Lady Sunshine
by Amy Mason Doan
The Family We Think We Know (5/23/2021)
If you lived in the U.S. during the late 1960s and early 1970s or if you're into intriguing "historical" novels, this book may be for you. Title character "Lady Sunshine" (aka Jackie) is spending her summer at the home of her deceased mother's brother. Her uncle Graham Kingston is a fading folk singer who hosts a collection of artists each summer. Jackie befriends her cousin there, and the two have a magical summer.
"Lady Sunshine" is told by the main character from the vantage point of that summer as well as twenty years later when she returns to the Sandcastle property. The plot is beautifully crafted, and the book contains enough mystery to keep the reader turning pages well into the night. But the real strength of "Lady Sunshine" is the character development. Only the two teen girls are who they appear to be. What we learn about the people with whom they interact made the book an excellent choice for me.
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
Historical and Relevant (2/7/2021)
Both authors of "The Personal Librarian" were new to me, but I've already added some of their other titles to my reading list. It is clear that a great deal of research went into the writing of this book. I was impressed by the level of historical detail in this work of fiction as I was by the relevance of the subject matter. Focusing on both racial and gender rights in the first half of the 20th century, the story line shows both the progress we've made and the work still ahead. I feel certain that both book clubs I'm involved in — one for women only and the other for both men and women—would be pleased with this selection.
Stories from Suffragette City
by M.J. Rose, Fiona Davis
Suffrage Struggle Through Stories (10/26/2020)
Thirteen talented and well known authors contribute to the anthology, Stories from Suffragette City, edited by M.J. Rose and Fiona Davis. All of the stories have some connection to October 23, 1915, the day on which the largest group of U. S. women marched together in New York City in the effort to earn the right to vote. The characters of these tales are varied, coming from all over the country and representing very different ages and economic groups. In some instances, real historical figures are incorporated into the fictional narratives. Because of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment this year, I’ve been reading a great deal of both fiction and nonfiction based on the women and men who were part of the more than 80-year struggle. Of all the volumes I’ve read, this will take pride of place on my shelves. I highly recommend it.
The Last Train to Key West
by Chanel Cleeton
Approaching Storm (3/20/2020)
Three young women, strangers to each other, deal with complicated relationships in this compelling novel. This was my first exposure to author Chanel Cleeton, and I didn't know what to expect. The writing pulled me in, though. Readers will almost certainly be transported to Key West during the 1930s. Told against the background of the historical Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, the book will make you feel the heat, humidity and tension of the approaching storm both in the atmosphere and in the lives of the three main characters. Surprisingly their lives will intersect in the course of the story. I think The Last Train to Key West will make a great summer read.
Small Days and Nights: A Novel
by Tishani Doshi
A Life of Opposing Forces (11/3/2019)
Main character Grace Marisola is a woman in her thirties who has lived in India, the U.S. and Italy without a sense of who she is or where she belongs. After growing up in India with her battling Italian father and Indian mother, she travels to America for college. There she marries Blake, an American student she first encountered in India. Now she is returning to India to bury her mother and meet a special needs sister she never knew she had. Blake remains in the U.S. as they both try to figure out whether their ten-year marriage is worth saving. Much of the novel exposes the cultural, geographical and emotional dichotomies that shape Grace. But, rather than embracing the differences, she seems stuck within herself. I would have enjoyed the book much more if I could have sympathized with Grace. Although she is aware of the things that hold her back, she seems unwilling or unable to grow through that awareness.
The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna
by Mira Ptacin
Unusual Community Revealed (10/24/2019)
In this fascinating book about a Spiritualist Camp in Maine named Camp Etna, the author allows the reader to see the residents—past and present—as normal people with special abilities. Some of the people she interviews embrace their gifts and others do no. Each one, though, believes that his or her (mostly "her") talent is real and is intended to be used for the benefit of others. As the reader learns in the book, the author has a personal history that causes her interest in the subject—another fascinating element.
