The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon is about Flo’s life after she loses her grandmother and her marriage. She runs across some 1960 dress patterns, and eThe Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon is about Flo’s life after she loses her grandmother and her marriage. She runs across some 1960 dress patterns, and each one also features photographs and postcards. It’s quite the mysterious rabbit hole, and Flo finds herself yearning to know more about the mysterious Nancy Moon in the pictures.
Flo remakes all of Nancy’s dresses and sets off on the same tour Nancy completed in 1962. Will she find what she’s looking for? Will she put her life back together?
The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon is a poignant story. I enjoyed traveling alongside Flo. It’s a story of love and loss, and there’s so much hope, too.
5 stars to this story of strength and friendship! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Happy New Year to all my Goodreads friends! 🥳 🎉 🥂
Told in three voices over two time 5 stars to this story of strength and friendship! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Happy New Year to all my Goodreads friends! 🥳 🎉 🥂
Told in three voices over two time periods, The Gown is a stunning story.
In 1947 London, knee deep in a harsh winter with heavy rationing, the war has left its indelible mark. Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin are embroiderers working at the famous Mayfair owned by Norman Hartnell. Why is Hartnell famous? For designing clothing for the princesses. And what is the assignment of the 20th century that has befallen them? Making none other than future Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown.
In Toronto present day, Heather Mackenzie has found a set of embroidered flowers passed down from her beloved late grandmother. Heather discovers the flowers look much like those on Queen Elizabeth’s gown, and she wants to know why. She also uncovers a connection between her grandmother and Norman Hartnell who was known to have designed the Queen’s wedding dress.
The Gown is a well-researched work of historical fiction. The detail kept me entranced and also had me googling and yearning to know more. The friendship that forms between Anne and Miriam is tenderly drawn, and the emotional bonds and healing that resulted from that relationship is awe-inspiring.
I didn’t expect to be as absorbed in The Gown as I was. It can be hard to focus during the holidays, and my mind was in so many places. It served as a wonderful reminder of why I read historical fiction; to be transported to a different time and place and to learn. The Gown is an exquisite story of strength and friendship from start to finish. Highly recommended!
Thank you to the publisher for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
4 stars to the story of Napoleon’s stepdaughter, Hortense! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I am a huge Sandra Gulland fan. Her Josephine B. (Bonaparte) trilogy books are 4 stars to the story of Napoleon’s stepdaughter, Hortense! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I am a huge Sandra Gulland fan. Her Josephine B. (Bonaparte) trilogy books are some of my favorite historical fiction works. I was thrilled that she would be taking on Josephine’s daughter’s story in The Game of Hope.
Hortense’s story is classified as young adult but is suitable for adults, too. Beginning four short years after the Terror of the French Revolution, Hortense is enrolled in a boarding school. She is talented with music, art, and academics, but she daydreams of Christophe, a military officer and friend of her brother’s.
Hortense’s mother, Josephine, has recently married Napoleon Bonaparte of whom Hortense is not a fan. Her beloved father was beheaded during the Terror, and she sees Napoleon in sharp contrast. If Hortense does not accept Napoleon, what will happen to her future?
Sandra Gulland deftly researches her chosen topics and writes with flawless ease. Hortense’s story is based on her real autobiography, as well as other historical archives.
Hortense is faced with a life she does not want in a time much different than our own. What fate will she be saddled with as a result? Her story is filled with the details of her school days, while it also is firmly entrenched on a backdrop of Napoleon’s rise to power. I loved hearing about Josephine and Napoleon from a different perspective, from that of Hortense, and how her life experiences are shaped by those around her.
Rich in historical details while also being approachable to young adult and adult audiences alike, Game of Hope is yet another solid, enchanting, and enthralling effort from Sandra Gulland.
Thank you to Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tours and Amy Bruno for the invite and to the author for an electronic copy. I also own a physical copy I bought because Gulland is a favorite author.
4 powerful stars to Auschwitz Lullaby! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Auschwitz Lullaby, now available from Thomas Nelson, came highly recommended by my dear Goodreads’ 4 powerful stars to Auschwitz Lullaby! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Auschwitz Lullaby, now available from Thomas Nelson, came highly recommended by my dear Goodreads’ friend, Angela. When she says a book is four or more stars, I don’t miss it. She gave this one 4.5.
My Thoughts:
I never tire of these World War II stories involving the Holocaust. I must sound like a broken record at this point, but I have to say, because of the insurmountable number of people affected, there will always be new perspectives and stories to tell, and I am here to read them and listen.
It is 1942 in Germany when Helene’s family home is broken into by the police. They are there to take away her husband, deemed a “gypsy,” and their five children. The police say that Helene can stay because she is German, but she chooses to leave with her family. They are all taken to Auschwitz.
After her family is set-up in the crowded barracks, Dr. Mengele arrives to see Helene because she is known to be a nurse. From there, he directs her to run the concentration camp’s nurseries, set across two barracks; one for newborns and one for children older than six.
In these incredibly harsh and dire conditions, Mengele provides child-friendly items like movies and toys, while people are dying in gas chambers close by. Helene works tirelessly to save the children, her own and all those under her care. What will happen to her family?
Auschwitz Lullaby is based on a true story of one woman and her family. It sheds an important light on the prejudice against, and extermination of, the Romani people by the Nazis during WWII. I found the writing to be straight, and with that, my own emotions could fill in the full picture of this living, breathing story.
