Excerpt of an appreciation of the manuscript of THE ALEPPO by Marsha Rowe of THE LITERARY CONSULTANCY
The writing is often beautiful, the women - especially the grandmother, her daughter and her favorite granddaughter - come across powerfully as characters. Even the portraits of how the men behave in the private realm, in their relationships with these women are strongly etched. The settings, the flats, houses countryside, especially the Moroccan visits are conjured in language of colour and texture. The experiences of birth , death, sexuality, the life of the girls, their privations and punishments, hopes and fears, the wildness of their mother, her loves and profligate selfishness, the religious rituals, the grandmother’s faith are all covered vividly in a language of scents and passions, brimming with metaphor, flavouring the movel with colour and life. The grandmother’s homilies, her knowledge of human nature, her own spiritual investment in her family’s future, her hopes for them, her peasant-wise knowledge of herbs, her observance of the rituals for blessing and acknowledging the sacred and for laying down continuities, her fund of stories, her own struggle for emotional equilibrium, are especially appealing. Unexpected and powerful, also, are the coming of the Sirocca, the plague of locusts or of impending events in the family. These then, the so-called instinctive, or female rhythms, the personal interconnections of the extended family, make up the bulk of the novel and are the main ingredients of the story.It is well told, very long, yet involving, interesting, and we come to know intimately the characters concerned.
There are many strengths in this novel, its characterization, its flow, its events, its descriptions, are all of a high standard.
Guido Waldman the Harvill Press Sept 2000
On the evidence, this is one of those novels that in a perfect world would assuredly be published because it is written lucidly and authoritatively and addresses an interesting area of human experience. The difficulty is, for Harvill, that a high proportion of those who send us their texts are educated, sensitive and literate as you are, and we constantly have to make hard choices between one merit and another - the fiction market is glutted and we cannot take on more than a small handful of what comes to us each year
I can only urge you to cast your net wide.
MOVING PEOPLE. Adam Sinicki, Writers News, Dec 2007
Mercedes Leyshon managed to publish her first book The Aleppo despite the fact that she not only suffers from dyslexia but also had to write in a foreign language. The book was self published through Troubador publishing, who unlike many self-publishing companies are selective in what they agree to print.
‘Those who knew me told me what a challenge it must have been, but as when a woman gives birth, her drive to deliver is so compulsive that the notion of challenge never enters her mind, so it was with my writing’ says Mercedes.
The book follows a family who flee the Spanish Civil war to France only to be forced to flee again when Hitler invades. Mercedes remembers starting to write The Aleppo fourteen years ago when she was struck with a sudden and irresistible urge to write. She began putting pen to paper despite not knowing what it was she was writing, but after the first chapter emerged she knew exactly what her story would be.
Mirroring the country hopping of her protagonists, Mercedes was born in Spain and raised in French Colonial Africa. During this time ’scribbling’ was always a part of her life. Since the age of ten she always enjoyed writing and recalls that she used to carry everywhere a small notepad and tiny pencils she purposely broke down to a third of their size. She later moved to England where she would eventually graduate from Leeds University with a degree in modern languages. The course forced her to switch to writing in English and she credit’s the course with giving her the discipline necessary to write The Aleppo.
With four grandchildren, Mercedes is concerned that the art of story-telling stays with us and is currently working on an adaptation of the famous Labours of Hercules which she believes to be a timeless moralistic tale. No matter what, Mercedes hopes to keep writing, even if it’s just ’scribbling’ in her diary.
Nita Heimers. Andalucia
I finished The Aleppo in one reading. I could not put it down. I found the historical background of the Spanish Civil war riveting and informative as I knew little about it, even though I now live in Spain. But for me what made the book so compelling was the story of the family caught up in that war and how the characters reacted and lived through it. The author has made these characters so real and I must confess to a tear or two as I was reading it. This is a novel in the old classical style, without frills but I believe is all the better for it. I recommend The Aleppo to everyone of all ages. What about a sequel?
Tracy Banks. Editor INland Magazine for the Costa del Sol
When I was handed a copy of this novel my first reaction was along the lines of ‘Ohmigod’. My duties as Editor of Inland combined with new motherhood leave me little time to read anything more substantial than the side of the baby rice packet! But I promised I would review it and although midnight oil was burned, I am glad that the task was mine to undertake.
The Aleppo is incredibly the first novel for Spanish born author Mercedes Leyshon and is a beautifully written insight into a turbulent era. The story begins in July 1936 in Madrid on the first day of the Spanish Civil War and is an epic journey of family love, conflict, joy and heartbreak set against a backdrop which is enthralling although tragic.
Ms Leyshon uses her extensive travels, studies and life experiences to weave the autobiographical through the fictional account of the lives of four main female characters, Rosario, her daughters Carlota and Paloma and her own mother Pepa..
As the remarkable story of their lives unravels, we accompany them and become immersed in a story which is as historically educational as it is spiritually enlightening.
I highly recommend The Aleppo which was recently published by Troubador.
Madeleine Heimers. London
I loved this book. So different to the pretentious stuff around. I felt sorry for Rosario even though she was not a good person. But she was trapped. She should have been born today.
I loved all the exotic descriptions. It made me want to visit Morocco. I can recommend it.
Moira O’Brien . Biarritz France
Critics might describe this as "an ambitious novel". It is much more than that. The outline on the back cover is helpful and accurate. The storyline itself encompasses so much more - a variety of cultures, different countries, the fortunes of two branches of one family, one living in fear and poverty whilst the other is safe and living with affluence. Mercedes Leyshon has introduced autobiographical elements into the novel, which add to the intrigue. Were there actually people like this in her own life? Who is real and who fiction?
