Customer Reviews

Tarnished Beauty: A Novel

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Cecilia's writing draws you into a story in a way other writers only hope they can. The vivid pictures that I created in my mind as I read this book, the characters were as if I had known them forever. I was so involved with the story and characters I could not put it down and yet I tried to pace myself because I did not want the story to end. I am a true fan of all her work.

Jamilet is a beautiful young woman from a small town in Mexico. Throughout her life she has been shunned by local townspeople because of a horrible birthmark that taints her back and part of her legs.

She flees to Los Angeles illegally in order to seek treatment for her birthmark. She begins work at a local mental institution. Her patient is Señor Peregrino, a difficult and angry man. Peregrino steals Jamilet's illegal immigration documents and promises to return them upon the condition that she listen to his story.

Jamilet agrees, and thus begins an unbreakable bond.

The ending of the story was a bit sudden; several aspects were left hanging, but this doesn't detract from the powerful storytelling.

I love this novel. It pulled me in and did not let go even after I turned the last page. I did not want to leave the world Samartin so vividly brought to life.

Jamilet possesses a beautiful face, but a hideous birthmark causes her superstitious Mexican village to shun her. She lives, unable to attend school, with her sickly and sad mother. Once her mother dies, she crosses the border to live with her aunt. Having grown up in scorned seclusion, Jamilet has trouble relating to others. Yet the boy across the street still helps her find employment at a local hospital. There she attends to the mysterious Señor Peregrino (Mister Pilgrim).

He forces Jamilet to listen to his story in the beginning, but she, like the reader, becomes entranced and listens of her own free will. He tells of his time as a pilgrim on the Road to Santiago in Spain. He and his friend Tomas eventually join with the beautiful Rosa and later the bold Jenny. It's a tale of tangled loves, dedication, and dashed hopes. The story-within-a-story is perhaps even more beautiful than the tale that frames it.

Samartin's characters are incredible. They are all flawed, but strong. Some are insecure; some are bold. Some are jaded; some are naïve. Every one of them seems real. Their stories resonate because of this strong sense of character.

People do not do great things in TARNISHED BEAUTY. Instead, they live. They connect. That's enough for me.

Excerpted from In Bed With Books

I just finished the book. I LOVED IT!!!!!!! I did not want the book to end. Jamilet's story was so heart-warming and inspirational. How Senor Peregrino and Jamilet overcome their heartbreaks by creating and believing in their truths and reality is just inspiring. The novel holds many surprises. The author's way of telling Senor Peregrino's story was just so beautiful. I'll be re-reading this book. It's one of the best books I've read. Thank goodness for storytellers such as Cecilia Samartin.

I had high expectations since I see Sanmartin's books everywhere, but I find that Cecilia Sanmartin is highly overrated. This book was the first, - and will be the last from Sanmartin's hand, that I read. I am not able to believe in the characters and the plot.

I read this book very quickly. I thought it was very well written and loved the story. I felt the relationship between Jamilet and Senor was very touching and I couldn't put it down once I got half way through.
I have to say that the ending was surprising and it left me wanting more. i am hoping for a sequel!!!

I recently discovered Cecilia Samartin and I am so glad that I have! Both books, "Broken Paradise" and "Tarnished Beauty" make my top ten favorite books list. I hope that it won't be a long wait until her next novel is published! If you read these and enjoy them, try "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana Rosnay next.

After falling in love with Samartin's first novel "Broken Paradise", I eagerly waited for a chance to curl up with "Tarnished Beauty". It did not disappoint! Samartin draws you in with characters so real and story-telling so vivid that you mourn the loss when there are no more pages left to turn.

Tarnished Beauty has the added bonus of a story within a story so you find yourself absorbed in both. As the book weaves between these two worlds you're sorry to be torn out of one world and then happy, once again, to be back in the other.

I can highly recommend Samartin's novels. If you're not yet reading this author, you should be!

The book club that I am a member of, Real Ladies Read, selected this author's first book, Broken Paradise for the month of July. We enjoyed the book so much that we invited the author to participate in the meeting on her book. She gifted her second book, Tarnished Beauty, to us and I was the first to read it. This book was a great read and the main character's major struggle transcends color lines. It is a relatable struggle for women around the world and I was drawn into her story from the beginning to the end. This is a great read and I am now officially a fan of Cecilia Samartin

Crys McKinley RLR Book club