Meet Me Under the Ombu Tree (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The descriptions of Argentina are fascinating, there is enough of a sprinkling of politics to keep readers on their toes and, as ever, the predicament of star-crossed lovers is the stuff of delicious escapism.' -- Sunday Times 'A brilliant first novel and a classic piece of storytelling.' -- OK Magazine 'ambitious ... contains all the basic ingredients of a satisfying saga. It is impossible not to root for Sofia.' -- Sunday Telegraph 'All the ingredients of a classic romantic read - thwarted love, exotic locations and lifestyles of the rich and famous.' -- Daily Mail 'Plenty of intrigue and passion.' -- Birmingham Evening Mail 'An impressive debut. Intelligent and well researched.' -- Hampshire Chronicle 'All the ingredients for a big romantic read -- keep a box of tissues handy.' -- Woman

Product Description

Spoilt, wilful, resourceful and proud, Sofia Solanas grows up on a magnificent ranch in the middle of the Argentine pampas, loved by all around her. All, that is, except her Irish mother, Anna, who punishes her daughter for her own sense of alienation and inadequacy while doting on her sons. When a horrified Anna discovers that Sofia has embarked on a passionate love affair that can only bring shame upon the family, she sends Sofia away to Europe, inadvertently exiling her from her family and the man she loves for over twenty years. And then a family tragedy calls Sofia home. Following the story of the Solanas family in Argentina during the tumultous years of political upheaval, and Sofia's life in exile, MEET ME UNDER THE OMBU TREE is a moving, evocative and unforgettable story of love and forgiveness from a brilliant new voice.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 566 pages
• Publisher: Coronet Books (November 15, 2001)
• ISBN-10: 0340769513
• ISBN-13: 978-0340769515
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.4 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #567,800 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a melodrama - only for those who especially like romance, June 28, 2007

By	Aleksandra Nita-Lazar (MD, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you like melodrama, convoluted romance, South American telenovelas, and crying while reading stories, "Meet Me Under The Ombu Tree" is a novel for you. Santa Montefiore, who is half-Argentinian, but lives in Great Britain, managed to create a book full of clichés from popular soap operas from Latino television. Unfortunately, this is not what I expect from literature from that part of the world, so I was quite disappointed.

Sofia Solanas, the heroine of this novel, is a daughter of Paco Solanas, one of the four sons of the wealthy landowner Hector Solanas, who managed to create a heaven on Earth on his rancho, Santa Catalina, where all his children built their family homes. Paco met Sofia's mother, Anna Melody O'Dwyer, in London, and the two fell in love from the first minute they laid eyes on each other, Anna left her parents and her native Ireland and came to Argentina, where she gave birth to two sons and Sofia. The story of Paco and Anna is given in retrospective, as the core is Sofia's life starting in early 1970s, since she has been a little girl, a stubborn tomboy who loves playing polo, the favorite sport of the men in the area.

Unfortunately, Sofia is especially fond of her cousin, Santi, who likes her very much as well. When after his studies in the US Santi returns home, they give in to the forbidden love against all odds, and this leads to Sofia's exile and many sad years following.

Everything can be found in this book: love from the first sight, patient, waiting love, incest, physical abuse, marital unfaithfulness, betrayed friendship, illegitimate child, sliding into poverty, purely sexual affairs... Additionally, the author tries to provide a background of current events in Argentina (the death of Juan Peron, the military dictatorship) and to connect the characters with these events, which results in more drama (the exile of Fernando, Santi's brother, to Uruguay), but just adds to what is already too much. It is definitely overdone - sometimes, really, less is more. Besides, there are irritating explanations of obvious things, such as that the seasons in Argentina are shifted by half a year in comparison to England, or what mate is.

The language is very much like a school essay, with many sequences where the sentences do not follow the logic, or with complex sentences that are plainly wrong. It is, in literary categories, a mediocre text, which nevertheless can evoke emotions and is easy to read fast, but equally easy to forget.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ITS A LOVELY BOOK, December 13, 2007

By	Sindyrella "Smiles" (my own lil world, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meet Me Under the Ombu Tree (Paperback)

THIS BOOK I REALLY ENJOYED READING,IT REALLY CAPTIVATES YOU
I COULDNT PUT IT DOWN TILL I WAS DONE READING IT;
THE FORBIDDEN LOVE BETWEEN SOFIA AND SANTI IS VERY PASSIONATE,
UNFORTUNATELY FATE FORCED THEM APART...BUT THEIR LOVE
NEVER DIED...READ IT YOU WONT REGRET IT.