A Council of Dolls: A Novel
by Mona Susan Power
An Argument for Kindness (8/5/2023)
Mona Susan Power is a strong voice for her Native American People. Although a work of fiction, A Council of Dolls reads in part like an intensely written personal memoir describing the uprooting of Dakota children taken from their homes and sent to missionary schools for "reeducation" and how the damage done to those children and their tribes will affect their lives for generations to come. Out of this tragic story we are introduced to the lives of the women of this book Lillian, Cora and Jesse; to their joys, sorrows and relationships; and to their dolls Winona, Mae and Ethel. The dolls play an important role in the young girls lives. They are their comforters and the witnesses to their truth. The author has created a riveting narration weaving together the threads of the dolls' stories and those of their young owners.
This is a book that is well worth reading. The author's voice sings out loud and clear through Jesse's words. While she minces no words when she describes the wrongs done to her people, she is very hopeful for a future where these wrongs may one day be redeemed.
This book would provide lots of thoughtful discussion for book clubs. I couldn't help but think of William Kent Krueger's This Tender Land while I was reading A Council of Dolls. The authors' writing styles are very different, but I feel their writing comes from the same heart.
The God of Endings: A Novel
by Jacqueline Holland
The Pros and Cons of Imortality (11/17/2022)
A young child in 1830's New York has been orphaned in a diphtheria epidemic that has devastated her village. Fate has placed her future in the hands of a distant grandfather. She does not know him. Neither do any of the other villagers. With great authority the grandfather swoops in and whisks her away to his home. His intention--to make her an immortal.
So begins the saga that is to become Anna's life, a life she wanted no part of. How does this young girl transform into the vampire who will live through centuries of hardship, sorrow and loss in her quest to find human companionship and love? Anna, with an innate sense of right and wrong is determined not to inflict her dilemma onto unsuspecting acquaintances. She has major decisions to make in each of the lifetimes into which she is thrown. Her lifetimes are many and varied.
My heart went out to this young woman who suffered one disappointment after another. I admired her earnestness and her concern for others as well as her resilience and her fierceness in the face of the great losses throughout her lifetimes--quite the heroine.
The author has left Anna's story open-ended. I am not at all satisfied with the way this story ended. I definitely want more. I'm eager to see what happens next. I'm hoping that Ms. Holland has another volume of Anna's journey to spin before her readers.
Peach Blossom Spring: A Novel
by Melissa Fu
Peach Blossom Spring (3/6/2022)
The Introduction to Peach Blossom Spring speaks to us about the origin of storytelling in a culture which places great value on the telling of stories. Melissa Fu has, in very beautiful prose, reminded her readers about how stories spring to life and how they then take on a life of their own.
This book follows a single Chinese family through decades, beginning with the occupation of China by the Japanese in 1938 and ending with the blossoming of a small peach orchard in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2005.The underpinning of Peach Blossom Spring is a series of stories told by a Chinese mother to her young son—stories that are meant to instill values which will help him throughout his life no matter the difficulties confronting him.
In this her debut novel Melissa Wu proves herself to be a gifted storyteller in her own right. This is a beautiful book, well worth reading. A great book for book clubs—lots of discussion material and lots of material for personal reflection.
Ariadne
by Jennifer Saint
Ariadne: A Heroine's Perspective (4/12/2021)
Lately it seems many stories have been written offering retellings of the classics of Greek mythology. Ariadne is Jennifer Saint's contribution to this genre. Her story is filled with drama and suspense leading the reader into forbidding places. Her powerful writing kept me on the edge of my seat and I found myself unable to put down the book as I followed Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotaur into those tunnels under Minos' castle where the Minotaur stalked his prey.
Saint's fresh voice energizes this tale as she presents a new take on a well-known myth. She wants her women to be seen as strong, not as victims of the misdeeds of heroes and gods. She's taken on a challenging task—one her heroines are well able to address. This is Jennifer Saint's first novel. I'm really looking forward to more.
For readers of Madeleine Miller's Circe.
At the Edge of the Haight
by Katherine Seligman
Searching for a Life (10/25/2020)
Maddy Donato is 20 years old and choosing to live on the streets of San Francisco. Maddy has had little or no contact with any one in her family for many years. She graduated from high school, ran off to San Francisco and found her new "family" there on the streets.
An incident in the park unexpectedly upends the relatively secure life Maddy has created for herself. Her life becomes more dangerous. She gets pulled into unwanted relationships with the police, a possible killer, and the parents of a young man who was murdered. As a result, her life takes new twists and turns and Maddy begins to find a different direction for herself as she entertains new possibilities for her future.
