Assessment:
Plot/Idea: The plot follows events from the Mexican Revolution, circling back to ill-fated lovers Maria and Ramon as they try to navigate challenging and painful realities. The pace builds steadily but stumbles toward the end, with a conclusion that feels ill-suited to the rest of the storyline.
Prose: LaMotte’s smart and authentic prose will evoke nostalgia in readers. Descriptions set the scenes eloquently, dousing the story with authenticity and old world charm.
Originality: LaMotte delivers a classic historical love story, drawing on cultural nuances based in the Mexican Revolution, with character-driven moments that romance readers will savor.
Character Development/Execution: Maria and Ramon embody a timeless romance, but their ending feels stiff and out of place. Readers may be challenged by the characters' improbable reactions to painful and traumatic events.
Date Submitted: August 23, 2022
Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers’ Favorite
The Song of Ramon and Maria by Richard E. LaMotte is an epic romance novel set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution at the dawn of the 20th century.
Despite misgivings from her family, Maria Duranthon marries the love of her life, Ramon, an Indian cowboy, in the small Mexican town of Rosario. But when Ramon is drafted into the Mexican army, and Maria's father is unexpectedly murdered, the two lovers will diverge toward very different paths in life.
After suffering a harrowing assault by a despicable captain, Maria leaves for Mexico City, realizing to her horror that she is pregnant. She is forced to beg on the streets until she finds refuge in the bordello of a European madame. Meanwhile, Ramon joins the revolutionaries while being hunted by the federal forces.
Can Ramon and Maria find their way back to each other?
A sprawling tale of love, loss, and betrayal, The Song of Ramon and Maria never lets you take your eyes off the pages. Author Richard E. LaMotte weaves an epic yarn filled with romance, tragedy, and political intrigue that keeps you on your toes with a string of twists and turns you never see coming.
This is a story full of heartbreak where our heroes sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Ramon and Maria are two star-crossed lovers who find themselves separated from each other due to extraordinary circumstances they have no control over.
If you love to read epic romance sagas or historical fiction, I can't recommend The Song of Ramon and Maria enough.
