Ronald Florence

Fifty years after its completion, the 200-inch telescope at Mount Palomar is still among the most powerful on earth. Now, Ronald Florence presents the sweeping saga of the telescope's construction--and the scientists, engineers, and builders who dedicated themselves to the awesome perfection of this machine. An account of the creation of "the perfect machine" a stirring chronicle of the birth of Big Science and a poignant rendering of an America mired in the depression yet reaching for the stars.… (més)

Provenance, by Ronald Florence is an interesting look into two books that affect the lives of men and women through the centuries. Fiction is infused with history within the pages of the book, which in itself, contains the story of two factual books.

From the Aleppo Codex, or Aleppo Crown (medieval Hebrew Bible) to a woman's book of prayer, the characters portrayed within the pages exhibit realized individuals, each with their own story to tell, and each with their own religious concept.

Provenance reads like a story of intrigue, a detective story and a story of greed and goodness. The individuals involved in the holding of the Crown of Aleppo transfer it thousands of miles, from Egypt to Provence, Israel to Brooklyn, to Aleppo, in a tapestry of life and which Florence depicts in great detail.

Background details of life are portrayed with lovely prose and with clarity, within the centuries. The novel contains historical data and testaments that contribute to a mysterious concept of lives lived and lives struggling to keep hold on the Crown.

The pages are infused with Jewish history and with a love story, as well. At times the prose is mystical and surreal sounding. That does not diminish the story line.

I felt the fact that the women's book of prayer being interwoven within the pages diminished the strength of the story line of the Crown of Aleppo. I would much rather have it been written strictly for the Crown of Aleppo, alone. I think it could have stood on its own.

I did enjoy reading Provenance, though, and thought it was an intriguing story.… (més)