The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
The Flower Sisters (3/16/2024)
I received The Flower Sisters as an ARC to review. The story is set in the small town of Possum Flats, Missouri in dual timelines of 1928 and 1978. The central event affecting both timelines was the disastrous explosion at the local Lambe's Dance Hall in August of 1928 that killed dozens of young people. Among the dead was one of the Flower sisters, identical twins Violet and Rose, who were very different in personality.
In the summer of 1978, fifteen-year-old Daisy Flowers is left in Possum Flats by her hippie mother. She's to stay with her Grandmother Rose, the local funeral director. A miserable, bored Daisy talks herself into a job as an intern at the local newspaper, and then into a "Today in History" column. In the paper's back issues, she discovers stories about the explosion and is shocked to learn that one of the victims was Violet, the twin sister her grandmother has never mentioned.
Daisy is determined to tell the story of the explosion by talking to survivors and victims' families, who don't want to talk to her. Her questions cause problems for those who have have spent fifty years hiding the trauma, guilt, and the secrets of that night. Additionally, in the Bible Belt town, many people felt at the time that those who were killed while dancing to Jazz had it coming for their evil ways.
The prologue, set in 1928, describes the events of the night at Lambe's in the voices of Violet and her boyfriend, Dash. The chapters alternate between Daisy, Rose, Dash, now a fundamentalist minister, and the other survivors, whose memories provide the 1928 timeline. Daisy's newspaper column for each story was included afterward.
I really disliked Daisy in her first several segments. She seemed self-absorbed, over-confident, and insensitive to the concerns of those she was determined to interview for her big "scoop." The author started out by overdoing her 70's teen persona. I fleetingly thought of skipping her segments, but kept on in hopes that the character would show some growth.
Rose was a hoot; strong, outspoken and finding humor in sometimes awkward situations. Rev. "Dash" Edmonds was zealous and humorless. I guess as he was supposed to be. The other characters, the survivors and Daisy's coworkers, were well-developed.
The stories of the survivors were told in a effective way, slowly revealing the story of the night of the explosion. I didn't care for the ending, which seemed out of sync with the rest of the book.
The Flower Sisters is a story of secrets, regrets, and remembrances, of finding truths, family, and home. I would recommend it.
Becoming Madam Secretary
by Stephanie Dray
A Woman Who Changed America (11/24/2023)
By a weird coincidence, the day I started reading Becoming Madam Secretary a post about Frances Perkins popped up on my Facebook memories! I had read and shared a short biographical post about her a few years ago. I had been aware that she was the first woman to serve in the Cabinet, but I didn't know much else.
Stephanie Drey's historical novel about her career was well researched, well written, and very interesting. Perkins' interest in social welfare, her determination, and political connections changed people's lives even before she became Secretary of Labor for FDR. Every American owes her a debt of gratitude.
The Lost English Girl
by Julia Kelly
The Lost English Child (2/8/2023)
The Lost English Child revolves around the evacuation of children from English cities during WWII. Having grown up in a repressive Catholic environment, Viv meets Joshua, a Jewish musician, and ends up pregnant. They marry out of necessity. Bribed by Viv's mother, a perfectly hateful woman, Joshua chooses to leave Viv and go to the US to follow his dream of a music career. Viv's entire life is about her love for her daughter, Maggie. As WWII begins, Viv works for the postal department. Joshua returns to enlist in the RAF, but Viv wants nothing to do with him. She is pressured by her mother and her priest to send Maggie away to the "safety" of the countryside. Instead of being safe, Maggie's foster home is bombed, and she is believed to have died.
What I enjoyed most about the book was the different points of view and the growth of the main characters. During the war years, Viv and Joshua mature quite a bit, Viv becoming more independent and Joshua more responsible.
Sisters of the Great War: A Novel
by Suzanne Feldman
Sisters of the Great War (9/19/2021)
When I began Sisters of the Great War, I had just finished a 5-star book that I had added to my exclusive "Favorites" list, and I was concerned that this book would suffer in comparison. In the first few chapters, I wasn't impressed with the story, the characters, or the writing.