This book is primarily Maddy's story which the author tells against the backdrop of memorable street characters, shelters and church kitchens. It took me into Maddy's environment and gave me a glimpse of what it was like to live with the continual uncertainty of each day—how will I get money? where will I find food? and drink? a place to sleep? will I make it through the night? will my friends?
I've never read a book quite like this one before. It gave me a deeper appreciation for the hardships of those living on the streets. It would make an eye-opening book club selection.
The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir
by Sara Seager
Head in the stars...Feet on the ground (7/29/2020)
Everything brave has to start somewhere…
Sara Seager
Sara Seager was a wife, a mother of two young sons, and a world-renowned astrophysicist. Suddenly, at the age of forty, she found herself a widow, a single parent and a world-renowned astrophysicist. This book is her story of that transition. She tells it thoughtfully and honestly.
Being an astrophysicist very much engaged in her search for life at the outer reaches of the universe did not necessarily qualify Sara as an expert in the day-to-day operations of life on earth. That was her husband's expertise. After his death, in the midst of her research and teaching and writing, she found herself being mom and dad to her sons—getting them up and off to school, feeding them, helping with homework—all the while doing her best to deal with the most profound grief she had ever known. And so she had to start from scratch. Her butcher taught her to cook. The guys at the hardware store taught her about tools and home repairs. A group of young women in her town, the Widows of Concord, provided her with the emotional support she so desperately needed. Sara's story is filled with triumphs and disappointments. I wanted to cheer the courage she exhibited in facing the obstacles that came her way.
Although I sometimes found myself wanting to skim over some of the scientific details, I did enjoy this book. I would recommend it to anyone who has had to deal with a major loss, especially if they are fascinated by the night sky and what might be out there.
The Paris Hours: A Novel
by Alex George
Remembrance of Things Past--Part II (3/14/2020)
The Paris Hours is a beautifully written, soulful account of four Parisians, each coping with a very personal loss. The year is 1927. The entire book takes place over the span of a single day. As the stories unfold it becomes evident that even after many years, each of these Parisians—Jean Paul, a journalist; Souren, a puppeteer; Camille, a maid to Marcel Proust; and Guillaume, an artist—is still grappling with the changes in their lives. They struggle in their attempt to experience a sense of belonging in the Paris that they love.
At the center of this novel lies the story of Camille and Marcel Proust. Proust is in the throes of writing his epic novel, "In Search of Lost Time". Camille agrees to be his assistant in this monumental endeavor and she sacrifices her time with her husband and young daughter to do all that she can for Proust. After he finishes his first draft, he asks Camille to burn all of his notebooks. Camille, however cannot bring herself to destroy the book in its entirety. She keeps one volume. After Proust dies, that notebook goes missing and Camille does everything in her power to recover it.
Camille is not the only character on a search. Souren is searching for his younger brother, Guillaume for his baby daughter whose name he doesn't even know, and Jean Paul for his daughter he hasn't seen for 7 years.
I so love Alex George's writing. He presents his characters with great empathy and compassion. Each of them walks a solitary path. Yet, he has a wonderful way of bringing these characters into each other's lives in totally unexpected ways that leave us with a sense of their common humanity. These coincidental meetings continue until the last scene where the characters are finally allowed the resolution of their heart's quest.
If you enjoyed the Little Paris Bookshop, you may want to give this book a try!
In the past few months I've read several books that were set in Paris. This one has stolen my heart.
The Seine: The River that Made Paris
by Elaine Sciolino
Cruising the Heart of France (10/30/2019)
In 1978 Elaine Sciolino, a young American news reporter, left her life in the States and moved to Paris to work for Newsweek. There she began a new life—and a new love affair—with Paris and with the Seine.
This book is Sciolino's tribute to a great river whose source is a spring in the Plateau of Langres in Burgundy, and which then, growing in size, turns northward toward its end, travelling 483 miles through Paris, Rouen, on to Le Havre and the English Channel, and finally to the sea. As she guides us to the towns and cities which lie on the banks of the Seine, her narrative is down-to-earth and entertaining. As she travels the river she shares with us little known facts and legends. She introduces us to French men and women whose houseboats find safe docking areas, and to those who follow an arduous and dangerous lifestyle piloting barges up and down the river. She invites us to experience the exuberance of Paris where life is lived so large it spills over the banks and on to restaurant barges, music barges and floating book stores. There are opportunities to dance, to see a movie, sample some wine, listen to lectures and more. The river is definitely an integral part of day-to-day Parisian life.
