“Carrying us off was an act of war, and they did it anyway. That they married us is some consolation… I suppose it vindicates them in the gods’ eyes – the snakes!”

Perennials of Spring is a historical fiction that illustrates the kidnapping and forced marriage of Sabine women that led to the foundation of Rome. 

From the outset, I knew the subject matter of women being kidnapped and forced into marriage was going to be difficult to read. There are all kinds of reactions to trauma and the Sabine women all reacted and processed these events in their own ways. For some, they took to their new lives quickly and dutifully. For Caecilia, the main protagonist, she experiences great difficulty adjusting and trusting her new husband and desperately wishes to return home.

“Yes, there is a possibility of failure, whatever you set out to do. But if you don’t attempt to go after what you want, and risk everything, you all never know whether you were meant to succeed or fail”.

Caecilia is not the easiest protagonist to like. I wondered a lot while reading about why I didn’t feel particularly attached to her. I think it has something to do with her own trauma response regarding her kidnapping. She definitely spends a lot of the book pushing others away. As a reader, I felt like I was pushed away too. But then, considering what has happened to the Sabine women and to Caecilia, I get it. I felt Caecilia’s response to be somewhat truthful, even if difficult. 

The abduction and rape of the Sabine women was not a part of founding of Rome legends that I was aware of. According to legend, the Sabine women were said to have thrown themselves between the two sides demanding an end to the bloodshed, which led to a peaceful unification of Rome. Whether it happened like that or not,  I commend the author for writing about a period of history that may not be well-known today, but ones that’s also immensely difficult. This book is definitely not a fluffy romance where the protagonist simply falls in love with her abductor. There is clear difficulty and reluctance for Caecilia throughout. As for me, whether history or legend, I can only imagine the things the real Sabine women went through in the years after their capture. 

“A wrong can be made right, Caecilia”

This book is not exactly a romance, I’m rather wary of books featuring captured women learning to love their captors. This book definitely is not one of those, I would say some of the Sabine women learn acceptance, rather than love. I came to respect Caecilia’s character arc regarding her husband. Overall, I enjoyed this book and believed it showed evidence of good research and good writing.

Content warning: There are several scenes in this book that mentions sexual assault, forced marriage and rape. Some readers may find this difficult or distressing to read. 

Please note: I was provided an ARC of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.