A multigenerational story that follows a family through WWI Austria, Last House Before the Mountain fails to capture the dynamics of love and loss we might expect. If one is going to write the story of their family, they should make sure to create characters the reader will find interesting and tell a story that makes the reader want to join in their journey. Last House does neither. Perhaps it is the original text or perhaps it loses something in the translation to English, but Last House is a slow and tedious read.

C. J. Carey has given us an extremely readable and entertaining book in Widowland. It is a unique look on the power of literature, fiction as well as nonfiction, and the impact it can have on public opinion and shaping the future. As historical fiction it paints a vivid and realistic vision of what censorship can bring. Most readers will enjoy the plot as well as the characters. The subject matter would provide opportunities for book clubs to discuss content as well as the underlying societal implications.