The Turquoise

By Anya Seton

Book Overview

"Seton, at her best, has a gaudy vitality all her own, and a sure sense of theatre. This reader for one, enjoyed The Turquoise enormously." -- New York Times

"With accurate historical background, Anya Seton has constructed a touchingly tragic story of a girl who tried so hard to find happiness that she lost everything in her search. The life of Santa Fe Cameron lingers long in memory." -- Springfield Republican

Santa Fe Cameron was named for the town where she was born, because her Scottish father and a distressed priest could agree on no other name. When she is seven years old, the unexpected death of her father makes her an orphan. Shortly thereafter, a Navajo shaman recognizes her psychic powers and gives her a turquoise pendant as a keepsake. This turquoise, the Indian symbol of the spirit, dominates her life. She eventually leaves the simple beauty of her native New Mexico to search for happiness in the opulent New York of the 1870s.

For "Fey," life is made up of violent contrasts: the rough wagon that brings her East and the scented carriages waiting before her own Fifth Avenue mansion; the glittering world of the Astors and a dreary cell in the Tombs. All the color, excitement, and rich period detail that distinguish Anya Seton's novels are here, together with one of her most unusual heroines.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0544242181
• ISBN13: 9780544242180
• Release Date: June 2016
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

A poignant, beautifully-written story

I first read The Turquoise several years ago, and just read it again. Luckily I didn't remember much about it from the first time around (except the vague notion that it was a really good story), so I was able to enjoy it anew. The story traces the life of Santa Fe Cameron Dillon Tower and, unlike many of Anya Seton's works, none of the main characters were actual people --except perhaps, as she explains in her forward, Santa Fe herself. The story is wonderfully crafted, full, rich with detail, and showcases Seton's wonderful imagination and ability to build an entire life story around a little scrap of legend she once heard. The first part of the book is beautiful, as Seton paints such a vivid picture of the old city of Santa Fe and the western trails during the mid-19th century. Her writing is nearly flawless; there were many times when I stopped and re-read a passage slowly in order to capture each word and savor Seton's talent for painting a full picture with so few brushstrokes. If you like lighthearted stories or those with happy endings, then you probably won't like this book. Again and again the reader watches Fey make bad, even devastating, choices, overriding the advise of those who love her and even her own sharp conscience. Although in the end she does eventually face the truth and find redemption, even then it is less than a full healing. She -- and the reader -- fully understands what her life COULD have been, but she bravely shuts the door on that opportunity forever, and does all she can to make amends to those she has damaged, living out the rest of her life with the consequences of her selfish and short-sighted choices. The only flaw I could find in the book were some aspects of Simeon Tower's personality and behavior. I found it hard to believe that Fey could have won him over so easily. And I found it even harder to believe that such a man, even one as troubled and insecure as Simeon obviously was, would so blatantly and plainly - almost like a child -- express his desire to become part of the "in-crowd". However, I don't feel that this took away from the overall story, and so I am still giving the book a "5". If you like bittersweet stories that are full and well-written but that don't always end with people living happily ever after, then you will love this book. It is too bad that it has been largely overlooked in the shadow of Green Darkness and Katherine.

Very enjoyable read

I really enjoyed this book. It captured my attention from the very first page. I found myself crying towards the end of the book because it really touched my heart. After I finished the book, I loaned it to a friend and she said the same thing--it caught her interest from the very first page and she also was having a hard time putting it down. I thought the characters were presented very realistically and developed well enough to evoke emotions from the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to keep it and read it again.

old is new again

i really enjoyed this one. i dont how i missed it so many years ago. it is a timeless story, well written.