Signs of Destiny is a passionate story of love, survival and the incredible
power of the human spirit.
When I first opened this book I was quite excited to see
that the prologue was set in Liverpool, UK in 1967. Anyone from the UK will
understand the importance of this time period and this particular location,
even those like myself who were not born until a few decades later! I was,
however, a little confused in the beginning. I’m not sure if it was
intentional, but I struggled to connect with the characters we were introduced
to, and I felt very hostile towards Alison after I read a little of her story
(don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you!). Anyway the confusion continued
probably for the first three chapters, but then something clicked.
I began to
feel an emotional connection with the protagonist, Rafael Valverde, and I was
left wondering just how the prologue fitted into the rest of the story, which
was set mainly in Madrid. It kept me hooked and needing to know more. The story
is written based on true-life experiences from the author, and he pours his
passion into the words. The novel is both poetic and dramatic, while still
believably human. It touches on issues
that we as a culture are uncomfortable with, such as sickness, infidelity, and
the human ego. This novel is both romantic and rough, and for that reason I
highly recommend it.
