Author: Kate Morton
Published: 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
During a party at the family farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson has escaped to her childhood tree house and is dreaming of the future. She spies a stranger coming up the road and sees her mother speak to him. Before the afternoon is over, Laurel will witness a shocking crime that challenges everything she knows about her family and especially her mother, Dorothy.
Now, fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress, living in London. She returns to the family farm for Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday and finds herself overwhelmed by questions she has not thought about for decades. From pre-WWII England through the Blitz, to the fifties and beyond, discover the secret history of three strangers from vastly different worlds—Dorothy, Vivien, and Jimmy—who meet by chance in wartime London and whose lives are forever entwined.
Review
The characters are well-developed, the plot twists are unexpected, the prose flows nicely. This is my favorite of Morton's works so far.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
How Do I Love Thee?
Author: Nancy Moser
Published: 2009
Genre: Historical Fictionalized Biography
Rating: 4
Summary
Elizabeth Barrett is a published poet--and a virtual prisoner in her own home. Blind family loyalty ties her to a tyrannical father who forbids any of his children to marry. Bedridden by chronic illness, she has resigned herself to simply existing. That is, until the letter arrives...
"I love your verses with all my heart," writes Robert Browning, an admiring fellow poet. As friendly correspondence gives way to something more, Elizabeth discovers that Robert's love is not for her poetry alone. Might God grant her more than mere existence? And will she risk defying her father in pursuit of true happiness?
Review
A beautifully written historical fictionalized work about Elizabeth Barrett and her romance with Robert Browning.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Uprising
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Published: 2007
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
Bella, newly arrived in New York from Italy, gets a job at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. There, along with hundreds of other immigrants, she works long hours at a grueling job under terrible conditions. Yetta, a coworker from Russia, has been crusading for a union, and when factory conditions worsen, she helps workers rise up in a strike. Wealthy Jane learns of the plight of the workers and becomes involved with their cause.
Bella and Yetta are at work--and Jane is visiting the factory--on March 25, 1911, when a spark ignites some cloth and the building is engulfed in fire, leading to one of the worst workplace disasters ever.
Review
A good historical fiction work to help young adults understand working conditions at the time and the plight of many immigrant workers.
Published: 2007
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
Bella, newly arrived in New York from Italy, gets a job at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. There, along with hundreds of other immigrants, she works long hours at a grueling job under terrible conditions. Yetta, a coworker from Russia, has been crusading for a union, and when factory conditions worsen, she helps workers rise up in a strike. Wealthy Jane learns of the plight of the workers and becomes involved with their cause.
Bella and Yetta are at work--and Jane is visiting the factory--on March 25, 1911, when a spark ignites some cloth and the building is engulfed in fire, leading to one of the worst workplace disasters ever.
Review
A good historical fiction work to help young adults understand working conditions at the time and the plight of many immigrant workers.
10 Great Souls I Want to Meet in Heaven
Author: S. Michael Wilcox
Published: 2012
Genre: LDS Non-fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
In 10 Great Souls I Want to Meet in Heaven, author S. Michael Wilcox profiles the lives of his best friends in history--ten individuals who have tutored his soul as well as his mind and whom he wants to meet in the hereafter. The list includes Saint Patrick, the slave who was not Irish; Saint Francis of Assisi, the son of a wealthy Italian merchant who became a Catholic friar; Joan of Arc, a French peasant who became a national heroine; Mencius, a Chinese philosopher; Khadija and Aisha, wives of and helpmeets to the prophet Mohammad; Siddhartha, who became the Buddha; Charles Darwin, the English scientist and naturalist; Sir Ernest Shackleton, who spend much of his life as a polar explorer; George MacDonald, the Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister who inspired, among others, C.S. Lewis; and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the prominent English poet, whose love for her husband, Robert Browning, and its reciprocation, are the stuff of legend.
Review
An interesting collection of people from history. The author inspired me to want to study more about several of his "friends" from the past. This is an easy book to read a chapter at a time, since each is a stand alone discussion about one particular individual. Well worth the time--especially as a springboard to further study.
Published: 2012
Genre: LDS Non-fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
In 10 Great Souls I Want to Meet in Heaven, author S. Michael Wilcox profiles the lives of his best friends in history--ten individuals who have tutored his soul as well as his mind and whom he wants to meet in the hereafter. The list includes Saint Patrick, the slave who was not Irish; Saint Francis of Assisi, the son of a wealthy Italian merchant who became a Catholic friar; Joan of Arc, a French peasant who became a national heroine; Mencius, a Chinese philosopher; Khadija and Aisha, wives of and helpmeets to the prophet Mohammad; Siddhartha, who became the Buddha; Charles Darwin, the English scientist and naturalist; Sir Ernest Shackleton, who spend much of his life as a polar explorer; George MacDonald, the Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister who inspired, among others, C.S. Lewis; and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the prominent English poet, whose love for her husband, Robert Browning, and its reciprocation, are the stuff of legend.
Review
An interesting collection of people from history. The author inspired me to want to study more about several of his "friends" from the past. This is an easy book to read a chapter at a time, since each is a stand alone discussion about one particular individual. Well worth the time--especially as a springboard to further study.
Letters in the Jade Dragon Box
Author: Gale Sears
Published: 2011
Genre: LDS Fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Truth. In mainland China from 1949 to 1976, truth is all but eradicated--suppressed and supplanted by the iron will of Mao Tse-tung. Millions of people suffer untold anguish as their history, their culture, and their lives are brought under communist rule. Many flee to Taiwan and Hong Kong.