I enjoyed the book, especially the interactions between the camp residents and the author who comes to Camp Etna with an open mind and a willingness to participate and learn. Where the book bogs down for me is in the history of Spiritualism in the U.S. and Europe. If this is your first book about the Spiritualist movement, I think you would appreciate the history, but for me, these parts were an interruption to an otherwise attention-grabbing and very well written book.
Yale Needs Women: How the First Group of Girls Rewrote the Rules of an Ivy League Giant
by Anne Gardiner Perkins
Great Nonfiction (7/26/2019)
In the fall of 1969 I entered a small Midwestern co-ed college as a freshman. Many of the accounts in this book match my memories. It was a transitional time not only for me but for the entire American culture. Author Anne Gardiner Perkins captures the period perfectly following a group of the first women to enter Yale as undergraduates. For some the pressure of being a small minority on campus, almost a spectacle, was too much. For others the challenges made their wills stronger and their goals more attainable. It seems almost laughable now to look back to that time and realize the strict adherence to gender stereotypes that had to be overcome. And it is a source of pride that many of the changes that didn't come easily for the first female undergraduates at Yale or for those of us at other colleges were accomplished in spite of the obstacles. For historians, women who have experienced the glass ceiling, or anyone whose college years began in the late 1960s, I highly recommend that this book.
Ellie and the Harpmaker
by Hazel Prior
Intriguing Characters (4/22/2019)
Dan and Ellie are characters that readers will remember long after they've finished reading Ellie and the Harpmaker. In many ways Dan is a simple man. He is an excellent harpmaker, loves the Exmoor countryside and is incapable of saying anything other than the truth. Somewhere on the autism spectrum, Dan much prefers nature to people.
Ellie is a housewife who takes long walks to fill her time since there's only so much housekeeping and meal preparation one can do for a home without children. When Ellie stumbles upon Dan's harp barn, she is enchanted by both the harps and the craftsman. She arranges to take lessons from Dan's girlfriend but decides to keep her new interest a secret from her practical and frugal husband.
The story unfolds through the alternating voices of Dan and Ellie as they discover more about their partners and each other. The plot is multi-layered and unpredictable. Some authors have commented that their novels are improved by the inclusion of animals. Prepare to meet Phineas who has a significant role in the climax. Ellie and the Harpmaker is beautifully written and a book I'll recommend to all of my reading friends.
Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen
by Mary Norris
Going Greek (2/21/2019)
When I was a given a chance to review Greek To Me, I was unfamiliar with the author, but as soon as I read the last page, I ordered Norris's first book, Between You and Me. What a treat it was to encounter an author who admires language as much as I do! Part travelogue, part memoir and entirely a tribute to the written and spoken word, Greek To Me allows the reader the pleasure of meeting a writer who breaks all stereotypes for proofreaders, linguists and copy editors. Norris's sense of adventure and contagious love of learning for learning's sake shines through every page. Greek To Me may not appeal to all readers, but I have no doubt that it will find a large and appreciative readership.
The Last Year of the War
by Susan Meissner
Great Historical Fiction (12/12/2018)
As a young married woman, main character Elise Dove sums up the theme of "The Last Year of the War" as a quest for home. That quest includes travels in Iowa, Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, California and Texas well as various cities in Germany and Japan. As the world and worldview is shattered by World War II, the friendship between two young teenagers and their families blossoms. The author captures a moment in U. S. history that many Americans are still trying to process and reconcile with our nation's ideals - the internment of legal Japanese and German immigrants in camps across the U. S. In the right hands historical fiction can entertain, educate and evoke strong emotions. Susan Meissner has the right hands. I highly recommend this book. As a young married woman, main character Elise Dove sums up the theme of "The Last Year of the War" as a quest for home. That quest includes travels in Iowa, Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, California and Texas well as various cities in Germany and Japan. As the world and worldview is shattered by World War II, the friendship between two young teenagers and their families blossoms. The author captures a moment in U. S. history that many Americans are still trying to process and reconcile with our nation's ideals - the internment of legal Japanese and German immigrants in camps across the U. S. In the right hands historical fiction can entertain, educate and evoke strong emotions. Susan Meissner has the right hands. I highly recommend this book.
