The Hope Diamond, seen by around 100 million people since being donated to the Smithsonian, holds a deep attraction for many. Is the attraction due to the beauty of the gem? The size? The legacy of being cursed? I know it was my favorite exhibit when I lived close to the Smithsonian and could visit it at my leisure. I didn't even care about any of the other exhibits.
In 'eye of the god,' Ariel Allison explores some of the true history of the stone and the nature of the curse on it, in a modern-day fictional intrigue to steal it. Will the would-be thieves succeed?
I thought it was fairly well-written, though there seemed to be some discrepancies between early parts of the story and later parts of the story (such as the chronology of the days leading up to the heist, for instance). I was surprised by one of the late twists in the story, which impressed me. The telling of the history was more enticing and enthralling to me than the contemporary scenes in the book. I did have a little difficulty in believing the character changes which one of the characters undergoes (I won't be more specific than that, to avoid spoiling the story).
All in all it was a decent, exciting, quick read.
I've seen the Hope Diamond a few times (yup- living in the DC area does help with that), but I can't say that it is something that has ever really intrigued me. However, the book sounds quite interesting. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI was a child when I lived near the Hope Diamond, but I expect I'd probably be nearly as attracted to it now as I was then.
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