Then American sisters Ruth and Elise volunteered for the British medical corps during WWI, and when they arrived in Belgium, the story took off. Ruth served as a nurse although she wanted to be a doctor, while Elise was an ambulance driver and mechanic. The descriptions of both of their experiences seemed to be very well researched. Through the mud, death, and appalling living conditions, they literally slogged through hell, usually near the front lines. Feldman wrote of the sisters' war service in such detail that I was disappointed when it came to the ending. It was in the form of an epilogue, and I felt it was too short and incomplete, leaving a lot of situations unresolved.
That said, other readers may feel satisfied with questions unanswered. The beginning chapters and the epilogue are only about twenty percent of the book. The rest is well worth reading.
The Lost Apothecary: A Novel
by Sarah Penner
The Lost Apothecary (9/6/2020)
I must admit that I did stay up all night to finish The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. The twists and turns in the final chapters required it.
The Lost Apothecary follows three characters in two timelines. Nella, the apothecary and provider of poisons, and Eliza, the twelve-year-old customer and Nella’s accidental assistant, live in 1791 London. American amateur historian Caroline escapes heartbreak in a trip to present-day London. Their lives intersect through a small, pale blue vial. Eliza becomes more involved in Nella’s life, and Caroline is intrigued by the mystery of a possible serial killer. Each in turn tells their story through clearly labeled alternating chapters.
I loved the character of Eliza and could relate to Caroline’s academic search for the origins of the vial, but the apothecary herself didn’t resonate with me. When Caroline’s historical search became more exciting, I temporarily flipped past Nella’s chapters to follow the flow of discovery. I have also experienced that OMG! moment of discovery while researching the origin of an inherited family painting. I love that I could find Bear Alley on Google Maps and follow it on street view, but not quite to its end! Can I see a steel gate?
Clock Dance: A Novel
by Anne Tyler
Character Development (7/20/2018)
Character development in Clock Dance is not only one of the reasons I like Anne Tyler's books; it's also the theme of this particular book.
The first part of the book is about pivotal times in Willa's life that made her the woman that she is in 2017; eager to please, to be taken for granted, to not rock the boat. One disturbing incident is never really explained and is dismissed by her boyfriend and family as all in Willa's head. We're never told otherwise.
The second, and more interesting, part of the story begins with a mistaken call for help, which Willa uncharacteristically answers, much to the surprise of the recipients and the displeasure of her current husband. In answering that plea, Willa is thrown in with a family and neighborhood that will change her.
The main characters in Clock Dance, especially Willa and nine-year-old Cheryl, are more fleshed out than those in The Beginner's Goodbye. The secondary characters in the second part of the book are pretty well-developed with the exception of Peter, who seems like a cardboard copy of Derrick, Willa's first husband.
A Piece of the World: A Novel
by Christina Baker Kline
Christina's World (12/11/2016)
A print of Christina's World has hung in my living room for almost 50 years. Over time I learned that the woman in the painting was real and was crippled. It changed my perception of Wyeth's work. While reading the book, I spent some time online learning more about the Wyeths, Christina, and her ancestors. I looked through other works of Wyeth's with a new eye, seeing the portrait of Christina in the doorway, Mamey's tattered lace curtains, and the significance of a blue door.
After reading A Piece of the World, I will never look at my print without thinking of the subject as presented by Christina Baker Kline. Kline's Christina is strong-willed and determined to be as self-sufficient as her disability will allow. She is often unlikable, but she forms a bond with Andrew Wyeth, who is able to see in her what others don't.
The Wild Girl
by Kate Forsyth
Wished for more (4/17/2015)
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I was not impressed by Wilhelm. Despite the reality of his poverty, he seemed to be an "ivory-tower" academic, preoccupied with his work and insensitive to anything real. Because of this, I could never believe that Dortchen's love was more than the crush she never outgrew, that she clung to in order to survive her own reality.
My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park
by Cindy Jones
A Good Idea (3/8/2011)
I really like the idea behind My Jane Austen Summer. I tried to overcome my initial negative reaction to a main character who stalks her ex-boyfriend. I could never connect with Lily, who has the emotional maturity and judgment of a thirteen year old. The other characters were only superficially developed. The book was a disappointment.
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