D.K. Christi
A mysterious orchid is central to a story of love, lies, and redemption.
Once more before I die...the haunting mantra of a lonely woman. A woman grieving more than one loss. On her regular walks amongst the splendor of the Audubon Society sanctuary, the sights and sounds of nature filled the void in Mel's soul. She found peace here. No tears for what might have been. Only joy for having experienced the ecstasy of a great love. Her secrets stayed buried.
In another part of the world an exquisitely beautiful young woman also found peace by immersing herself in nature, capturing its beauty on film for National Geographic. Educated in Europe's finest boarding schools, Neev became a model at fourteen, but after four years of posing and false smiles she knew she wanted more out of life. Neev's love of photography brought her to the other side of the camera lens, and to exotic locations around the globe. Working on assignment with famous photographer Roger Andrew, she often trekked deep into the jungle in search of rare flowers. Having a young, beautiful woman as a partner seemed like a good omen, and Roger thought their travels together could lead to a unique discovery. In spite of the age difference, their shared passion soon blossomed into a loving relationship.
When a Ghost Orchid began to bloom at the Audubon Society sanctuary, Roger knew this was the opportunity he'd been waiting for.
Once more before I die...the haunting mantra of a lonely woman. A woman grieving more than one loss. On her regular walks amongst the splendor of the Audubon Society sanctuary, the sights and sounds of nature filled the void in Mel's soul. She found peace here. No tears for what might have been. Only joy for having experienced the ecstasy of a great love. Her secrets stayed buried.
In another part of the world an exquisitely beautiful young woman also found peace by immersing herself in nature, capturing its beauty on film for National Geographic. Educated in Europe's finest boarding schools, Neev became a model at fourteen, but after four years of posing and false smiles she knew she wanted more out of life. Neev's love of photography brought her to the other side of the camera lens, and to exotic locations around the globe. Working on assignment with famous photographer Roger Andrew, she often trekked deep into the jungle in search of rare flowers. Having a young, beautiful woman as a partner seemed like a good omen, and Roger thought their travels together could lead to a unique discovery. In spite of the age difference, their shared passion soon blossomed into a loving relationship.
When a Ghost Orchid began to bloom at the Audubon Society sanctuary, Roger knew this was the opportunity he'd been waiting for.
After a series of odd coincidences, they soon discovered this sensuous flower wasn't just rare and beautiful, it also had a strange, mystical power...
My Take:
I feel like Ghost Orchid had so much potential, but just didn't quite reach it. The characters were so interesting and mysterious, I felt by the end of the book, that I didn't know them as well as I would have liked. The back story wasn't 100% explained, and that drove me a little crazy. Overall though, the writing was solid. The characters were intriguing, and the events taking place really grabbed your attention. Sometimes I felt like some of the best parts of the story (I won't tell you which parts because I don't want to give away an spoilers:) was glossed over far too quickly, particularly in the last half of the book. I loved the book, but I wanted it to be longer than it's 166 pages. When I found out there may be a sequel, I was overjoyed, because I really wanted to learn more; the book seemed like a promising start, but it didn't feel conclusive. You know what I mean? Where the ending just doesn't feel like an end. I loved the overall haunting feel of the book, and I did think about it quite a bit after I was finished reading it, partly because I felt like there were some things missing, and partly because I loved the story. Ghost Orchid will definitely appeal to romantics, and those that love to read about lost loves and redemption. Overall, I will have to rate this book a 3, Find a Used Book Store. It comes close to being great, but misses the mark by just a little bit.
Do you agree with my review? Do you think I'm totally off base? Either way I'd love to hear from you, be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you feel!
A few words with the author, D.K. Christi:
The Book Buff: When and why did you begin writing?
D.K. Christi: Very young, out of loneliness. I was quiet and studious with few friends. Writing became my friend; always there.
TBB: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
DKC: Stopping. I could not end the story of this living, breathing family whose lives needed to continue. I knew them; they were part of my existence.
TBB: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
DKC: The beauty and wonder of nature is a precious gift to the soul and must be protected. When the questions of life are a problem, the serenity of a beautiful, natural environment opens the heart and clears the mind to receive the answers.
TBB: If you could mirror the career of any other author, who would it be?