As a child, Chen Wen-shan was taken from her family home in mainland China and sent to live with her great-uncle — a former general in the Nationalist Chinese army who had become one of the first converts to the LDS Church in Hong Kong. For ten years, Wen-shan has carried the sorrow of abandonment in her heart, with few memories of her life before. But at the death of Chairman Mao, fifteen-year-old Wen-shan receives a mysterious wooden box that holds a series of beautiful paintings and secret letters that reveal the fate of the family she has not heard from in more than a decade.
As Wen-shan and her great-uncle read the letters in the jade dragon box, they discover an unbreakable bond between each other, their family, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Review
The historical background was intriguing, but the story line itself was flat. It feels like the author is trying to "educate" her audience about the cultural revolution--and that she created a story to further that agenda. The result is a tale that is awkward in places and characters who are not very engaging.
Published: 2011
Genre: LDS Fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Truth. In mainland China from 1949 to 1976, truth is all but eradicated--suppressed and supplanted by the iron will of Mao Tse-tung. Millions of people suffer untold anguish as their history, their culture, and their lives are brought under communist rule. Many flee to Taiwan and Hong Kong.
As a child, Chen Wen-shan was taken from her family home in mainland China and sent to live with her great-uncle — a former general in the Nationalist Chinese army who had become one of the first converts to the LDS Church in Hong Kong. For ten years, Wen-shan has carried the sorrow of abandonment in her heart, with few memories of her life before. But at the death of Chairman Mao, fifteen-year-old Wen-shan receives a mysterious wooden box that holds a series of beautiful paintings and secret letters that reveal the fate of the family she has not heard from in more than a decade.
As Wen-shan and her great-uncle read the letters in the jade dragon box, they discover an unbreakable bond between each other, their family, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Review
The historical background was intriguing, but the story line itself was flat. It feels like the author is trying to "educate" her audience about the cultural revolution--and that she created a story to further that agenda. The result is a tale that is awkward in places and characters who are not very engaging.
The Distant Hours
Author: Kate Morton
Published: 2010
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
A long lost letter arrives in the post...and Edie Burchill finds herself on a journey to Milderhurst Castle. Milderhurst is a great but moldering old house where the Blythe spinsters live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13-year-old child during WWII. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives looking after the third and youngest sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiance jilted her in 1941.
Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in ‘the distant hours’ of the past has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.
Review
The reader knows by about 80 pages in "what" happened...but doesn't know the "who," "how," or "why" until the very end. The characters were unusual and the plots twists carefully intertwined. The background plot of the Mud Man story was Gothically-creepy and compelling. A read that was worthwhile but not necessarily memorable.
Published: 2010
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
A long lost letter arrives in the post...and Edie Burchill finds herself on a journey to Milderhurst Castle. Milderhurst is a great but moldering old house where the Blythe spinsters live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13-year-old child during WWII. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives looking after the third and youngest sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiance jilted her in 1941.
Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in ‘the distant hours’ of the past has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.
Review
The reader knows by about 80 pages in "what" happened...but doesn't know the "who," "how," or "why" until the very end. The characters were unusual and the plots twists carefully intertwined. The background plot of the Mud Man story was Gothically-creepy and compelling. A read that was worthwhile but not necessarily memorable.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Blackmoore
Author: Julianne Donaldson
Published: 2013
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Kate Worthington knows her heart, and she knows she will never marry. Her plan is to travel to India instead—if only to find peace for her restless spirit and to escape the family she abhors. But Kate’s meddlesome mother has other plans. She makes a bargain with Kate: India, yes, but only after Kate has secured—and rejected—three marriage proposals.
Kate journeys to the stately manor of Blackmoore determined to fulfill her end of the bargain, and she enlists the help of her dearest childhood friend, Henry Delafield. But when it comes to matters of love, bargains are meaningless and plans are changeable. There on the wild lands of Blackmoore, Kate must face the truth that has kept her heart captive. Will the proposal she is determined to reject actually be the one thing that will set her heart free?
Review
Blackmoore is a proper (clean) romance...but it is filled with sexual tension. Many of the characters mimic those in Austen novels. (The author even borrows one name from Austen.) The plot line is predictable and the ending expected. And yet I was still absorbed in the story and sped through it.
Notes
I enjoyed this more than the author's previous work, Edenbrooke. But this work still needed one more good edit before being published.
Published: 2013
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Kate Worthington knows her heart, and she knows she will never marry. Her plan is to travel to India instead—if only to find peace for her restless spirit and to escape the family she abhors. But Kate’s meddlesome mother has other plans. She makes a bargain with Kate: India, yes, but only after Kate has secured—and rejected—three marriage proposals.
Kate journeys to the stately manor of Blackmoore determined to fulfill her end of the bargain, and she enlists the help of her dearest childhood friend, Henry Delafield. But when it comes to matters of love, bargains are meaningless and plans are changeable. There on the wild lands of Blackmoore, Kate must face the truth that has kept her heart captive. Will the proposal she is determined to reject actually be the one thing that will set her heart free?
Review
Blackmoore is a proper (clean) romance...but it is filled with sexual tension. Many of the characters mimic those in Austen novels. (The author even borrows one name from Austen.) The plot line is predictable and the ending expected. And yet I was still absorbed in the story and sped through it.
