of the owner of a gladiator school, wants to be independent. Her debt-ridden father, however, intends to marry her off to one of his wealthy patrons. More complications arise once Tag, her childhood playmate, returns after a stint as a medical slave at another gladiator school. Will Tag escape his enslavement? Will Lucia escape her impending marriage to the highest bidder? Will either of them survive the curse of Pompeii? This plot-driven historical novel is a quick read, with enough Latin vocabulary and accurate descriptions of ancient Roman culture to keep readers interested, enlightened, and entertained. A fairly lengthy, detailed author's note lays out the history of the eruption, including differing theories about when it actually occurred; facts about Roman culture and practices; and information about gladiators. Fans of Shecter's Cleopatra's Moon (2011) or any one of the many movies and TV shows about ancient Roman or Greek culture, such as Gladiator, should find plenty to like.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)