The intricacies of the war between the Muslim Sultan (who takes a disliked and ambitious Christian mistress) and the subsequent rulers, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella provide a sweeping tour de force of the country wide battles to secure both family and royal possession and lineage for Spain. When Kate finds a strange piece of paper with ancient writing in the walls of the Alhambra Palace we are whisked to the second story of Blessing - a young companion taken from the Sahara desert to live with Prince Mohammed (Momo) the son of the present Sultan and his wife. She is in contact with her twin sister Jess and Kate's son who weirdly seems to live with Jess and for whom it seems Kate has a rather dislocated attachment. Here we meet Kate Fordham who has escaped to work as a waitress in Granada and become known as Anna Maria. There are many novels with to threads linking the past, often through a modern heartbroken character and a series of coincidences that cross the time divide. I have not visited it myself, but the author brings to life this UNESCO World Heritage Site through superb descriptions and a historical context that takes us right back to the Moorish reign across the country. A place in many hearts, could have been an alternative title for this excellent novel that takes as it's base the beautiful Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain.
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