Notes
I enjoyed this more than the author's previous work, Edenbrooke. But this work still needed one more good edit before being published.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Jamaica Inn
Author: Daphne du Maurier
Published: 1935
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Rating: 3.5
Summary
The coachman tried to warn her away from the ruined, forbidding place on the rainswept Cornish coast. But Mary Yellan chose instead to honor her mother's dying request that she join her frightened Aunt Patience and huge, hulking Uncle Joss Merlyn at Jamaica Inn. From her first glimpse on that raw November eve, she could sense the inn's dark power. But never did Mary dream that she would become hopelessly ensnared in the vile, villainous schemes being hatched within its crumbling walls...or that a handsome, mysterious stranger would so incite her passions, tempting her to love a man whom she dares not trust.
Review
The story is rather dark, with some truly evil characters. And although the ending is predictable, the suspense is well-written enough to keep the reader turning pages. A good, semi-creepy, Gothic-style read for the Halloween season.
Published: 1935
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Rating: 3.5
Summary
The coachman tried to warn her away from the ruined, forbidding place on the rainswept Cornish coast. But Mary Yellan chose instead to honor her mother's dying request that she join her frightened Aunt Patience and huge, hulking Uncle Joss Merlyn at Jamaica Inn. From her first glimpse on that raw November eve, she could sense the inn's dark power. But never did Mary dream that she would become hopelessly ensnared in the vile, villainous schemes being hatched within its crumbling walls...or that a handsome, mysterious stranger would so incite her passions, tempting her to love a man whom she dares not trust.
Review
The story is rather dark, with some truly evil characters. And although the ending is predictable, the suspense is well-written enough to keep the reader turning pages. A good, semi-creepy, Gothic-style read for the Halloween season.
Friday, September 6, 2013
To The Last Man
Author: Jeff Shaara
Published: 2004
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Spring 1916: the horror of a stalemate on Europe’s western front. France and Great Britain are on one side of the barbed wire, a fierce German army is on the other. In the skies, technology has provided a devastating new tool--the aeroplane--and with it a different kind of hero emerges–the flying ace. Soaring high above the chaos on the ground, these solitary knights duel in the splendor and terror of the skies, their courage and steel tested with every flight.
As the conflict stretches into its third year, a neutral America is goaded into war, its reluctant president, Woodrow Wilson, finally accepting the repeated challenges to his stance of nonalignment. Yet the Americans are woefully unprepared and ill equipped to enter a war that has become worldwide in scope. The responsibility is placed on the shoulders of General John “Blackjack” Pershing, and by mid-1917 the first wave of the American Expeditionary Force arrives in Europe. Encouraged by the bold spirit and strength of the untested Americans, the world waits to see if the tide of war can finally be turned.
Review
As expected from Shaara, the work is well-researched and written. My understanding of trench warfare and of aerial combat increased significantly. However, the first two-thirds of the work drug a bit. It was difficult to identify with the flying aces and their attitude about their conquests (although I am sure that was portrayed accurately). The final third of the book moves much more quickly.
Notes
As expected in any work about war, this book contains a lot of swearing. Most of it is of the "Biblical" kind.
Published: 2004
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Spring 1916: the horror of a stalemate on Europe’s western front. France and Great Britain are on one side of the barbed wire, a fierce German army is on the other. In the skies, technology has provided a devastating new tool--the aeroplane--and with it a different kind of hero emerges–the flying ace. Soaring high above the chaos on the ground, these solitary knights duel in the splendor and terror of the skies, their courage and steel tested with every flight.
As the conflict stretches into its third year, a neutral America is goaded into war, its reluctant president, Woodrow Wilson, finally accepting the repeated challenges to his stance of nonalignment. Yet the Americans are woefully unprepared and ill equipped to enter a war that has become worldwide in scope. The responsibility is placed on the shoulders of General John “Blackjack” Pershing, and by mid-1917 the first wave of the American Expeditionary Force arrives in Europe. Encouraged by the bold spirit and strength of the untested Americans, the world waits to see if the tide of war can finally be turned.
Review
As expected from Shaara, the work is well-researched and written. My understanding of trench warfare and of aerial combat increased significantly. However, the first two-thirds of the work drug a bit. It was difficult to identify with the flying aces and their attitude about their conquests (although I am sure that was portrayed accurately). The final third of the book moves much more quickly.
Notes
As expected in any work about war, this book contains a lot of swearing. Most of it is of the "Biblical" kind.
The Continuous Conversion
Author: Brad Wilcox
Published: 2013
Genre: LDS Non-fiction
Rating: 5
Summary
I started writing The Continuous Atonement when I was serving as the bishop of a young single adult ward…. I realized that there was an aspect of the Atonement they didn't get. They knew about how the Atonement could cleanse and console us, but they didn't grasp how it can transform us and how Christ offers us His enabling power however long that transformation process takes--even continuously. This book picks up that same theme and answers the question, "How?" "How do I apply the Atonement and feel it's transforming power on a continuous basis?" True conversion is not a onetime event, but a process that takes time. Most people accept that in theory, but we still beat ourselves up when we fall short. My message is "Be patient. You are doing better than you realize. Hang in there!" We are not paying our way into heaven. We're practicing for it!
—Brad Wilcox
Review
A wonderful reminder that conversion is a life-long process...not a one-time event. Easy to read but very thought-provoking. I particularly loved the last chapter about juggling our different responsibilities in life.
Favorite quote
"Satan doesn't win when he can get us to cross the line but when he convinces us that there is no way back."