The Seine has unquestionably inspired Sciolino just as it has other writers, artists, musicians and poets through the centuries. She, in turn, has provided her readers with a scenic glimpse of the Seine and its many stories. Imagine a river boat cruise. Imagine a leisurely sail up river past Paris, Argenteuil, Rouen, Honfleur, and LeHavre. Imagine touring these towns and learning about their histories. This book can take you there. I enjoyed this book immensely. If you have visited France and experienced the Seine, this book will bring you back. If you haven't had the good fortune to get there, perhaps it will whet your appetite for a visit!
Never Have I Ever
by Joshilyn Jackson
When Past Actions Come Back to Haunt (5/7/2019)
I have long been a fan of Joshilyn Jackson's books. Her heartwarming stories are steeped in southern ambience. Her characters are complex and quirky. However, in Never Have I Ever, Joshilyn Jackson takes a giant step away from her usual...and dives into the world of psychological suspense. This is her first effort. She has written a masterful story. It's the story of Amy, who has a secret in her life, and Roux, a predator, who will go to any lengths to expose it.
This book is a thriller from the moment Roux first walks into the neighborhood book club until the final page is turned. It's all about blackmail, deception, love of family and what one is willing to do to protect loved ones. The book has a number of unanticipated twists and turns and the pace doesn't let up. In fact there were times I had to stop reading just to catch my breath.
If you are already familiar with Joshilyn Jackson's work, Never Have I Ever will reveal a whole new side of this author. If you have never read any of her work, this is a great place to start. This book does not disappoint.
I am definitely recommending this book to my book club. Lots of lively conversation lurking here!
The Last Year of the War
by Susan Meissner
An Unnoticed Victim of War (12/17/2018)
Susan Meissner has written a heartfelt story about a German American teenager, whose search for her own identity and values took her through a German/Japanese internment camp In Texas during World War II; deportation to Germany during the last year of the War; a return back to the States after the War; and, finally, her own personal battle with Alzheimer's.
Elise Sontag was a normal 14-year-old girl when her father was arrested for being a German spy. Her family was uprooted from Davenport, Iowa and taken to a U. S. internment camp. After a year of camp restrictions and regulations, and bolstered by her friendship with Mariko Inoue, a Japanese internee in the camp, she begins to feel somewhat normal again. Then her family is forced to leave the US and go live in Germany, where the war is still being brutally waged.
This moving story tells of Elise's search for home, happiness and a sense of identity that keeps her true to herself. This is the story of a woman who stayed the course throughout countless obstacles. Susan Meissner's writing is gripping and emotional. This story is well worth reading and sharing with friends. There is much food for discussion here. It would be a great book club pick, especially in light of the internment camps once again being set up in Texas.
Red, White, Blue
by Lea Carpenter
Worlds of Deception (7/30/2018)
Red, White, Blue is a book centered in deception—the deceptions of the CIA, the deceptions of its agents; the half-truths that are shared in Anna's family and the half-truths used by the author to describe the evolution of the truth that underlies the story. In the middle of it all stands Anna, a young woman, recently married, who is determined to answer the questions surrounding her father's death in an avalanche in Switzerland.
While she is on her honeymoon, Anna has a seemingly chance encounter with a gentleman in a bar in the south of France. Over time, this gentleman, a CIA caseworker, reveals his close working relationship with Anna's father, Noel, who was a major CIA operative in the Far East. Anna knew nothing of her father's work. She begins to see him with new eyes and to question her father, herself and their lives together.
Scene by scene the pieces of Noel's life are revealed, like an onion being peeled one layer at a time. Often a key scene is not presented in its entirety. Facts are omitted, contexts are altered, only to be replayed and clarified later in the book. My understanding kept evolving along with Anna's. In the end, I was left with truths that kept shifting under my feet. I finished the book wondering "what is true?"
Red, White, Blue is an intriguing read, hard to put down, and well worth the effort.
The Days When Birds Come Back
by Deborah Reed
What Does it Mean to Go Home Again? (11/27/2017)
June, a writer has returned to her home on the Washington coast to recover from her broken marriage and her addiction to alcohol. She plans to concentrate on getting her writing career back on track while overseeing the renovation of her grandparents' deserted bungalow. Jameson is a builder specializing in renovations that are true to the original character of the home he is rebuilding. He is trying to piece together a marriage that has been shattered by a terribly tragic event. Once Jamison agrees to renovate the bungalow for June, their two lives collide in ways both anticipated and unexpected. A heaviness sits over this story—both characters are fighting for their lives and a return to some sense of normalcy.
