Estate Sale by Mia Dalia

 

I find it difficult to explain Mia Dalia’s writing. She writes with passion and it is easy to tell that she puts a lot of work into her stories. There is no way to put her writing into one genre. If I had to summarize Estate Sale, I would say it is historical fiction, occult, mystery, science fiction and a touch of romance. 

Alternating between ‘before’ and ‘after’, we follow Pavel and Anastasia over the course of their marriage and their travels. While they traveled and moved throughout the world, they collected many items, which we find out have a history of their own, which feels very science fiction to me. When they both have passed away, an estate sale is hosted. For some of these items, we read who picks them up and the story of the item’s gift, along with how it affects the person who bought it. Most of these items are linked to a specific person in history, giving us the historical part of the story. The occult in this story is a kind of underlying addition to the novel. Don’t let the romance turn you away from reading this. What I mean by romance is that the love between the characters of this novel is felt. Dalia does not tell us about the love, she gives us the feeling of love, thus the romance. 

While reading Estate Sale, it is obvious Dalia is gifted in writing in first and third person. There are many layers to Dalia’s writing and the range is unique. I imagine writing in alternating voices such as a man, a woman, same-sex couples, and the elderly — all in one novel — is challenging. However, Dalia makes it seem effortless. Not once did I ever get lost in the alternating characters and timeline.

It is amazing that this is Dalia’s debut novel. I know she has some short stories and a novella, but to put out a novel of this magnitude is amazing. This can’t have been an easy undertaking. The imagination, along with the character building and scenes, is impressive. There is a lot to unpack in this story. I closed the book satisfied, loving the entire story. It ended perfectly, and I experienced this book, which is one step up from reading it.