Published: 2013
Genre: LDS Non-fiction
Rating: 5
Summary
I started writing The Continuous Atonement when I was serving as the bishop of a young single adult ward…. I realized that there was an aspect of the Atonement they didn't get. They knew about how the Atonement could cleanse and console us, but they didn't grasp how it can transform us and how Christ offers us His enabling power however long that transformation process takes--even continuously. This book picks up that same theme and answers the question, "How?" "How do I apply the Atonement and feel it's transforming power on a continuous basis?" True conversion is not a onetime event, but a process that takes time. Most people accept that in theory, but we still beat ourselves up when we fall short. My message is "Be patient. You are doing better than you realize. Hang in there!" We are not paying our way into heaven. We're practicing for it!
—Brad Wilcox
Review
A wonderful reminder that conversion is a life-long process...not a one-time event. Easy to read but very thought-provoking. I particularly loved the last chapter about juggling our different responsibilities in life.
Favorite quote
"Satan doesn't win when he can get us to cross the line but when he convinces us that there is no way back."
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
The Miracle of Freedom: Seven Tipping Points that Saved the World
Authors: Chris Stewart, Ted Stewart
Published: 2011
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Today, fewer than 12 of the 193 countries in the world have a democratic government that has survived for more than fifty years. So, what extraordinary events in history have made it possible for us to enjoy self-rule and personal liberty? And what role has the hand of God played in securing that freedom?
In this remarkable new book, bestselling authors Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart highlight seven miracles that changed the course of the world. Skillfully weaving story vignettes with historical explanations, they affirm that history would have been dramatically altered if any one of these events had turned out differently.
Review
An interesting but not compelling read. Some of the less-well-known historical events are interesting to ponder. Worth reading for some of the insights and postulates.
Published: 2011
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Today, fewer than 12 of the 193 countries in the world have a democratic government that has survived for more than fifty years. So, what extraordinary events in history have made it possible for us to enjoy self-rule and personal liberty? And what role has the hand of God played in securing that freedom?
In this remarkable new book, bestselling authors Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart highlight seven miracles that changed the course of the world. Skillfully weaving story vignettes with historical explanations, they affirm that history would have been dramatically altered if any one of these events had turned out differently.
Review
An interesting but not compelling read. Some of the less-well-known historical events are interesting to ponder. Worth reading for some of the insights and postulates.
The Rent Collector
Author: Camron Wright
Published: 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Survival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not working. Just when things seem worst, Sang Ly learns a secret about the bad-tempered rent collector who comes demanding money--a secret that sets in motion a tide that will change the life of everyone it sweeps past. The Rent Collector is a story of hope, of one woman's journey to save her son and another woman's chance at redemption.
Review
While the premise was intriguing, the prose itself seemed to drag. The story--loosely based on real people--was sometimes compelling and at other times fell flat.
Published: 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Survival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not working. Just when things seem worst, Sang Ly learns a secret about the bad-tempered rent collector who comes demanding money--a secret that sets in motion a tide that will change the life of everyone it sweeps past. The Rent Collector is a story of hope, of one woman's journey to save her son and another woman's chance at redemption.
Review
While the premise was intriguing, the prose itself seemed to drag. The story--loosely based on real people--was sometimes compelling and at other times fell flat.
Keeping the Castle
Author: Patrice Kindl
Published: 2012
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Seventeen-year-old Althea is the sole support of her entire family, and she must marry well. But there are few wealthy suitors--or suitors of any kind--in their small Yorkshire town of Lesser Hoo. Then, the young and attractive (and very rich) Lord Boring arrives, and Althea sets her plans in motion. There's only one problem; his friend and business manager Mr. Fredericks keeps getting in the way. And, as it turns out, Fredericks has his own set of plans.
Review
I really didn't think I could enjoy reading one more "redo" of Pride and Prejudice. But this turned out to be a delightful reworking of the story. I laughed out loud several times!
Published: 2012
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Seventeen-year-old Althea is the sole support of her entire family, and she must marry well. But there are few wealthy suitors--or suitors of any kind--in their small Yorkshire town of Lesser Hoo. Then, the young and attractive (and very rich) Lord Boring arrives, and Althea sets her plans in motion. There's only one problem; his friend and business manager Mr. Fredericks keeps getting in the way. And, as it turns out, Fredericks has his own set of plans.
Review
I really didn't think I could enjoy reading one more "redo" of Pride and Prejudice. But this turned out to be a delightful reworking of the story. I laughed out loud several times!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
The Hangman's Daughter
Author: Oliver Potzsch
Published: 2010
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
A historical thriller set in Germany in 1660. When a dying boy is pulled from the river with a mark crudely tattooed on his shoulder, hangman Jakob Kuisl is called upon to investigate whether witchcraft is at play in his small Bavarian town. Whispers and dark memories of witch trials and the women burned at the stake just seventy years earlier still haunt the streets of Schongau. When more children disappear and an orphan boy is found dead—marked by the same tattoo—the mounting hysteria threatens to erupt into chaos.
Before the unrest forces him to torture and execute the very woman who aided in the birth of his children, Jakob must unravel the truth. With the help of his clever daughter, Magdelena, and Simon, the university-educated son of the town’s physician, Jakob discovers that a devil is indeed loose in Schongau. But it may be too late to prevent bloodshed.