It took me a while to decide how I felt about this book. There's a brooding and a sense of futility that had me wondering about the possibility of a real second chance for each of these characters. In the end I came to admire the honesty of the author's writing and her skill in the use of her characters' histories to heighten the sense of possible salvation in this story.
This would be a great book for book clubs. I think there are many ideas presented that would provide much food for a lively discussion.
The Almost Sisters
by Joshilyn Jackson
The Almost Sisters (5/22/2017)
Once again Joshilyn Jackson has successfully created a world filled with the fascinatingly quirky characters of a small Southern town. There's Leia, a comics creator, who hooks up with Batman at a comics convention. The other members of her family: her grandmother Miss Birchie, who is doing her best to hide her dementia diagnosis from everyone; her niece Lavender,who is 13 going on 30; her step sister Rachel, whose marriage is dissolving and who is the opposite of Leia in every way. Throw in some busybody town folk, some loyal friends, and a deeply hidden family secret, and you have all the ingredients for a great read.
Joshilyn Jackson's storytelling is magical. Right from the beginning, she picked me up and plopped me right down into the middle of Leia's life in Birchville, Alabama with all of its goodness and all of its warts. The Almost Sisters is a story of family loyalty, love, and forgiveness. If you enjoy Sarah Addison Allen, give Joshilyn Jackson a try. The Almost Sisters is a great place to start!
My Last Lament
by James William Brown
A Modern Day Greek Tragedy (3/30/2017)
Aliki is a lamenter. When someone known to her dies, she attends the funeral, stands in a pair of shoes of the deceased person and sings of that person's life as a final farewell. Lamenters are a dying breed in Greek culture, and so Aliki is approached by a Greek American scholar to record her "dirge-poems." The researcher leaves Aliki a tape recorder and several cassettes. But, instead of recording her laments, Aliki records the story of her life--her own lament. We are invited into the world of Aliki, Takis, Chrysoula, Stelios, Yannoula, and a host of other characters who all are struggling to live through the horrors of the Second World War and the civil wars that waged on in Greece in the aftermath of WWII.
I was intrigued with this book from the very first page. This is a thoughtful book. The characters are complex and their relationships even more so. The question of good and evil is always present, along with all the possibilities in between. I laughed. I cried. I loved the shadow puppet theater that helped pull Stelios, Aliki and Takis together. I despised the ruthlessness of first the Germans and then the Greek rebels and the misery that it caused. There is much tragedy in this book--not always an easy one to read. The characters are heroic, each in their own way, trying to come to terms with the tragedies that life has dealt them. This is a book worth reading on many levels. It offers book clubs a great deal of material for discussion. It offers readers of historical fiction of WWII, an opportunity to experience how that war affected the land and people of Greece. A great read!
A Piece of the World: A Novel
by Christina Baker Kline
Christina Olson and her World (12/30/2016)
I've spent many years of my life living in Pennsylvania very close to Andrew Wyeth country and am familiar with his paintings, Christina's World being one of them. I never took the time to really contemplate the figure of the slight woman lying in the foreground, but Christina Baker Kline did take the time and has written a beautiful novel that delves into the life of Christina Olson, Wyeth's model for this painting.
Just as Wyeth's painting captures the mystery of Christina, Christina Baker Kline has successfully recreated the bleak atmosphere that suffused her life. She's given us Christina in the hopes of her youth, in her desperately unhappy middle years, and in the acceptance that came in her later years. She shows us her dreams, her stubbornness in the face of adversity, her generosity, and her perseverance in spite of all of the obstacles she fought to overcome.
This is a book well worth reading. For those who love stories about artists and their world, it shines a light onto a small piece of Wyeth and his work and the enigmatic young woman who became a part of that work. I'm strongly recommending this book to my reading group.
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
by Kathleen Rooney
Lillian (9/29/2016)
Lillian Boxwood,84 years old, dons her mink coat and walks from her home in Grammercy Park to lower Manhattan and back again on New Year's Eve in 1984. Her walk becomes a reminiscence of her life in the City--a seemingly simple premise that evolves into the life story of a woman who is smart, elegant, opinionated, gritty, and very much in love with her adopted city.
I loved this book!! As an ex-New Yorker, I was looking forward to reading this book, and although it wasn't what I thought it would be, I was not disappointed with it in the least. Reading about Lillian made me want to jump on a train to New York, have a drink at the Algonquin, travel up to the Cloisters, shop at Zabar's, and visit my old neighborhoods. She really resonated with me. Like Lillian I also loved to walk all over Manhattan. Accompanying her on her long New Year's Eve journey was a wonderful opportunity to come to understand her triumphs and heartaches, as well as her love for the city that supported her through her many years there.
