"The Lady of Tarpon Springs" by Judith Miller
Zanna Krykos has defied gender stereotypes quite enough, according to her traditional Greek father. Her budding career as a lawyer is already a point of conflict between them. When her friend Lucy inherits not only a fleet of highly specialized Greek boats but also the responsibility for the crew - Greek immigrants who have recently arrived for the sole purpose of working on these vessels, Zanna offers to help Lucy turn this uncertain investment into a solid business. Lucy, who has few alternatives, agrees, placing Zanna in charge of the boats and the crew.
Nico Kalos is the leader of a crew of Greek sponge divers who have emigrated to Tarpon Springs, Florida. Lucy's father purchased their fleet and their passage to America, dreaming they might together discover great wealth in sponge beds deep beneath the Gulf waters. Unfortunately, the investor died before their arrival, and the crew shares the traditional Greek opinions upheld by Zanna's father. They are quite reluctant to work for their deceased patron's daughter and her eager friend. Since they have no other option, Nico must walk the line between appeasing his men and teaching Zanna about the sponging business.
As a Florida resident and history lover, I enjoyed reading about the history of Greek immigration to the United States. While I live on the opposite coast, I have visited the area near Tarpon Springs, and the town in which I now live was also initially heavily populated by Greek immigrants. I found the author's insight into period sponge diving quite fascinating, as well. I had no idea that the sponges we often take for granted today were so highly prized and varied greatly in value. The author gives readers a glimpse into this unique industry and the Greek immigrants who revolutionized it in America.
While I enjoyed the context of the book and its connection to local history, I was less impressed with the story. I love historical fiction. I enjoy contemporary novels, as well. The rising action and the heroine of this tale, however, seemed to function more as an ungainly period remix of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." The dialogue between characters often felt unnatural (especially considering the historical context), and the plot dragged a bit through the middle, in large part because the secondary characters were generally unremarkable or unlikeable. Toward the end, however, the action picked up a bit and a fairly foreseeable plot twist finally garnered some sympathy toward a particularly annoying character.
"The Lady of Tarpon Springs" didn't captivate or enchant me. It didn't keep me up late turning pages. It informed me and it engaged my interest enough to keep me reading, but I won't re-read it. I probably wouldn't recommend it to a friend, unless that friend was heading to the Tampa area and looking for a historical fiction beach read with local flavor. I may, however, recommend it to my library here in Florida, due to the local interest factor. If I could add a half star, I would give it three and a half stars. I liked it. I just didn't like it a lot.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. All opinions contained in this review are my own.