Review
Although I usually love historical fiction, I struggled a bit getting into this one. The plot was interesting but not compelling. The names from Bavaria in the 1600s were hard to remember. The hangman was a fascinating and oddly sympathetic character. But the crudeness and vulgarity was repelling.
Published: 2010
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
A historical thriller set in Germany in 1660. When a dying boy is pulled from the river with a mark crudely tattooed on his shoulder, hangman Jakob Kuisl is called upon to investigate whether witchcraft is at play in his small Bavarian town. Whispers and dark memories of witch trials and the women burned at the stake just seventy years earlier still haunt the streets of Schongau. When more children disappear and an orphan boy is found dead—marked by the same tattoo—the mounting hysteria threatens to erupt into chaos.
Before the unrest forces him to torture and execute the very woman who aided in the birth of his children, Jakob must unravel the truth. With the help of his clever daughter, Magdelena, and Simon, the university-educated son of the town’s physician, Jakob discovers that a devil is indeed loose in Schongau. But it may be too late to prevent bloodshed.
Review
Although I usually love historical fiction, I struggled a bit getting into this one. The plot was interesting but not compelling. The names from Bavaria in the 1600s were hard to remember. The hangman was a fascinating and oddly sympathetic character. But the crudeness and vulgarity was repelling.
The Thirteenth Tale
Author: Diane Setterfield
Published: 2006
Genre: Gothic Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Biographer Margaret Lea returns one night to her apartment above her father’s antiquarian bookshop. On her steps she finds a letter. It is a hand-written request from one of Britain’s most prolific and well-loved novelists. Vida Winter, gravely ill, wants to recount her life story before it is too late, and she wants Margaret to be the one to capture her history. The request takes Margaret by surprise — she doesn’t know the author, nor has she read any of Miss Winter’s dozens of novels.
As Vida Winter unfolds her story, she shares with Margaret the dark family secrets that she has long kept hidden as she remembers her days at Angelfield, the now burnt-out estate that was her childhood home. Margaret carefully records Miss Winter’s account and finds herself more and more deeply immersed in the strange and troubling story.
Review
This mildly creepy tale is well-written and fascinating. The author carefully unfolds the story in a way that is unpredictable and compelling. The characters are unique and well defined. A true Gothic tale.
Published: 2006
Genre: Gothic Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Biographer Margaret Lea returns one night to her apartment above her father’s antiquarian bookshop. On her steps she finds a letter. It is a hand-written request from one of Britain’s most prolific and well-loved novelists. Vida Winter, gravely ill, wants to recount her life story before it is too late, and she wants Margaret to be the one to capture her history. The request takes Margaret by surprise — she doesn’t know the author, nor has she read any of Miss Winter’s dozens of novels.
As Vida Winter unfolds her story, she shares with Margaret the dark family secrets that she has long kept hidden as she remembers her days at Angelfield, the now burnt-out estate that was her childhood home. Margaret carefully records Miss Winter’s account and finds herself more and more deeply immersed in the strange and troubling story.
Review
This mildly creepy tale is well-written and fascinating. The author carefully unfolds the story in a way that is unpredictable and compelling. The characters are unique and well defined. A true Gothic tale.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Girls on the Edge
Author: Leonard Sax
Published: 2010
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Girls are cutting themselves with razors. Girls are convinced they’re fat, and starve themselves to prove it. Other girls are so anxious about grades they can’t sleep at night—at eleven years of age. What’s going on? In Girls on the Edge, Dr. Leonard Sax provides the answers. He shares stories of girls who look confident and strong on the outside, but are fragile within. He shows why a growing proportion of teen and tween girls are confused about their sexual identity, or are obsessed with grades or Facebook. Dr. Sax provides parents with tools to help girls become confident women, along with practical tips on helping your daughter choose a sport, nurturing her spirit through female centered activities, and more. Compelling and inspiring, Girls on the Edge points the way to a new future for today’s young women.
Review
Well-written and thoroughly researched. An insightful look at the factors that are shaping young women in our current society--and well-thought-out solutions to the problems that those young women are facing. A must-read for anyone raising or regularly interacting with teenage girls in our society.
Published: 2010
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Girls are cutting themselves with razors. Girls are convinced they’re fat, and starve themselves to prove it. Other girls are so anxious about grades they can’t sleep at night—at eleven years of age. What’s going on? In Girls on the Edge, Dr. Leonard Sax provides the answers. He shares stories of girls who look confident and strong on the outside, but are fragile within. He shows why a growing proportion of teen and tween girls are confused about their sexual identity, or are obsessed with grades or Facebook. Dr. Sax provides parents with tools to help girls become confident women, along with practical tips on helping your daughter choose a sport, nurturing her spirit through female centered activities, and more. Compelling and inspiring, Girls on the Edge points the way to a new future for today’s young women.
Review
Well-written and thoroughly researched. An insightful look at the factors that are shaping young women in our current society--and well-thought-out solutions to the problems that those young women are facing. A must-read for anyone raising or regularly interacting with teenage girls in our society.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Calico Joe
Author: John Grisham
Published: 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
In the summer of 1973 Joe Castle was the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas, dazzled Cub fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all the rookie records.
Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his Dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever…
Review
A short read that addresses parenting, heroes, redemption, and forgiveness. This is a "baseball" novel, heavily ladened with baseball statistics. If you don't care about baseball--you probably won't love it.
Notes
There is an occassional use of foul language from one character late in the novel.
Published: 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
In the summer of 1973 Joe Castle was the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas, dazzled Cub fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all the rookie records.
Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his Dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever…
Review
A short read that addresses parenting, heroes, redemption, and forgiveness. This is a "baseball" novel, heavily ladened with baseball statistics. If you don't care about baseball--you probably won't love it.
Notes
There is an occassional use of foul language from one character late in the novel.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
Author: Anne Fadiman
Published: 1998
Genre: Narrative Non-fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
When three-month-old Lia Lee arrived at the county hospital emergency room in Merced, California, a chain of events was set in motion from which neither she nor her parents nor her doctors would ever recover. Lia's parents, Foua and Nao Kao, were part of a large Hmong community in Merced, refugees from the CIA-run "Quiet War" in Laos. The Hmong, traditionally a close-knit people, have been less amenable to assimilation than most immigrants, adhering steadfastly to the rituals and beliefs of their ancestors. Lia's pediatricians, Neil Ernst and his wife, Peggy Philip, cleaved just as strongly to another tradition: that of Western medicine. When Lia Lee entered the American medical system, diagnosed as an epileptic, her story became a tragic case history of cultural miscommunication.
Parents and doctors both wanted the best for Lia, but their ideas about the causes of her illness and its treatment could hardly have been more different. The Hmong see illness aand healing as spiritual matters linked to virtually everything in the universe, while the American medical community marks a division between body and soul, and concerns itself almost exclusively with the former. Lia's doctors ascribed her seizures to the misfiring of her cerebral neurons; her parents called her illness, qaug dab peg--the spirit catches you and you fall down--and ascribed it to the wandering of her soul. The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices.
Review
This is a lengthy but fascinating read. It teaches the need for cross-cultural understanding in all situations, and is a great reminder that the "American" way isn't always necessarity the best solution. The author really challenges some American paradigms and encourages readers to broaden their view of other cultures.
Published: 1998
Genre: Narrative Non-fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
When three-month-old Lia Lee arrived at the county hospital emergency room in Merced, California, a chain of events was set in motion from which neither she nor her parents nor her doctors would ever recover. Lia's parents, Foua and Nao Kao, were part of a large Hmong community in Merced, refugees from the CIA-run "Quiet War" in Laos. The Hmong, traditionally a close-knit people, have been less amenable to assimilation than most immigrants, adhering steadfastly to the rituals and beliefs of their ancestors. Lia's pediatricians, Neil Ernst and his wife, Peggy Philip, cleaved just as strongly to another tradition: that of Western medicine. When Lia Lee entered the American medical system, diagnosed as an epileptic, her story became a tragic case history of cultural miscommunication.
Parents and doctors both wanted the best for Lia, but their ideas about the causes of her illness and its treatment could hardly have been more different. The Hmong see illness aand healing as spiritual matters linked to virtually everything in the universe, while the American medical community marks a division between body and soul, and concerns itself almost exclusively with the former. Lia's doctors ascribed her seizures to the misfiring of her cerebral neurons; her parents called her illness, qaug dab peg--the spirit catches you and you fall down--and ascribed it to the wandering of her soul. The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices.
Review
This is a lengthy but fascinating read. It teaches the need for cross-cultural understanding in all situations, and is a great reminder that the "American" way isn't always necessarity the best solution. The author really challenges some American paradigms and encourages readers to broaden their view of other cultures.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
A Duty to the Dead
Author: Charles Todd
Published: 2009
Genre: Historical Mystery
Rating: 4
Summary
The daughter of a distinguished soldier, Bess Crawford follows in his footsteps and signs up to go overseas as a nurse during the Great War, helping to deal with the many wounded. There, serving on a hospital ship, she makes a promise to a dying young lieutenant to take a message to his brother, Jonathan Graham: "Tell Jonathan that I lied. I did it for Mother′s sake. But it has to be set right." Later, when her ship is sunk by a mine and she′s sidelined by a broken arm, Bess returns home to England, determined to fulfill her promise.
It′s not so easy, however. She travels to the village in Kent where the Grahams live and passes on to Jonathan his brother′s plea. Oddly, neither Jonathan, his mother, nor his younger brother admit to knowing what the message means. Then Bess learns that there′s another brother, incarcerated in a lunatic asylum since the age of 14 when he was accused of brutally murdering a housemaid. Bess guesses that the dying soldier′s last words had something to do with the fourth brother. Because the family seems unwilling to do anything, she decides that she will investigate. It′s her own duty to the dead.
Review
Nicely crafted and well-written. Bess is a fascinating character with depth and room for growth in subsequent books. The mystery is intruiguing and unfolds at a natural pace.
Notes
This is the first in a currently four-book series (with presumably more books to come). I have read the first three--and all are equally well-written and intriguing.
Published: 2009
Genre: Historical Mystery
Rating: 4
Summary
The daughter of a distinguished soldier, Bess Crawford follows in his footsteps and signs up to go overseas as a nurse during the Great War, helping to deal with the many wounded. There, serving on a hospital ship, she makes a promise to a dying young lieutenant to take a message to his brother, Jonathan Graham: "Tell Jonathan that I lied. I did it for Mother′s sake. But it has to be set right." Later, when her ship is sunk by a mine and she′s sidelined by a broken arm, Bess returns home to England, determined to fulfill her promise.
It′s not so easy, however. She travels to the village in Kent where the Grahams live and passes on to Jonathan his brother′s plea. Oddly, neither Jonathan, his mother, nor his younger brother admit to knowing what the message means. Then Bess learns that there′s another brother, incarcerated in a lunatic asylum since the age of 14 when he was accused of brutally murdering a housemaid. Bess guesses that the dying soldier′s last words had something to do with the fourth brother. Because the family seems unwilling to do anything, she decides that she will investigate. It′s her own duty to the dead.