Kathleen Rooney has captured the essence of a New York woman from a time gone by. In doing so she also shines a light on a part of New York history that is quickly fading.
I would encourage anyone who lives, has lived, or who has thought about living in New York to open this book and meet Lillian Boxfish and her passion for New York.It would also be a good book for book clubs.
North of Crazy: A Memoir
by Neltje
Neltje Doubleday: A Life Reconstructed (6/22/2016)
I had never heard of Neltje until I opened this book. And then, there she was--the daughter of a prominent publisher, a child desperately wanting to be loved, a wife and mother trying to live according to the rules of a society she never felt part of, and, finally, a woman who took her life in her own two hands and created the life she had always envisioned for herself. Neltje's journey was populated with many prominent authors, artists and people of renown. She lived her life on a wide stage.
Neltje was born into a very wealthy family. Her father was an alcoholic. Her mother was an enabler who believed that men should always win and women should stay in the background. Neltje was not a "stay in the background" kind of girl! She stood up for what she believed, no matter the opposition. She was fiercely determined. After years of searching for her unique "voice" she found herself in Wyoming where she discovered the space to develop her artistic expression and as an extra bonus learned how to manage a restaurant!
I found Neltje fascinating, flaws and all. I loved that she threw herself into whatever situation loomed ahead of her with grit and determination. Her memoir paints her as a woman who lived her life--the great times, the dark times, and all the in-between times--to the fullest.
I'm suggesting this book to my book club. Neltje certainly gives a clear description of a woman's situation in the 50"s and 60"s and it's a far cry from where women find themselves today. It was inspiring to me to see what she was able to accomplish for herself. Good read!
The Secret Language of Stones: A Daughters of La Lune Novel
by M. J. Rose
Love Beyond the Grave (4/27/2016)
Once again M. J. Rose takes her readers to Paris--this time towards the end of the First World War. Once again she takes us deeper into the world of the occult by introducing us to lithomancy, the art of reading the past, present or future through gemstones. Opaline Duplessi is a jewelry designer who makes mourning jewelry for women who have lost sons, brothers or lovers in the war. Using the gemstones, she becomes aware that she has the gift of hearing messages from beyond the grave and the ability go bring comfort and closure to the women who come to buy one of her pieces. Then, one day, one of these "ghost" soldiers has a message that he communicates directly to her.
Startled, Opaline begins reassessing the validity of her gift. In spite of her doubts, she begins an intense love affair with her "beyond the grave" soldier and loses all interest in any possible relationship with any living men. To add to the action, Opaline is asked to create a piece of mourning jewelry for the exiled dowager empress of Russia who is desperate to learn what happened to her Romanov family. In agreeing to this mission, Opaline opens herself up to a very dangerous adventure.
If you're an M. J. Rose fan, this book will not disappoint. It's filled with plots, secrets, and other-worldly experiences that will keep you turning pages. If you're new to M. J. Rose, this book is a good way to introduce yourself to her writing!
The Dark Lady's Mask
by Mary Sharratt
The Dark Lady's Revenge (3/9/2016)
A beautiful, talented musician and aspiring writer, Aemilia Bassano Lanier, defies Elizabethan conventions. She dresses as a man, rides horseback and travels the countryside. In a totally chance meeting she is intrigued by a young Will Shakespeare and when London is threatened by the plague, she convinces him to run to Italy with her. Thus begins a wonderful collaboration between the two which produced several of what came to be known as Shakespeare's comedies. I loved Aemilia for her fearlessness, determination and resilience. Even after Shakespeare abandoned her, she pursued her dream of publishing her writings under her own name in the face of overwhelming odds. This book has a great story, traveling with Aemilia from London to northern Italy and back to London. Her pursuit of her dream to be published is true. Her role as Shakespeare's Dark Lady, probably not so much. This book is a wonderful read, filled with ups and downs and some surprising twists of fate.
The Two-Family House
by Lynda Cohen Loigman
The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Longman (11/28/2015)
This is the story of Helen and Rose and their husbands Abe and Mort and their families. From the day that Helen and Rose became sisters-in-law they were extremely close, totally supportive of each other. Then one snowy night the two women made a crucial decision that would reverberate throughout the rest of their lives and those of their families.
After reading the first few pages I was pretty sure I knew what had happened between the two women. But, knowing that didn't take anything away from the power of the book. What I found intriguing was the way in which the author chose to let the decision play out in the lives of Helen and Rose and the two families, almost to the point of destroying them. I was so taken with the book that I found myself reading until 3 o'clock in the morning! A thought provoking book. I'm suggesting it to my book group.
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