Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “THE PALACE AT THE END OF THE SEA” by Simon Tolkien, Amazon Publishing, June 1, 2025, On Tour With Over The River Public Relations, Rachel Tarlow Gul

One of the most impressive and powerful books that I have read this year is “THE PALACE AT THE END OF THE SEA” By Author Simon Tolkien. The Genres for this book are Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Literary Sagas, Historical War, and Political Fiction. In this well researched and well written novel, the author vividly describes the historical scenery and landscapes, and the dramatic characters. The timeline for this story starts in 1929 and continues through the Spanish Civil War. I eagerly await the second book in this saga. The young protagonist, Theo Sterling finds his world upside down by the Great Depression. Theo’s father is a Jewish Businessman, and his mother is a devout Catholic refugee from Mexico. Theo’s father believes in the American Dream. Theo’s mother seems to be emotionally fragile. When tragedy strikes, Theo and his mother are forced to survive. Theo meets different people with certain ideologies, and begins to question his identity.

Theo finds himself leaving New York’s lower east side and headed to an English Boarding School. Again, he witnesses how society can change, and different ideologies are encouraged. He has seen protests, and the dangers. He questions what is fair, and what to support. This reminds me of the Complicated Political Climate today, where our children are aware and searching for truth, hope and peace. I highly recommend this thought-provoking and powerful novel.