DRAWING IN THE DUST Review - Zoë Klein

DRAWING IN THE DUST by Zoë Klein is a magical and fully romantic read. I went into the book figuring that I would find a great story and found something so full of wonder and color that my brain is still swirling with the beauty of it. Much as a fairy tale leaves frosting and pixie dust floating about the head, DRAWING IN THE DUST leaves warmth and happiness surrounding you like a soft blanket fresh out of the dryer. I am absolutely ecstatic to share this review with you today and hope that it encourages you to pick this book up and get lost within the wonder of its pages.

Drawing in the Dust by Zoë Klein
Publisher: Pocket Books
Pages: 416
ISBN +13: 9781416599128
My Recommended Age Group: Older Young Adult to Adult
Released: July 7, 2009
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From Klein's Website:

American archaeologist Page Brookstone risks her professional reputation when a young Arab couple begs her to excavate beneath their home in Anatot, Israel. They claim the spirits of two lovers haunt it, overwhelming everyone who enters with love and desire. As Page digs, she makes a miraculous discovery-the bones of the deeply troubled prophet Jeremiah locked in an eternal embrace with a mysterious woman named Anatiya. Buried with the lovers, a scroll in Anatiya's own mystical words challenges centuries-old interpretations of the prophet's story. Caught in a forbidden love story of her own, Page soon discovers that by shaking off the dust of the dead, she has unearthed painful issues from her past and created a worldwide fervor that threatens to silence Anatiya's passionate spirit forever.

My thoughts:

DRAWING IN THE DUST follows the blond, beautiful, intelligent and lost Page as she journeys to discover who she is and what mysteries the world holds. Originally a divinity student in college, she found herself drawn to archaeology and has spent over a decade digging up the remains of past civilizations. She's always cataloging, recording, analyzing; she's searching for something but has no idea what that something is. When Ibrahim and Aisha Barakat show up at her dig, claiming to have ghosts visiting their home, Page is quick to dismiss them as the rest of her colleagues have. Her brain and heart war with each other and soon, despite the pleas of her coworkers, she finds herself on the Barakat's doorstep. What follows is a story woven with mystery, intrigue, suspense, and above all, love.

The discovery of a scroll and coffin in an ancient cistern set the world on fire. The scroll contains the words of a young woman, Anatiya, as she details her life and her love for the prophet Jeremiah. The coffin contains the old bones of Anatiya, locked in a loving embrace in the long-dead arms of Jeremiah. Her story and the obvious love between the pair throw age-old stories up into a whirlwind of chaos. When panic and destruction are becoming a part of everyday life, can the tender love of two long-dead mortals cure the world, or crush it?

I am not exaggerating at all when I say that DRAWING IN THE DUST is breathtakingly beautiful. This is one of the most unique and wonderful love stories that I have read. At the forefront is Page and her desire to find love despite the fact that she constantly pushes it away. As Page's discovery of the ancient scroll continues, we also learn of Anatiya and her undying love for Jeremiah. Klein gives a velvety soft, fluid texture to Anatiya and its practically impossible not to fall in love with the young woman, feeling every joy and heartbreak that she experiences. Anatiya's voice is the voice of love. I don't know how Klein does it, but she creates such a tender and romantic atmosphere that I feel even the most bitter and angry people would find themselves melting over her words.

Normally, a strong female character is what wins a book over for me. In this case I was extra lucky to experience two strong female characters. Both Page and Anatiya play strong leads and bring strong stories to the book even though one character is dead. One would expect that Page, the woman that we actually follow would steal the spotlight from Anatiya. Or perhaps Anatiya would steal it from Page seeing as how it is her scroll that Page discovers and her life that unfolds before us. Instead, Klein brings both characters to the front, showing amazing skill at creating two lead characters that can both stand in the spotlight together without one overshadowing the other.

It is for reasons such as this that DRAWING IN THE DUST is a remarkable book. Klein's ability to bring us down into multiple stories while at the same time keeping utter cohesion is just amazing and adds such a level of depth to the book that enjoyment lasts long after the last page is read. People say it all the time, but in this instance, it could not be more true. Klein's characters really do jump off the page and cavort around you. DRAWING IN THE DUST follows more like a beautiful play, a wonderful moving work of art, than simple black lines on grey paper. It's been a day since I finished DRAWING IN THE DUST and I can still picture scenes from the book vividly in my head. That is the kind of artistry Klein puts forth.

Aside from the wonderful creation of great characters and a fantastic job at creating a compelling plot, Klein seems to be terrific at creating romantic tension. Romance is the key to DRAWING IN THE DUST, at least in my opinion, and romance is the thing that constantly pulls us along. It was very difficult for me not to experience an intense feeling of love while reading this book and I imagine many share my opinion. The story of Anatiya, the woman who dared to love a prophet, brings its own impossible bit of romantic tension. Add in Page, and her constant battle with her own self as she fights to find love and you've created an epic love story - one that is bound to capture hearts for years to come.

Fair warning time: There are a few adult scenes although they are not graphic at all. Well, in my opinion anyway. I would give this a sensuality rating of three. There are scenes where certain activities take place, but these are not described and much is left to the imagination.

Writing: 10
Interest: 10
Passion: 10
Originality: 10
Characters: 10
Pace: 10
Overall: 60/60 - A

Book Cover: 3/3

I hardly had to ponder the rating for this one at all. The writing was beautiful; my interest was captured within the first paragraph; the passion was there, seeping into the reader's soul; the story was original and highly compelling; the characters were well developed, carrying with them an intense depth of emotion; the pace was perfect with the text flowing fluidly throughout, ebbing and rising to continue pulling us on our journey. To top it all off, the cover of DRAWING IN THE DUST is exquisite. We all know what a sucker I am for the female body. This cover has a gorgeous model with delicate ears and luscious hair. An earring that I would absolutely love to steal ties it all together creating a wonderful feast for the eye.

My thoughts on DRAWING IN THE DUST are now out here for you to view. I hope that they encourage you to find a copy of this wonderful tale and give it a try. If you are a fan of romance, I really don't see how you could be disappointed. If you're anything like me, you'll pick this book up expecting to spend a week or so reading it and then discover that barely twenty four hours have gone by from when you picked the book up to when the final heart melting page has turned.