The Spanish Patriot

by Nicky Penttila

Overview

When the British army is sent into Spain to help expel Napoleon, nothing goes as expected.

Louisa Wakefield and her family, Loyalist refugees from America, seek peace among people of their faith, but instead find war has followed them even to remote Galicia.

London newsman Sam Kerr, covering the troops for a story that will win him the editor's chair, with Louisa's help finds something else entirely.

If you enjoy sweeping stories set on an international stage, with complex and engaging characters, The Spanish Patriot is for you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781943192021
Publisher:	Wondrous Press
Publication date:	07/28/2015
Pages:	366
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.82(d)

About the Author

Nicky Penttila wrote her first story, a Mayan murder mystery, in seventh grade. But then came gymnastics, math team, and boyfriends. Later came husband, car payments, and a sleep-depriving work schedule at newspapers across the country. But the writing kept trickling out, a story here, a novella there, and finally, a real live novel. And she hasn't stopped.

Editorial Reviews

2021-02-12
A comprehensive saga detailing the stories of several characters during the little-discussed Peninsular War.

In 1808, British journalist Samuel Kerr journeys to Corunna, Spain, to follow the British campaign in the country. While there, he meets the Wakefields, a Loyalist family who fled America after the Revolutionary War and who now run a newspaper printing press in the region of Galicia. Kerr quickly forms a bond with the family members, particularly Louisa Wakefield, a young woman whose desire to be a news correspondent matches his own drive to become an editor. Their acquaintance later leads to a charming romance. Fred, Louisa’s brother, is a lieutenant in the British army, and his story as he journeys across the country adds historical depth to the novel. He’s part of an effort to oust Napoleon from Spain, which allows Penttila, the author of An Untitled Lady (2013), to expertly weave in details about the fairly obscure Peninsular War. Over the course of the novel, he delivers a thorough historical saga with delightfully vivid characters. However, the prose only uses evocative language sparingly, which is a shame, as such moments are highlights. For example, when readers first meet Kerr, he’s lamenting the fact that he was passed over for an editor job: “One would have thought a…flexible intellect rated more than a phlegm-hacking presumptive messiah.” Another notable element is the entertaining rapport between Kerr and Louisa, which showcases their sharp intellects and enjoyable senses of humor. Their exchanges add welcome levity to the story so that it never feels too bogged down in historical matters.

An ambitious and enlightening work of fiction that will satisfy lovers of history and romance alike.

Kirkus Reviews