Celestial Persuasion by Mirta Innes Trupp on June 30, 2021
Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction
Pages: 302
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon
Abigail Isaacs fears ever again falling under the power of love and dedicates her life to studying the heavens. However, upon her father’s demise she finds herself in reduced circumstances and must write to her brother, who has long been away at sea. When instead Captain Wentworth of the HMS Laconia sends a tragic reply, Abigail is asked to set aside her own ambitions and fulfill her brother’s dreams in the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata.
In his relentless pursuit for justice, Lieutenant Raphael Gabay lends his sword to the Spanish American cause. But as he prepares to set sail with the others, he is entrusted with the care of a young woman. She is quite unlike anyone he has ever known, and Raphael begins to wonder whether the brilliant astronomer will see beyond his frivolous façade and recognize his true nature.
When travesty hits a lovely, lonely Jewish woman astronomer, she makes the decision to leave all she knows and follow the path across the sea to fulfill her beloved brother’s final wish. A sweeping journey of the heart is also cleverly made into a prequel to Jane Austen’s Persuasion by the talented writing of Mirta Ines Trupp.
Opening with a heartbreaking prequel, showing how Royal Navy physician Joseph Isaacs came under the lash of a sadistic evil captain and was able to give his final words to his friend gallant Captain Wentworth, the story switches to the perspective of Joseph’s younger sister, Abigail Isaacs.
Abigail has spent her life in Exeter as the bright, brilliant daughter of a country doctor. Jewish and educated beyond what could be expected for women, she is an astronomer and mathematician with few rivals. After the death of her father and now her beloved brother, Joseph, she is left with no one and very little to live on. Then Lord Fife, her brother’s friend invites her to London to hear his bizarre proposal that Joseph and her father set in motion before their deaths. If she will step out on faith, they have arranged for her to have a home and a little farm in the contested former Spanish colony in South America that will become Argentina. Her brother was part of a group of men who will see the colony free of the Spanish rule and a haven for all including Jews and a place where educated women can push past the barriers set against them. She might also find love if she is brave enough to allow it past the cold wall of logic she had encased herself in.
I love the Regency era and particularly when the setting is on the high seas for an Age of Sail story. What a wonderful background to give the heroine and time spend with the astronomy element. Abigail’s journey and the early days of newly forming Argentina, her tempestuous relationship with a handsome Spanish Jewish military officer, and her coming into her own made for a heartwarming and engaging story. On the side was her continuing correspondence with Captain Wentworth which Austen lovers like myself know will lead to a fabulous second chance love story in Persuasion. For those who love seeing character growth and a slow burn sweet romance against a colorful historical setting, Celestial Persuasion is an excellent choice for the reading stack.
Kindle freebie on August 3, 2021 (currently $2.99 on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited as of writing this post)
Overall rating 4.49 with 61 ratings and 53 reviews
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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Definitely sounds like your kind of book. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Haha, yeah, this was totally my kind of story, Mary. 🙂
oooh this one sounds delightful. We definitely need more Jewish representation in books for sure. And the astronomy elements sounds super intriguing
Lovely review!
Yes, those were both amazing elements to read in a historical romance, Renee!
This one is new to me but it does sound like a great read. I have collected so many freebies over the years that I still need to read.
Same here! I was glad to finally get around to this wonderful gem. 🙂
t’s sounds like a unique angle to take in the Persuasion world. Nice to hear you enjoyed this one, Sophia!
Yes, very clever plotting. 🙂
” a prequel to Jane Austen’s Persuasion”??? Interesting!!!
Oh yeah, doesn’t that snag the interest. 🙂