Eleanora Aganis, a young Albanian lady of eighteen years has had a
very unconventional upbringing, especially when compared to other
women around her. Her father, a well known and respected medic in
their community, has encouraged her artistic talents as well as her love
of reading and frequently takes Eleanora with him on his rounds. He
even has plans on sending his daughter to an art school in Italy where
she can develop her talents even further.
However, on an excursion to a larger city, Eleanora's father, Baba, gets
killed and the aftermath of his death becomes devastating to both
Eleanora and her stepmother Meria, who begins to make plans that will
ultimately push Eleanora into assuming a role of a sworn virgin where
she can live as a man, but in return she must give up on love and
happiness.
THE SWORN VIRGIN by Kristopher
Dukes is a novel filled to the brim with love and passion towards the
nation of Albania, presenting to the readers a not so well known people
who live in mountains, who have complex rules governing the society
as well as mindsets where order is important and each one has its
place, be it high or low. THE SWORN
VIRGIN also deals with a less known convention of a woman
assuming a masculine role in order to survive and thrive in this type of
society because their rules and laws are far more stringent than others.
It's an educational tale of the power and it shows the importance of
why some rules should have been bent. This is a novel that felt too
short and one where I wanted to know more about Eleanora's world as
well as her fascinating background which is hinted at, but not
completely revealed.
For readers who love strong heroines, unconventional settings as well
as a story filled with secrets, THE
SWORN VIRGIN by Kristopher Dukes is a novel that will become
the perfect fit.
Dukes's gripping historical novel tells the tale of a
desperate Albanian woman who will do whatever it takes to
keep her independence and seize control of her future...even
if it means swearing to remain a virgin for her entire life.
When eighteen-year-old Eleanora’s father is shot dead on the
cobblestone streets of 1910 Albania, Eleanora must abandon
her dream of studying art in Italy as she struggles to
survive in a remote mountain village with her stepmother Meria.
Nearing starvation, Meria secretly sells Eleanora into
marriage with the cruel heir of a powerful clan. Intent on
keeping her freedom, Eleanora takes an oath to remain a
virgin for the rest of her life—a tradition that gives her
the right to live as a man: she is now head of her household
and can work for a living as well as carry a gun. Eleanora
can also participate in the vengeful blood feuds that
consume the mountain tribes, but she may not be
killed—unless she forsakes her vow, which she has no
intention of ever doing.
But when an injured stranger stumbles into her life,
Eleanora nurses him back to health, saving his life—yet
risking her own as she falls in love with him...
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