Review
Nicely crafted and well-written. Bess is a fascinating character with depth and room for growth in subsequent books. The mystery is intruiguing and unfolds at a natural pace.
Notes
This is the first in a currently four-book series (with presumably more books to come). I have read the first three--and all are equally well-written and intriguing.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
In the Garden of Beasts
Author: Erik Larson
Published: 2011
Genres: Narritive non-fiction, historical non-fiction
Rating: 4.5
Summary
In 1933--a year that proved to be a turning point in history--William E. Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Germany. A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, Dodd brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha. At first Martha is entranced by the parties and pomp, and the handsome young men of the Third Reich with their infectious enthusiasm for restoring Germany to a position of world prominence. Enamored of the “New Germany,” she has one affair after another, including with the suprisingly honorable first chief of the Gestapo, Rudolf Diels. But as evidence of Jewish persecution mounts, confirmed by chilling first-person testimony, her father telegraphs his concerns to a largely indifferent State Department back home.
Dodd watches with alarm as Jews are attacked, the press is censored, and drafts of frightening new laws begin to circulate. As that first year unfolds and the shadows deepen, the Dodds experience days full of excitement, intrigue, romance—and ultimately, horror, when a climactic spasm of violence and murder reveals Hitler’s true character and ruthless ambition.
Suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period, and with unforgettable portraits of the bizarre Göring and the expectedly charming--yet wholly sinister--Goebbels, In the Garden of Beasts lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance and complexity. The result is a dazzling, addictively readable work that speaks volumes about why the world did not recognize the grave threat posed by Hitler until Berlin--and Europe--were awash in blood and terror.
Review
A well-researched and well-written work of narrative non-fiction. Despite it's length, this is an accessable and fascinating read. Dodd is remarkably insightful--despite his lack of political background--in his analysis and concerns about Hitler's regime. Martha's flamboyant nature and evolution are intriguing. And the personal interactions these two have with Hitler and other high-ranking Nazi officials are both fascinating and chilling.
Published: 2011
Genres: Narritive non-fiction, historical non-fiction
Rating: 4.5
Summary
In 1933--a year that proved to be a turning point in history--William E. Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Germany. A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, Dodd brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha. At first Martha is entranced by the parties and pomp, and the handsome young men of the Third Reich with their infectious enthusiasm for restoring Germany to a position of world prominence. Enamored of the “New Germany,” she has one affair after another, including with the suprisingly honorable first chief of the Gestapo, Rudolf Diels. But as evidence of Jewish persecution mounts, confirmed by chilling first-person testimony, her father telegraphs his concerns to a largely indifferent State Department back home.
Dodd watches with alarm as Jews are attacked, the press is censored, and drafts of frightening new laws begin to circulate. As that first year unfolds and the shadows deepen, the Dodds experience days full of excitement, intrigue, romance—and ultimately, horror, when a climactic spasm of violence and murder reveals Hitler’s true character and ruthless ambition.
Suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period, and with unforgettable portraits of the bizarre Göring and the expectedly charming--yet wholly sinister--Goebbels, In the Garden of Beasts lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance and complexity. The result is a dazzling, addictively readable work that speaks volumes about why the world did not recognize the grave threat posed by Hitler until Berlin--and Europe--were awash in blood and terror.
Review
A well-researched and well-written work of narrative non-fiction. Despite it's length, this is an accessable and fascinating read. Dodd is remarkably insightful--despite his lack of political background--in his analysis and concerns about Hitler's regime. Martha's flamboyant nature and evolution are intriguing. And the personal interactions these two have with Hitler and other high-ranking Nazi officials are both fascinating and chilling.
A Woman's Place
Author: Lynn Austin
Published: 2006
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2.5
Summary
They watched their sons, their brothers, and their husbands enlist to fight a growing menace across the seas. And when their nation asked, they answered the call as well. Virginia longs to find a purpose beyond others' expectations. Helen is driven by a loneliness money can't fulfill. Rosa is desperate to flee her in-laws' rules. Jean hopes to prove herself in a man's world. Under the storm clouds of destruction that threaten America during the early 1940s, this unlikely gathering of women will experience life in sometimes starling new ways as their beliefs are challenged and they struggle toward a new understanding of what love and sacrifice truly mean.
Review
The characters are flat and stereotypical--especially most of the men. The character development is predictable. And the author intentionally manipulates her audience's opinion of the different male characters. Not one of Austin's better novels.
Published: 2006
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2.5
Summary
They watched their sons, their brothers, and their husbands enlist to fight a growing menace across the seas. And when their nation asked, they answered the call as well. Virginia longs to find a purpose beyond others' expectations. Helen is driven by a loneliness money can't fulfill. Rosa is desperate to flee her in-laws' rules. Jean hopes to prove herself in a man's world. Under the storm clouds of destruction that threaten America during the early 1940s, this unlikely gathering of women will experience life in sometimes starling new ways as their beliefs are challenged and they struggle toward a new understanding of what love and sacrifice truly mean.
