Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I struggled getting into this one. It would draw me in and I'd get really into it, but then somehow next thing I knew I had completely lost focus and had to try and connect again. Beautiful premise, but very long. The narrator was good.

Above the Salt by Katherine Vaz is a sweeping saga of two Portuguese refugees who flee their island homes to escape religious upheaval, and end up finding and losing one another throughout their lives in America. From the story’s opening line that encompasses God, creation, and echoes of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s 100 Years of Solitude, the reader is offered a unique invitation to enter the kaleidoscopic story of John Alves and Mary Freitas. John is the son of a famous Presbyterian martyr and Mary the adopted daughter of a prominent botanist, and the two know upon meeting that they have a special bond. Their story is told in threads that are alternatively tightly woven and frayed, but never severed, even though social acquaintances, family members, miscommunications and historical events try to make it so.

Told over eight decades, this star-crossed love story spans the island of Madeira, the dusty plains of Illinois, the tropical climate of Florida and both coasts of the United States. It dips into and depicts the essence of significant historical events while depicting a love story in the language of magic realism, which Vaz and other Latin- and Luso-American writers have established and claimed as their own. The language is rich and evocative and the reader becomes mesmerized by both the chaos and deliberate cadence that makes the human experience. From a cold, dank jail cell to the table of Abraham Lincoln, from the front lines of battle to miracle berries that make lemons taste sweet, this story is told in contrasts. These counterpoints exist to highlight the ultimate thematic duality of the simplicity and complexity found in desires of the heart.

While a book this ambitious requires patience and diligent attention, the reader is rewarded with something “new under the sun,” as this writer’s voice feels refreshingly original and fulfilling. I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Gisela Chipe and her authentic performance adds depth to an already rich experience. Thank you to Flat Iron Books and MacMillan Audio for the chance to listen to this treasure.

This is a book that I wanted to love, but unfortunately only just liked. The concept was amazing. I haven't read much historical fiction set during the Civil War era and I was really excited that the characters were Portuguese. I loved that the audiobook included bits in Portuguese. I do think this was well written, but this was more a romance than a historical fiction for me. I was hoping it would be a lot more history with a splash of romance, but it's mostly two characters pining for each other. The religious persecution at the beginning was probably the most interesting part for me.

This story had so much potential, yet as I listened to the audiobook, I could not fully decipher what was happening and my interest faded with every poetic description of everything. This was a saga of a story that I felt like would never end. John and Maria, fall in love as children and are forced to leave Portugal in the late 1800’s to America. Once in America they are separated and find each other again years later. There were ongoing obstacles and difficulties they had to overcome throughout their many years together. The writing style was difficult to follow and too descriptive. This was a story about love, loss, and the roots of family.

I listened to this audiobook and it just did not connect with me. I was often confused about what was going on. I found the characters to be ehh. The story went on way longer than necessary, which may have added to the confusion and lack of connection. It did not seem to flow, and was very complicated when listening to. This seems to be a minority opinion, so may be worth considering reading and not listening on audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

Above the Salt - Katherine Vaz
Genre: Literary/Historical Fiction

Sometimes a book leaves me wordless. I’ve been trying to think of how to write an engaging hook and am failing. Katherine Vaz’s epic tale Above the Salt that spans countries and decades is a delight for me. She tells the story of Mary and John beginning at their first meeting in their native Portugal. Though young, they feel a connection immediately. Both victims of religious persecution, they travel to the United States with their families. Years later, they meet again and the angst of their relationship begins. Vaz follows their separations, reunions, and marriages through decades - including the Civil War, reconstruction, and the gilded age. Folks, this summary is a terrible one. I can’t adequately describe the spiritual and magical aspects. I can’t give enough attention to the impact of the secondary characters. The attention to the science of hearing and botany aren’t properly noted. The scope of the novel (I listened to the beautiful narration by Gisela Chipe - 23 hours) cannot be summarized in a fair way.
The language of the novel is absolutely poetic. Sometimes I had to rewind and listen again - because I just loved the music of the words - and thanks Gisela for the interpretation. I loved the albeit sad reminder that religious conflict and prejudice has existed for as long as humans have. I am often overwhelmed by what feels like historical division when in fact division has existed throughout history. Such a reminder provides hope for the future! I love the allusion to Emily Dickinson who is one of my favorite poets - would love to have lived in a world in which she is alive. I like the meetings between Mary and John at Abraham Lincoln’s house - Just a friend you know? I loved the complexity of the characters. I wanted to find easy categories to put them in, particularly, Edward, but their behaviors were honest and human and defied easy classification.The book spanned decades, and Vaz allowed her characters to develop and change in expected and unexpected ways. I love the idea of magic berries and a tablecloth beautifully embroidered with a lifetime of memories.
Perhaps most importantly - I admired and learned from these folks. We have a pretty easy life in 2023 in many ways in terms of transportation and communication and generally just knowing what is going on in the world and with the people we love. In fact, I often bemoan constant texting and worry about the damage it can cause in relationships. However, Mary and John are plagued with delays and miscommunication often to heartbreaking results. What I admire is that they simply forge on. They live with the results of their decisions and their mistakes and while devastated, they live with honor and with hope. I admire their fortitude. I have much to learn from it.

This book was at times beautiful and at times tedious. I think it completely depends on what type of reader you are. I typically love very descriptive narratives, but some times it went a little overboard and drew out unnecessary imagery and made it hard for me to focus on what was going on. And there was a lot going on. The plot was very thorough and well thought-out, and spans nearly a century. It was interesting how the author wove different pieces of history throughout the story, sometimes in detail and sometimes like a passing glance. Those Easter eggs were fun to listen for. As an audiobook, the narrator did a great job. When the plot or POV jumps it was sometimes harder to follow than if it were being read physically, but other than that it was well done. The negatives for me mostly have to do with characters. There are a lot of side characters since it’s such a long book, and I had trouble keeping up with who was who, especially after they’d meet someone again after a decade or more. The main characters are Mary and John, who meet in Portugal as kids, once, then again in America as young adult immigrants. The story is essentially following their star-crossed love story across decades…except it’s not really a great love story in my opinion. Eventually, I was mentally begging for the author to cross John’s star with someone, anyone else. Mary was selfish and childish in almost every decision, but she’s gorgeous so he let it slide. (As did poor Ward, but I won’t go there.) John and Mary actually aren’t often together, and when they are together it’s mostly just conflict or bad decisions. Unfortunately, the “love story” part of the book was my least favorite part. I wish they would have developed differently and I could have enjoyed the end, but I just really didn’t. Overall, it was a decent 3-3.5 star read for me. And I think it could be higher for someone fully invested in the main characters, but I just didn’t get there. Thank you to NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Definitely too long - I enjoyed the story but the oft repeated meetings and star crossed lovers theme which spanned 8 decades and multiple cities became almost Forrest Gump like in the events the main characters witnessed (meeting Abe Lincoln, the battle of Shiloh, the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, the Chicago World's Fair, among others) Each event creating a reason one of the other thought their eventual marriage and love was no longer possible. Enjoyable, but, as I said, too long.