In a world of wider travel, reading this novel provides an easy way of learning more about history and our European neighbours. Mercedes Leyshon's life experience has also taught her a lot about human nature and the effects of "nature and nurture". You can just take the book as an absorbing read or look more deeply, a thought-provoking exercise. Authors probably don't like being compared but, if you like Isabel Allende's novels, you might find similarities here. Lots of characters and a need to keep reading to keep the plot in your head. Definitely worth a read if you are looking for a new novelist to enjoy.
Tracy Banks, Editor. INland Review Jan 2007. Stories from the heart.
It was a joy and a humbling experience to meet with Mercedes Leyshon and her husband in the Autumn of last year having once again communicated by email for some time and having reviewed her first novel The Aleppo in INland Magazine.
This novel comes highly recommended. Order it online at www.Troubador.co.uk
With many thanks and kind regards to the author.
Readers' Review. Summer 2007
Mercedes Leyshon brings a great deal of colour into this informative and well written book, which has accurate facts of that time. But there are were many members of several families, and a cast of characters before the contents of a three part story would have been useful A well-bound and worthwhile read.
M.L.C. Journal of the Butler Society. Vol. 4, Number 4.
This is a first novel with many autobiographical details. Mercedes’ great grandfather was Jacobo Alejandro Butler whom Lord Dunboyne believed was the antecedent of Thomas butler, who moved from Ballinakill to Cadiz in the eighteenth century. Jacobo Butler was born in Tangier in 1826 and was Spanish Vice-Consul in El Jadida where he died in 1885. Mercedes was brought up in Casablanca and in the novel there are evocative descriptions of Meknes and Oued Ouirika.
The Aleppo has a large cast of characters and every page is packed with incident and excitement. The first part of the novel is set during the Spanish Civil War and the heroine is born under extremely difficult circumstances against a backdrop of gunfire and chaos. The book ends when the family come to Barcelona, a city still suffering from the effects of the Civil War.
B.H. Warwickshire
Congratulations to the artist who designed the cover. It is arresting - peacock feathers, a magical tree and a mythical bird - all gazed at by a group of children. It was mysterious and chagalesque. I had to buy it.
Then there were the dedications. It is not often that authors acknowledge their gratitude so honestly and intimately. It moved me. I enjoyed the quality of the paper, which felt good to the touch and the print was easy on the eye. I just had to read it. I started and went on and on, lying amongst pillows for three nights into the small hours. The experience went from pleasure to pleasure. It is so rich in everything; symbolism, wisdom, surprise simplicity and yet ambiguity, fun and joy to the senses.
It would make a terrific film - big landscapes, exotic locations, visually interesting, a period set in the 1930’s to the 50s, exciting characters - just the kind of film I would run to see.
I cannot believe that Mrs Leyshon is a first time novelist. Good luck. I wish her well.
Peter B Soifranc . Casablanca
I have just been given The Aleppo as a gift because I was brought up where the novel was set.
I am not a prolific reader, but I found this novel exquisitely accurate in its depiction of Moorish architecture, souks, scents, colours, the gardens and the journeys into the Atlas mountains.
it was atmospheric beyond belief; I felt transported back in time and I was sometimes overwhelmed.
It was also a gripping story of a family in conflict with itself.
I understood the whole identity dilemma the author expands on, as there were so many different nationalities in Morocco and a lot of Spanish Civil War refugees there.
I particularly liked, the grandmother, Pepa who was kind and wise.
I truly enjoyed this novel.
I think there is so much in this novel that I do not comment on, which makes it relevant and exciting to everyone.
Mercedes Leyshon deserves much success.
Elfyn Richards. Swansea
When I first read on the website about The Aleppo I thought it was going to be a ”woman's book”, but because it sounded interesting - the Spanish civil war, and then life in Morocco - I went ahead and bought it. I was wrong . It is a book for men and women readers of every age, but I think it will resonate more with those remembering that turbulent period of recent history and with those younger readers who are curious and are looking for a colourful account of life in Spain, France and Morocco in the 1930’s,40’s and 50‘s. British readers are familiar with life in the UK at that time, but The Aleppo is different in that it extends that vision to French and Spanish Colonials living the war as exiles in Casablanca.
The novel is not just a book about fleeing from the war, it is also a moving and sometimes personal account of a family living against that background and all the pressures and joys of family life. It has a universal appeal and the exotic locations are vividly described and the story itself is deeply moving. The Aleppo was a joy to read and I would recommend it to everyone.
Mercedes Leyshon has produced a wonderful first novel and I wish her the wider readership that her book deserves.
Sanjy Mistry. Malaga
When reading The Aleppo I was surprised to be making so many connections with my own family, landscape and culture though I have an Indian background.
It shows that when stories are authentic they are universal and touch each other and every one of us.
I knew nothing about the historical element within it, as it is all about the Spanish Civil War. I found it fascinating and more to the point, almost tangible as the author uses real events, situations and characters to describe that war.
It was a cracking good read and I recommend it to every one.
Rabbit. Derbyshire
A country thrown into chaos is echoed in this account of a family of strong, often destructive, personalities attempting to survive as best they can the many physical and emotional brickbats thrown at them. This is a tale of forced migration and a desperate need to settle and belong, which resonates powerfully in the world of today.This quest for 'home'is told largely from the perspective of young Paloma, and reinforced by the wisdom and feisty resilience of her grandmother Pepa.Whilst the backdrop is serious the story is told with humour and sensitivity, and gives a fascinating insight into how the Spanish Civil War impacted on the lives of ordinary people just over 50 years ago .
Lily Kranenburg. Analucia
I would like to let you know that I very much enjoyed your novel The Aleppo. I must compliment you on your first book which was interesting and entertaining as well as well written. I have been living in Andalucia for 24 years and visited Morocco on various occasions. The moods and atmosphere of both countries are so well expressed. Congralutations.
Happy author on her 70th birthday.
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