DKC: No, I choose my own path, not the path of another. I seek the day when I might live in the mountains or by the sea and simply record their beauty.
TBB: What is your favorite interview question?
DKC: What inspires your writing?
TBB: What is the answer?
DKC: I am inspired by the many international places I have lived and worked and the vast array of cultural differences that influence the world today. I am inspired by the power of love and the destruction of hate and the balancing of emotions in a complex world.
TBB: Do you have something you are working on at the moment that you’d like to share with the readers of The Book Buff?
DKC: I am writing two novels... I also think Ghost Orchid has a sequel.
D.K. Christi: Very young, out of loneliness. I was quiet and studious with few friends. Writing became my friend; always there.
TBB: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
DKC: Stopping. I could not end the story of this living, breathing family whose lives needed to continue. I knew them; they were part of my existence.
TBB: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
DKC: The beauty and wonder of nature is a precious gift to the soul and must be protected. When the questions of life are a problem, the serenity of a beautiful, natural environment opens the heart and clears the mind to receive the answers.
TBB: If you could mirror the career of any other author, who would it be?
DKC: No, I choose my own path, not the path of another. I seek the day when I might live in the mountains or by the sea and simply record their beauty.
TBB: What is your favorite interview question?
DKC: What inspires your writing?
TBB: What is the answer?
DKC: I am inspired by the many international places I have lived and worked and the vast array of cultural differences that influence the world today. I am inspired by the power of love and the destruction of hate and the balancing of emotions in a complex world.
TBB: Do you have something you are working on at the moment that you’d like to share with the readers of The Book Buff?
DKC: I am writing two novels... I also think Ghost Orchid has a sequel.
If you would like to learn more about the author, D.K. Christi, Ghost Orchid, or her upcoming projects visit http://dkchristi.webs.com/
**FTC Disclose: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was given, all opinions are my own**
If you are interested in purchasing Ghost Orchid, please consider supporting The Book Buff by purchasing from the following Amazon link:
11 comments:
As a loer of garden and gardening mysteries, I was intrigued by the title. Is this a supernatural, paranormal story? Is the orchid really the spirit of a woman? Guess I'd hae to read it to find out!
I hesitated to label it as Paranormal, but it does have elements of spirits, etc, so I decided to just go with it :)
Hmmmm. I don't know if I will be giving this one a try or not. It's not because of the review, the review was great. Also, I think the the author sounds like quite an interresting person. No. I just, personally, am not much of the romantic type. Thanks for the review though! Very thorough, and unbiassed. Wish more blogs could be that way!
I passed on to you The Versatile Blogger Award. Congrats.
Please see my post from today for more info.
http://awell-wateredgarden.blogspot.com
The book reminds me of the movie "Adaptation" with Nicolas Cage. In the movie, Charlie Kaufman is trying to adapt a book called "The Orchid Theif" into a movie. He follows the author of the book, who is a lover of nature on her hunt for the great white orchid or something. I don't know, but this book sounds interesting. I've never read a book based on a plant, before but I guess if I were to do so it should definitely be based off of an orchid. They seem to be the most interesting plant...
I was totally passing by and added your button here: http://kateevangelistarandr.blogspot.com/
Oh, I would love to read this book. Orchids are so beautiful and very expensive. My friend's husband grows orchids in his greenhouse. Often, he makes trips to Sout America.
teakettle58(at)yahoo(dot)com
There's an award for you at http://ordinaryreader.blogspot.com
Dianne
I've enjoyed reading the comments. Yes, Susan Orlean wrote a book, Orchid Thief, turned into the movie, Adaptation, about a man who stole ghost orchids with the intent of propagating them and becoming wealthy. The author slogged through the Fakahatchee strand but never saw a real ghost orchid.
I was truly obsessed by my first sighting of the ghost orchid, and that obsession remains. To me, its elegance is enhanced by its lack of leaves, its delicate tendrils and its dance to be free in the swamp breeze.
Ghost Orchid is more a story of family relations and the impact of nature on the soul than pure romance; though I believe life turns on romance and I include a "touch" in most of my stories, either real or imagined.
Thanks for the email - great blog and a thoughtful review.
Stole your post: http://imabookishninja.blogspot.com/2010/08/ghost-orchid.html
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