Lovin Fridays: The Bronze Horseman

There's a certain high that comes from waking up in the morning and realising it's a Friday. It's like the sun came up brighter. Sure it's not the same high you get when you realise it's Saturday but it sure comes close! To celebrate and stimulate those good feelings, we'll be running Lovin' Fridays.

On Lovin' Fridays, we'll post an excerpt from a novel with a declaration of love or a marriage proposal that gave us the warm and fuzzies, made us laugh, made us cry or made us think.

The following extract is from a book that made my heart burst with emotion. It was one of my favourite reads in 2008 and I dare say it will remain one of my favourite books of all time. I was careful to choose an excerpt that wouldn't reveal any plot secrets but that I felt demonstrated Tatiana and Alexander's love for each other.

But this was the thing: she didn't' lay claim to Alexander. She was not reclaiming him now. She was not going to a warehouse of love and saying I think he is mine, I'll take him. He'll do. Tatiana did not drive in her stake for the possession of his heart.

It was Alexander who came to her, while she was nothing but absorbed in her own small, lonely life, and showed her that larger than life was possible. Alexander was the one who crossed the street and said, I'm yours.

Alexander was the one.

Glancing at him, Tatiana saw that he was waiting patiently, confident and whole and perfect. The sun filtered in through the Church's stained glass windows. She breathed in the faint smell of long-gone incense...

When Tatiana had been a child in Luga, her beloved Deda, seeing her depressed one summer and unable to find her way, said to her, 'Ask yourself these three questions, Tatiana Metanova, and you will know who you are. Ask: what do you believe in? What do you hope for? But most important - ask what do you love?'

She looked up at Alexander. 'What did you call it, Shura?' she said quietly. 'Our first night, you said you and I had something, you called us...'

'The life force,' he replied.

I know who I am, she thought, taking his hand and turning to the altar. I am Tatiana. And I believe in, and hope for, and love Alexander for life.

(Extract from The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons, Page 436)

*Sigh* The life force. He calls her his life force. Yep. Feeling pretty good now.

If you'd like to check out my review, you can do so here however I have to warn you it is one of my earlier reviews and a bit more conversational in style.

Have you read The Bronze Horseman? What did you think? Did you finish the entire trilogy? Feel free to share your thoughts!

PS Happy Friday.