In the beautiful countryside outside imperial Vienna, in the years leading up to World War I, a remarkable story took place...
Helene Marie Neumann, a vintner's daughter, spends her youth making wine with her mother and father, soaking up the Riesling sunshine, growing into a lovely young woman. Here she meets Maximilian Rieger, a wealthy boy whose family owns a nearby villa. They become good friends. But dark clouds roll in on this idyllic life. Maximilian is sent away to boarding school. And Maximilian's father, a ruthless businessman, swindles the vineyard from Helene's father, the town drunk. The vineyard lost, Helene is taken to an orphanage in the slums of Vienna, forced into prostitution, and remains there until she is eighteen. On the darkest day of her life, she finds a seed of hope in a childhood memory and begins her long journey home. But she must first confront Maximilian, who has grown into his father.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
REVOLUTION IS A REVELATION,
By
This review is from: Revolution (Paperback)
I don't know quite what I expected when I opened the pages of Revolution. From the "blurb" on the back cover, I thought this would be yet another "historical romance" with the heroine overcoming adversity and finding true love. True, that is part of the story, but is that really what revolution is ALL about?
Actually, the book and its author present us with some food for thought. We ask " Does the title refer to the revolutions of the giant Ferris Wheel, the wheel that itself is featured in at least two vital and perspective altering events in the life of our heroine, Helena". Could the author be utilizing the Ferris wheel as a metaphor to show us that every life is indeed a giant and frightening ride filled with ups and downs (much like the revolutions of the wheel). Perhaps, it refers to the ever changing world conditions and the revolutionary scientific innovations that are usually presented at a World's Fair (this one taking place in 1898 Vienna). You will just have to decide for yourself. Alex Tamayo-Wolf is a true artist with words. His descriptive prose paints a wondrous word picture of the beautiful vistas of Austria, its opulence and grandeur as well as the poverty, disease and filth that were all part and parcel of era in which the story is set. His characters are all too human, running the gamut of characteristics and emotions from innocence to avarice to guilt. Ultimately Revolution is tale of survival and the redemptive power of love.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A deftly written and entertaining novel,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Revolution (Paperback)
Life so sweet can turn so bitter so quickly. "Revolution" is the story of Helene. With a great childhood, life looks good to Helene as her father runs a vineyard. But it all turns bad when she is sent to the dark underworld of life, living in orphanages and later having to sell herself to get by. She looks towards home after so many years, and sees that a childhood friend has become powerful - which is not as hopeful as it sounds for Helene. "Revolution" is a story of how lives can turn out so differently despite our earliest expectations. This is a deftly written and entertaining novel recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful love story.,
By
This review is from: Revolution (Paperback)
A delightful book from which I was not really sure what to expect when I first picked it up. I got this as an ARC and not knowing much about the author, I dived in without any preconceived notions. I was delighted by what unfolded. I think the best way to describe this would be a love story that unfolds with Vienna as its backdrop, between 1898 and the beginning of WW1. Helene and Maxl are the main characters who form a beautiful friendship as children. On their first meeting Helene(then 10yrs old) sees Maxl(a few years older) steal a bike and for some unknown reason helps him escape despite the fact that she does not condone stealing. And so begins their friendship which blossoms as the years progress, through letters and postcards and holidays spent in the countryside. But in the background looms Maxl's father who is apparently lacking in any redeeming qualities. He is brutal to his child, careless of his wife's emotions and ever scheming for ways to increase his wealth both legally and illegally. Maxl eventually gets sent off to boarding school and loses touch with Helene as he strives to become more like his father. Meanwhile, Helene's life is descending into hardship and hell as her father loses his vineyard because he gambles away all its profits and makes a deal with an unscrupulous lender. Helene faces a life of degradation and misery as she is sent to an orphanage and eventually becomes a prostitute. There is probably nothing in this novel that one has not seen or heard before but it is the way in which the tale is woven that makes it mesmerizing. The descriptions of Vienna and the Austrian countryside was just amazing. When you are reading of wealth and opulence, you feel like you are seeing it yourself and when the dirt, degradation and filth of the poor regions are described, you almost want to hold your nose cause you feel like you can smell it. I found that I could not put the book down and had to see what would happen next. Its a tale of redemption and love. A total recommend.
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