Sold on a Monday
by Kristina McMorris
Sold (8/12/2018)
Depression-era Philadelphia serves as the backdrop for this heart wrenching yet ultimately satisfying novel. Much of the plot involves the lives of a newspaper staff and the principle of truth, both in journalism and in the lives of the two main characters. These characters are flawed and secretive but trying to live up to standards set by their families. They become involved in the lives of children who are sold by their parents as a way out of poverty. As unthinkable as this practice seems to the reader, a picture of a sign advertising such a sale served as the author's motivation to write "Sold on a Monday."
I started the book knowing that the subject matter would be difficult, but McMorris handles is with sensitivity. This is as much a story of loving families as it is of lost children. It is a book that doesn't offer easy answers to difficult situations and lends itself to the kind of discussion most book clubs would enjoy.
The Devoted
by Blair Hurley
An Unhealthy Devotion (6/9/2018)
This debut novel by Blair Hurley is beautifully written. I enjoyed the pacing—relaxed but not stagnate, timing reminiscent of the discipline she describes in her book. Main character Nicole has been studying Zen Buddhism for more than a decade. As her relationships with both her religion and her master (teacher) become more complicated, Nicole questions both. Looking back at her teenage years, she sees that religion has always enslaved her, whether it is the Catholicism of her mother, the Buddhist escape she seeks as a teen, or the twisted devotion she practices as an adult. But for me this is more than a story of Nicole's addictions." It is also about the control that any religious belief or cleric can have over anyone who becomes as mindlessly "devoted" as Nicole does. I recommend this book for readers with open minds and an unwillingness to check their brains at the doors of any house of worship.
America for Beginners
by Leah Franqui
Highly Recommended (3/26/2018)
Among travel fiction this book stands out because the vacation described takes place solely within the borders of the U.S. Three very different people undertake a sightseeing journey with varying motives. Their perspectives come from differences in culture, nationalities, social class and religion. Mrs. Sengupta, a wealthy widow from India, arranges the trip ostensibly to see America for the first time. Tour guide Satya, an immigrant from Bangladesh, wants to impress his boss at the travel agency despite the fact that he's never been outside of New York City. Rebecca Elliott serves as a companion to a woman she's never met because her acting career is at a standstill and she needs the promised $3,000 payment.
As the three of them come together in an unlikely alliance, readers can experience their growth and changing interactions as they visit each stop in this touching and very well written novel. I recommend it without reservation.
Anatomy of a Miracle
by Jonathan Miles
Miracle or Myth (1/21/2018)
As the title suggests, Anatomy of a Miracle centers on a modern-day miracle. The story is told from the viewpoint of the recipient of the miracle, Cameron, as well as his sister, doctor, neighbors and various people investigating the validity of the incident. While reading, I vacillated between belief and doubt. Although the miracle takes center stage, the author also examines family relationships and the way each of us defines love. That, I think, is the strength of the novel. The author's balance of humor and drama also contributes to the book's success. Whether you believe in miracles, want to believe in miracles or cheer for the miracle debunkers, this book is sure to please.
As Bright as Heaven
by Susan Meissner
Historical Fiction at It's Best (10/17/2017)
I learned to appreciate historical fiction through the words of Susan Meissner, so I was delighted to open As Bright As Heaven. In this captivating story, the author uses both World War I and the Spanish flu pandemic as her backdrop. The novel is told alternately among Mrs. Bright and her three daughters as they leave rural Pennsylvania and move to Philadelphia. There Mr. Bright has accepted an offer to work in his uncle's mortuary and live in the attached residence.
This setting gives each character a unique perspective on death and the lives it leaves behind. Having already lost a young son and brother, the Bright family members are learning how to survive and thrive in one of the world's darkest eras. For me, though, the novel contains more light than dark, greater hope than despair and is the best of Meissner's books to date.
 (1).gif)
