The Mother's February BOTM: The Historian

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

A young woman, exploring her father’s library, discovers an ancient book that conceals a stash of letters that plunge her into a maze where her father’s secret past and mother’s mysterious fate connect to the unimaginable and evil Vlad Tepes, the fictional equivalent of Count Dracul. This novel’s premise is exciting, with the majority of it being told in the form of letter writing. But the premise gets lost after the first 100 pages, somewhat bogged down in minutia, detail, and a confusion of characters. This is a story, within a story, within a story. It’s also a bit of a travel book, meticulously detailing the history and geography of Eastern and Central Europe during the Cold War. If there is such thing as a bit of a floundering vampire story, then I say this is it. Not for the faint of heart, if you are intrigued by the story of Dracula, have a deep interest in detailed history and geography, and have time to spare (600+ pages) this is a decent read for a few rainy days.

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