The Beauty of Literature

An exploration of books
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Newest Reviews
    • Alphabetical list of reviews
    • 2015 Classics Challenge
    • YA
    • Contemporary
    • Genre
    • Women's Prize 2024
  • Book Life
  • Editing
  • Home
    • Newest Reviews
    • Alphabetical list of reviews
    • 2015 Classics Challenge
    • YA
    • Contemporary
    • Genre
    • Women's Prize 2024
  • Book Life
  • Editing
The Beauty of Literature.png

Home

  • All
  • 2015 Classics Challenge
  • 5/5
  • BWP17
  • Christmas
  • Persephone Book Challenge
  • Romeo & Juliet
  • YA Book Prize
theinfinitenow.jpg

The Infinite Now - Mindy Tarquini

Emma Holtrust November 1, 2017

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion of the book. 

The Infinite Now is the second novel of Mindy Tarquini and my introduction to this author. The story takes place in 1918, in a Philadelphia that is being destroyed by the influenza flu. Within this historically setting, Tarquini introduces Fiora Vicente. Fiora is an Italian immigrant who recently lost her parents. She now has to navigate the world as an orphan and added to that, she has to deal with her mother's legacy. Fiora's mother was a fortune teller and people now blame Fiora for causing the deaths around them.

The writing of this novel is beautiful. If you're a fond of elaborate setting descriptions, this is the book for you. It is incredibly easy to imagine walking the streets with Fiora in a dark and suffocating Philadelphia. Fiora experiments with magic and 'feels' certain things. While this is compelling as a story element, I didn't always find it that believable. Granted, I'm not a reader for magical stories, but sometimes the descriptions of the magic were just too vague for me to understand what Fiora was going through.

Fiora herself is an incredibly likable main character and I thoroughly enjoyed being on this journey with her. She is well-rounded and though she makes some frustrating decisions, I always understood them. There is also an amazing cast of other Italian immigrants and I really enjoyed how many lived in the same house and how we got an in-depth look at their lives

The one thing I must mention though (and this is a slight spoiler, so don't read the italicized text that follows if you don't want to know - just scroll to the next paragraph!) is my extreme frustration with Fiora's sexuality. I feel like Tarquini wanted to experiment with adding a lesbian character, but then backed out of this decision for the good of the story. Sexuality, even when it's not talked about during a historical time, doesn't just magically disappear. You can't put a lesbian woman with a gay man and suddenly have them fall crazy in love and be straight. I get that this wraps up the story nicely, but no. It's the one aspect of the book I really didn't like.

Back to spoiler-free text! Besides that big thing I just mentioned, the book is an enjoyable one. I would urge people to read the spoiler, because I think a lot of people would really hate that aspect of the novel, but if you're okay with that and love books such as The Night Circus, The Infinite Now will be a very enjoyable read for you.

TagsThe Infinite Now, Mindy Tarquini, Book reviews
  • Home
  • Older
  • Newer
Gallery Block
This is an example. To display your Instagram posts, double-click here to add an account or select an existing connected account. Learn more
Aenean eu leo Quam
Cursus Amet
Pellentesque Risus Ridiculus
Porta
Etiam Ultricies
Vulputate Commodo Ligula
Elit Condimentum
Aenean eu leo Quam
Cursus Amet
Pellentesque Risus Ridiculus
Porta
Etiam Ultricies

About me

Welcome to my wonderful little nook on the internet. My name is Emma and I love everything books and writing. I might also be a little bit of a book-buying-addict, but aren't we all? For more information, check out the About tab. 

I hope you enjoy the blog - I would love to hear your feedback on whatever. Have fun!

Newest posts

Featured
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Jun 5, 2019
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Jun 5, 2019
Jun 5, 2019
smallgreatthings.jpg
Feb 8, 2018
Some of my 2018 reading!
Feb 8, 2018
Feb 8, 2018
The Infinite Now - Mindy Tarquini
Nov 1, 2017
The Infinite Now - Mindy Tarquini
Nov 1, 2017
Nov 1, 2017
Oct 12, 2017
Turtles All The Way Down - John Green
Oct 12, 2017
Oct 12, 2017
Aug 15, 2017
The Names They Gave Us - Emery Lord
Aug 15, 2017
Aug 15, 2017
Aug 1, 2017
July Wrap-up!
Aug 1, 2017
Aug 1, 2017
allthatmanis.jpg
Jul 25, 2017
All That Man Is - David Szalay
Jul 25, 2017
Jul 25, 2017
Jun 6, 2017
Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction: First Love - Gwendoline Riley
Jun 6, 2017
Jun 6, 2017
Jun 5, 2017
Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction: The Power by Naomi Alderman
Jun 5, 2017
Jun 5, 2017
May 10, 2017
We Are Okay - Nina LaCour
May 10, 2017
May 10, 2017
“That is part of the beauty of literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”
— F. Scott Fitzgerald

Twitter Feed

  • The Beauty of Lit
    4 of 5 stars to Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin https://t.co/AL1Eu22hpc
    Dec 17, 2022, 3:25 PM
  • The Beauty of Lit
    RT @nktgill: The magic of ordinary things. https://t.co/OcO1U1i35a
    Nov 19, 2022, 4:54 AM
  • The Beauty of Lit
    On page 152 of 338 of Daisy Darker, by Alice Feeney https://t.co/AQu3ISEzuZ
    Nov 8, 2022, 5:03 PM
  • The Beauty of Lit
    4 of 5 stars to And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling https://t.co/6xka3cUfdO
    Nov 6, 2022, 7:27 AM
  • The Beauty of Lit
    4 of 5 stars to Reputation by Sarah Vaughan https://t.co/smz4FYMCQq
    Nov 3, 2022, 7:14 AM
twitter tumblr instagram-unauth pinterest youtube
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Terms & Conditions

Powered by Squarespace

 

The Beauty of Literature

An exploration of books

This website is a collection of book reviews and discussion, writer's tips and tricks and inspirational quotes and pictures to please every book lover.

twitter tumblr instagram-unauth pinterest youtube