Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii

by Vicky Alvear Shecter Narrated by Marisol Ramirez, Zach Villa

Overview

TAG is a medical slave, doomed to spend his life healing his master's injured gladiators. But his warrior's heart yearns to fight in the gladiator ring himself and earn enough money to win his freedom.



LUCIA is the daughter of Tag's owner, doomed by her father's greed to marry a much older Roman man. But she loves studying the natural world around her home in Pompeii, and lately she's been noticing some odd occurrences in the landscape: small lakes disappearing; a sulfurous smell in the air. . . .



When the two childhood friends reconnect, each with their own longings, they fall passionately in love. But as they plot their escape from the city, a patrician fighter reveals his own plans for them -- to Lucia's father, who imprisons Tag as punishment. Then an earthquake shakes Pompeii, in the first sign of the chaos to come. Will they be able to find each other again before the volcano destroys their whole world?

Editorial Reviews

SEPTEMBER 2014 - AudioFile

Convincing performances by Marisol Ramirez and Zach Villa make listeners care about Tag, the medical slave, and Lucia, the aristocratic daughter of his brutal master. Their forbidden teenage romance blossoms in the shadow of the inevitable eruption of Vesuvius and the subsequent destruction of Pompeii. Speaking in alternating chapters as the would-be lovers, Ramirez sounds bright and intelligent as Lucia, while Villa’s Tag sounds noble and brave. Listeners will want to know how (or whether) the couple escapes the fury of the mountain, even as the countdown to disaster continues. While the writing in the final scenes (the destruction of Pompeii) proves more fizzle than fire, well-developed characters, careful period research, and two appealing narrations make this worthwhile listening for older teens. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

Praise for Cleopatra's Moon:An Entertainment Weekly "Must List" Pick"Absorbing … Cleopatra Selene becomes a woman with a tenacity and heart that would have made her famous mother proud." – The Wall Street Journal"The novel's atmospheric setting and romantic intrigue are highly memorable." — Publisher's Weekly"A fascinating take on a neglected historical figure." — Booklist

SEPTEMBER 2014 - AudioFile

Convincing performances by Marisol Ramirez and Zach Villa make listeners care about Tag, the medical slave, and Lucia, the aristocratic daughter of his brutal master. Their forbidden teenage romance blossoms in the shadow of the inevitable eruption of Vesuvius and the subsequent destruction of Pompeii. Speaking in alternating chapters as the would-be lovers, Ramirez sounds bright and intelligent as Lucia, while Villa’s Tag sounds noble and brave. Listeners will want to know how (or whether) the couple escapes the fury of the mountain, even as the countdown to disaster continues. While the writing in the final scenes (the destruction of Pompeii) proves more fizzle than fire, well-developed characters, careful period research, and two appealing narrations make this worthwhile listening for older teens. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2014-03-12
An impossible forbidden love in ancient Pompeii delivers history to romance fans. Sixteen-year-old Lucia dreads her upcoming marriage to a rich old man chosen for her by her father, the owner of Pompeii's least prestigious gladiator school. When she learns that Tag, one of her father's slaves, has returned from Rome, she fondly recalls playing together as children. When the two meet, true love blossoms. Can they keep their romance a secret while Lucia tries to escape the awful marriage? Can they actually get away from Pompeii and have a real life together? The standard romance plot widens with Lucia's passion for natural history and her hope to meet her hero, the naturalist Pliny. Tag hopes to become a gladiator and win his freedom, but he also finds himself drawn to continue in his ailing father's profession as a medical slave. Meanwhile, Lucia notices abundant small earthquakes and strange natural disturbances….The eruption engenders considerable tension as the lovers try to escape. Although the romance seems highly improbable, Shecter tempers the implausibility by giving Tag's enslaved family a noble Etruscan background. Aside from the romance, the book's focus on daily life in ancient Pompeii rings true. Their firm belief in various gods and goddesses and other superstitions comes across strongly, as does the author's examination of slavery in ancient times. Romance with benefits. (Historical romance. 12-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171261887
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	06/01/2014
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

Read an Excerpt

The world had gone silent. The dogs that had been howling moments before had quieted. Even the ragged chickens in the streets had stopped their infernal clucking and squawking. Her sandaled feet slapping on the cobblestones and her rapid breaths sounded unnaturally loud.Then a boom erupted around her, through her — in her — with such ferocity she fell to the ground in a crouch, covering her ears. The force of the explosion rattled her teeth and bones. She felt a blast of sudden heat, like someone had opened an immense kiln in her face.As if in a dream, she watched the cobblestone street ripple at the top of the lane, then hurtle toward her like an ocean wave.

Videos