I am pleased to have been asked to be part of the Virtual Book Publicity Tour for Veronica's Nap by Sharon Bially as part of her month with Pump Up Your Book.
From the Publisher:
Veronica Berg has everything she needs to achieve her dream of becoming a painter including a charming home studio in Provence, a hard-working husband and a nanny who watches her two-year-old twins. Yet instead of painting she spends her days secretly indulging in lengthy naps. When her Moroccan-born, Sephardic husband grows impatient and challenges her to sell one painting, Veronica must find a way to break out of the seductive rut that’s overtaken her life. Against the backdrop of the impending Iraq war, her journey reveals depression’s sunny mask and the dark side of privilege and security. With a cast of Moroccan, Sephardic characters, Veronica’s Nap also gives a rare look at contemporary Jewish life in France.
My Review:
Veronica's Nap is a tale that balances fabulously descriptive scenes with the struggle to be yourself and follow your heart. For anyone who has suffered from depression or who knows someone who has, you will see the spiral of retreating into yourself and away from the world. It doesn't matter if you seem to have everything you need on the surface, there is an underlying current that can pull you back.
This book has beautiful context and drama that help keep the reader engaged and in some places this reader felt angry at, jealous of and sympathy for the protagonist who had clearly become someone she didn't know. Her journey of self-realization and search for fulfillment will keep you reading right til the end.
Veronica's nap is a book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
About the Author:
Sharon Bially lived for twelve years in Paris and Aix-en-Provence before settling with her family in Massachusetts. A graduate of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, she’s a public relations professional and leads seminars for the Boston-based, nonprofit literary arts center, Grub Street Writers. She’s also an adult student of ballet and modern dance.
Her latest book is the contemporary women’s fiction novel, Veronica’s Nap.
You can visit Sharon’s website and blog atwww.veronicas-nap.com.
Visit her at Twitter at www.twitter.com/@sharonbially and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Veronicas-Nap/240292619323500.
