AUTHOR: Judith Miller
DATE: 2018
PUBLISHER: Bethany House
STARS: ****
Much to the dismay of her Greek family, Zanna Krykos makes a living as a lawyer in Tarpon Springs, Florida. When her friend Lucy needs legal advice about the business she inherited upon her father's passing, she ends up asking Zanna to run the business instead so she can focus on her medical career.
Nico Kalos is a Greek diver who has worked on sponging boats in the Aegean Sea since the age of 14, giving him a vast knowledge of the trade. When he hears of an opportunity to lead a group of spongers to the United States, he seizes it. But his excitement is quickly quelled when he arrives only to discover that a young woman with no experience in the business will be in charge of the new crews.
But as Zanna and Nico face even more complications than they could have imagined, they must learn to work together or risk everything they've worked so hard for.
I enjoy unusual heroines and heroes, and the combination of a lady lawyer and sponge diver in the early 1900s certainly fit the bill. The amount of research the author must have done is impressive! Learning a bit about the sponge diving industry of that time was fascinating, and the growing relationship between Zanna and Nico held my interest.
The supporting cast of The Lady of Tarpon Springs added much to the atmosphere of this novel. I especially enjoyed Zanna’s Yaya, a forceful yet loving grandmother. The antics of the three Rochester sisters added comic relief with their complicated relationships.
Faith was assumed, almost as though an afterthought, and there were times I wished the actions were shown more than told.
Overall, I truly enjoyed reading The Lady of Tarpon Springs and award it four stars. This book was provided courtesy of Graf Martin Communications and Baker Publishing.