Review
The characters are flat and stereotypical--especially most of the men. The character development is predictable. And the author intentionally manipulates her audience's opinion of the different male characters. Not one of Austin's better novels.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Sheep's Clothing
Author: Josi Kilpack
Published: 2007
Genre: LDS Fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Six children keep Kate Thompson busy. Her oldest daughter, Jess, is almost sixteen and acting the part--something Kate had hoped to avoid. Yet she's quick to remind herself that it could be so much worse. Besides, there are more important things to worry about than adolescent moodiness...like convincing her husband that they're ready for one more baby.
Jess gave up competing for attention at home a long time ago. But now, even her best friend doesn't seem to have time for her. Then Jess meets Emily online. Unlike everyone else in Jess's life, she can talk to Emily about anything. Emily understands her. Emily listens. When the unthinkable happens, and Jess disappears, Brad and Kate Thompson realize that they missed something--something big. How could this happen in their home? To their daughter? Most important, will Jess ever come home again?
Review
A quick and easy read. The story moves along well even though the characters are a bit stereotypical. It is suprising how outdated the technology feels...considering it was only published six years ago.
Published: 2007
Genre: LDS Fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Six children keep Kate Thompson busy. Her oldest daughter, Jess, is almost sixteen and acting the part--something Kate had hoped to avoid. Yet she's quick to remind herself that it could be so much worse. Besides, there are more important things to worry about than adolescent moodiness...like convincing her husband that they're ready for one more baby.
Jess gave up competing for attention at home a long time ago. But now, even her best friend doesn't seem to have time for her. Then Jess meets Emily online. Unlike everyone else in Jess's life, she can talk to Emily about anything. Emily understands her. Emily listens. When the unthinkable happens, and Jess disappears, Brad and Kate Thompson realize that they missed something--something big. How could this happen in their home? To their daughter? Most important, will Jess ever come home again?
Review
A quick and easy read. The story moves along well even though the characters are a bit stereotypical. It is suprising how outdated the technology feels...considering it was only published six years ago.
Monday, January 14, 2013
One Good Deed: 365 Days of Trying to Be Just a Little Bit Better
Author: Erin McHugh
Published: 2012
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Erin McHugh had spent the better part of her adult life doing community work; but in more recent years, the minutiae of life and working as a bookseller kept her busy and away from those higher impulses. Then one day she learned a distant relative was actually going to be canonized. Was this a sign? What followed next was McHugh’s sincere urge to recapture a sense of charity.
So she set out--on her birthda--to do one good deed every day for an entire year. Maybe she wouldn’t be saving orphans from burning buildings; but she wanted to take one small, daily detour and make someone else’s life just a little bit better. One Good Deed is the inspiring, smart, and frequently funny chronicle of that year, in which each page represents a day in McHugh’s journey to reclaim the better part of herself, inspiring readers to do the same.
Review
Published: 2012
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Erin McHugh had spent the better part of her adult life doing community work; but in more recent years, the minutiae of life and working as a bookseller kept her busy and away from those higher impulses. Then one day she learned a distant relative was actually going to be canonized. Was this a sign? What followed next was McHugh’s sincere urge to recapture a sense of charity.
So she set out--on her birthda--to do one good deed every day for an entire year. Maybe she wouldn’t be saving orphans from burning buildings; but she wanted to take one small, daily detour and make someone else’s life just a little bit better. One Good Deed is the inspiring, smart, and frequently funny chronicle of that year, in which each page represents a day in McHugh’s journey to reclaim the better part of herself, inspiring readers to do the same.
Review
| I liked the concept of trying to be a bit better through performing good deeds every day. But sometimes I think the author needed to step back and search for a situation in need before determining what the good deed was. Occassionally she impossed her predetermined good deed on someone who had no need for or interest in it. In these instances, the deed appeared more self-serving than charitable. I also did not enjoy her soapboxing about gay rights. |
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Wives and Daughters
Author: Elizabeth Gaskell
Published: 1866
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.5
Summary
An enchanting tale of romance, scandal, and intrigue in the gossipy English town of Hollingford around the 1830s, Wives and Daughters tells the story of Molly Gibson, the seventeen-year-old daughter of a widowed country doctor. When her father remarries, she forms a close friendship with her new stepsister—the beautiful and worldly Cynthia—until they become love rivals for the affections of Squire Hamley’s sons, Osbourne and Roger. When sudden illness and death reveal some secrets while shrouding others in even deeper mystery, Molly feels that the world is out of joint and it is up to her—trusted by all but listened to by none—to set it right.
Review
Great characters--both those you like and those you don't. Typical Victorian verbosity and length...but worth the time. The only disappointment is that missing last chapter (even though you know how it will end).
Notes
There is a great 1999 BBC movie version of W&D: it is well-cast and stays very close to the book.
Published: 1866
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.5
Summary
An enchanting tale of romance, scandal, and intrigue in the gossipy English town of Hollingford around the 1830s, Wives and Daughters tells the story of Molly Gibson, the seventeen-year-old daughter of a widowed country doctor. When her father remarries, she forms a close friendship with her new stepsister—the beautiful and worldly Cynthia—until they become love rivals for the affections of Squire Hamley’s sons, Osbourne and Roger. When sudden illness and death reveal some secrets while shrouding others in even deeper mystery, Molly feels that the world is out of joint and it is up to her—trusted by all but listened to by none—to set it right.
Review
Great characters--both those you like and those you don't. Typical Victorian verbosity and length...but worth the time. The only disappointment is that missing last chapter (even though you know how it will end).
Notes
There is a great 1999 BBC movie version of W&D: it is well-cast and stays very close to the book.
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