The writer sent me a copy on a giveaway, and I read it in two days. I was surprised by the many twists in the story. The author uses symbolism to capture the ideas of freedom and maturity. One of the main symbols is the protagonist herself. In the first half of the novel, young Lilette is a stubborn and strangely naive girl. She leaves her home to marry a rich lord and has trouble identifying with the lady she is about to become. Everything in Versailles surprises and bores her. The man she thought to love starts showing his true face, and his secrets are utterly shocking (I felt likewise pity and disgust). Lilette has a strong sense of justice, and she finds herself unable to accept her situation. Her desires and her decisions are understandable, but often quite selfish and not without devastating consequences. The ending had me frowning. There was so much more I would have liked to read about--though, the author does not leave us with a cliffhanger ;). To sum it all up: A nice story for cold days :) H. El-Tahwagi I started this book and found I was unable to put it down. There were so many different elements to this book and all of them drew me in. Our heroin, Lilette, was young, naive and rather selfish in the beginning of the novel. She marries a wealthy Lord and suddenly finds herself thrust into a world she doesn't necessarily like. She's bored with her new surroundings and quickly learns just what type of man her new husband is. Over time I found myself liking Lilette more as she sort of came into her own. Her ideas and thoughts were more contemporary and eventually this made her a stronger character.
This is not a typical love story. This is a book that has a little bit of everything in it, including social uprising and class-related themes. Lots of secrets and deception too. The characters felt real and believable and many times had me frowning or smiling at their actions.
This was an engrossing and consuming novel that I just couldn't get enough of. H. El-Tahwagi I’m a little biased towards this read… I normally like strong female heroines, and unfortunately the main character was portrayed as a very young, naïve, delicate being that seemed to be very controlled by her new husband. I guess this is an accurate portrayal of those times, the men ruled the roost. I think I would personally die in these times from the stereotype oppression of women and fighting against it. My annoyance with Lilette began to transform to admiration, due to her personal rebellion against societies expectations. An intelligent soap opera in ancient times, this had no dull moments. This isn’t your typical love story... it is quite complicated and deep that is intrinsically wrapped with governmental uprisings and rebellions. Highlighting the real struggles of humanity, the reliance upon family and community, and what it takes for one to keep afloat. The honest and the dishonest shine. The protagonist, Lilette, slowly develops and matures as the story line speeds along on fast forward with many twists and turns. H. El-Tahwagi The Sign of Change is a fun, deliciously fast read with complex characterization and plot. As another reviewer mentioned, it has a little bit of everything. There's some Gothic suspense reminiscent of Rebecca, some twisty adventures that reminded me of Outlander, and a little bit of thriller all in the mix. The heroine, although initially naive, consistently has a modern mindset throughout this historical novel. The author did a nice job showing her transition from a naive girl into a woman, and the heroine is easy to like throughout the story. A few moments in the novel bordered on preachy for class-related themes, but the author shines with family dynamics and characterizations. Her characters felt real and believable, and the dialogue flowed nicely. My only quibble is that this book deserves a better cover, one that fully captures the mood of this engaging and entertaining tale. I highly recommend The Sign of Change to fans of romance. H. El-Tahwagi On the surface the book is about a young woman, unwise to the world and inexperienced, and her relationship with the man she married as she slowly peels back the layers to reveal whom he really is, which will surprise you. However, it seems to be also imparting life lessons about what true loves really looks like, and what it does not. Throughout the adventurous tale comes valuable insight about self-discovery. There are a few typos and misaligned tabs but they do not detract from the book or the story. H. El-Tahwagi
France, 1783-
A hasty decision makes Lilette Fleur Moineau, a farmer's daughter, scrutinize what she really wants. Is she satisfied with her affluent life in Versailles, or does she want to return to the love of her life and join the uprising rebellion against the King? When the secrets of her husband unfold before her, she realizes that change is a prerequisite for freedom. The Sign of Change
Well—THAT hit the sweet spot! Versailles? Rebellion? Secrets and deception? Check, check, check…The Sign of Change has them all.
Although she comes across initially as painfully naïve, the complexities of Lilette's nature blossom as the story progresses. As much as Lilette, Lord Joseph de Bonveleur, Jerome and the other characters play their roles, the time and settings are almost characters themselves—wholly engrossing and tantamount to a tightly written plot [and all wrapped up in ribbons of symbolism].
If this is truly El-Tahwagi's debut novel, it will be exciting to see where this author goes next.
H. El-Tahwagi The Sign of Change is a compelling rags to riches story with a dark undertone that clearly sets it apart from the well known formula of 'poor girl is saved by charming prince' who rides in and makes her a princess ensuring happiness all the rest of their days.
This is a well told tale, such that despite a few grammatical and spelling errors, I had a hard time putting the book down and eagerly turned the pages to find out where the characters would take me next. An enjoyable read.
H. El-Tahwagi The book description was kind of vague, but I love stories about uprisings and rebellions so I decided to give this a chance. I'm glad I did! It was fast-paced with never a lull in the action and intrigue, and I found myself drawn into the story and world being created. A true rags-to-riches story that was exciting and exhilarating and just kept moving forward. I would recommend this to anyone who likes period pieces with a little bit of everything mixed into them! H. El-Tahwagi I wasn't sure if I'd like this book at first. But, after a few chapters, I was so intrigued that I couldn't stop reading. I read it in one nights sitting! This is truly amazing work! H. El-Tahwagi
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