Two very different women lie at the heart of Julie Mangano's riveting story, Braha: A Tale of Innocence & Intrigue. While their lives are separated by more than a century, this dual narrative tells the powerful story of murder and intrigue that surrounds these women and spans two continents.
The stories her mother told her as a child set the dramatic stage for Mangano's suspense-filled, historical saga that spins an intriguing tale of love and secrets. By skillfully blending the history of her mother's ancestors in Russia with the present day home of her paternal grandparents in California, Mangano propels readers into two vastly diverse worlds that run parallel with each other in a spellbinding read - tough to put down!
Linden St. Clair and Leena Weiss are the foundation of this character-driven mystery; distinctly different women, living a century apart, yet still connected by curious circumstances. As she peels back the alternate layers of Leena and Linden's lives, the author does an impressive job of portraying life in early 1900 Russia in Leena's day, versus Linden's modern-day life in California.
Following her grandfather's death, Linden inherits an old family journal that was written by Leena - her great-great grandmother - and the more she delves into the old journal, the more Linden realizes it holds the key to mysterious family secrets that might reveal her grandfather's killer. As a young girl, German-born Leena lived a simple life in a tiny Russian village - always dreaming of a better life. Instead, after an affair with a Russian army officer, she finds herself on the run and pursued by Okhrana, the Russian secret police. While Linden had no way of knowing how this journal would change her life, the more she reads the more family secrets are exposed and she is forced to face an unimaginable possibility - that a century later her family might still be in danger!
Julie Mangano has worn many hats in her career. She has been an editor, publications manager, writer and art director, but it was only after hearing stories of her mother's ancestors that she felt compelled to write Braha.
Julie lives with her husband near Austin, Texas. For more information, please visit:
www.juliemangano.com.
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