My favorite aspect of this book was the characterization. It made the story real. Helene was a hero and a risk-taker, and most of all, she was a mother.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
4 lyrical stars to The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock! 🧜♀️ 🧜♀️ 🧜♀️ 🧜♀️
In 1780s London, Jonah Hancock is a merchant and owns a ship. A captain knocks on4 lyrical stars to The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock! 🧜♀️ 🧜♀️ 🧜♀️ 🧜♀️
In 1780s London, Jonah Hancock is a merchant and owns a ship. A captain knocks on his door urgently with the news he’s sold Hancock’s ship in return for a mermaid.
Word of the mermaid spreads quickly like sensational things do, and everyone wants to lay eyes on the sight. This mermaid is the key to Hancock climbing into high society, and that he does, with speed.
It is at a most prestigious party that Hancock meets the alluring Angelica Neal. Two ambitious minds have now collided, and their futures are full of intrigue.
The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock is a big, larger-than-life, smart story. It spotlights those strange curiosities of the time and is full of atmosphere. The writing is lyrical and stunning setting up a vivid sense of time and place. I found it immersive and all-consuming.
You should know there is not as much true magic or fantasy in the story as one might think, given the title, and the fact that a mermaid is most definitely present (but in the background). The story goes far beyond the oddity, including how humans are always grappling for more: more stature and wealth, more attention. It ends on a magnificent note, and I was most satisfied with the story from start to finish!
Thanks to Harper for the electronic ARC. I also purchased a hard copy from Book of the Month. All opinions are my own.
4 resilient stars to The Baghdad Clock! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This book landed on my radar when my friend, Paromjit, gave it five stars. I had to read it, and i4 resilient stars to The Baghdad Clock! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This book landed on my radar when my friend, Paromjit, gave it five stars. I had to read it, and it did not disappoint!
It is Baghdad in 1991. Two Iraqi girls become the best of friends while in an air raid shelter. Their hearts are pure and their imaginations dream of a time when war was a distant memory; however, years later, the war is still present in their country.
With a bird’s-eye-view of war from the ground, from the mouths and hearts of the innocent children experiencing it, The Baghdad Clock is poignant and important. It is lyrically and colorfully written, while it covers the dark atrocities of war.
The children are resilient. They adjust to the horrific times, to the disappearing city that once laid before them. Emotionally, my heart ached at times for what these children, what these people, went through.
Overall, The Baghdad Clock was a deeply emotional, beautifully-written, thought-provoking read. May we always hear the voices on either side of war.
Thank you to Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld Publications, and Edelweiss for the complimentary copy. The Baghdad Clock is available now!
5 intriguing stars to Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen! 👑 👑 👑 👑 👑
I can’t get enough of the Tudors. Fiction? Nonfiction? I’m all in. That said, I knew 5 intriguing stars to Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen! 👑 👑 👑 👑 👑
I can’t get enough of the Tudors. Fiction? Nonfiction? I’m all in. That said, I knew less about Jane Seymour, the quiet, pious queen. Alison Weir did an incredible job fleshing her out and endearing her to me.
Jane Seymour was Henry VIII’s “favorite” queen because she provided him with his only male heir; however, Jane did not want to be a queen. She wanted to be a nun. Her noble family pushed her into court where she became a lady-in-waiting to my personal favorite Tudor queen, Katherine of Aragon. Insert Henry’s infidelity and carrying on with Anne Boleyn, also a lady-in-waiting, and then, Jane became the object of his affection.
Prior to reading this book, I found Jane to be rather plain. Now, I find her compassionate, vulnerable, and of course, steadfast in her faith.
Overall, this was a well-written historical fiction novel of Jane Seymour’s most intriguing life. I’m already looking forward to the next installment in this series! I definitely recommend this to historical fiction fans. It also might be fun for those of you excited about watching the royal wedding!
Thank you to Allison Weir, Random House/Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for the ARC. Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen is now available!
5 stars and a bottle of rum to Blackbeard! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
One of the places I was fortunate to live while growing up was the coast of North Carolina. 5 stars and a bottle of rum to Blackbeard! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
One of the places I was fortunate to live while growing up was the coast of North Carolina. Blackbeard’s ship, The Queen Anne’s Revenge, was run aground in 1718 at Beaufort Inlet, NC. Blackbeard-everything abounded from standing exhibits at the local nautical museum and aquarium, trinkets and souvenirs, a restaurant in his name, and even a play. I was a young child then and already had an interest in history, so my obsession with the legend of Blackbeard began.
Reading this historical fiction book about Blackbeard was like the most delectable bit of nostalgia. Told in dual narratives of Blackbeard himself and Virginia lieutenant governor, Alexander Spottswood, Blackbeard is on the run while the obsessive Spottswood wants him captured to garner favor with England.
Prior to that, the book gives a full background on Edward Thatch (Edward Teach) painting him as quite the hero before he became much maligned. His motives and values are explored throughout. In the early days, pirates like Blackbeard were given charters from state governments to attack French and Spanish ships, and it was only later that alliances were shifted.
Interestingly, the author is a distant relative of Captain Kidd, so he offers unique insight into this tale. I was able to read Blackbeard over a couple weeks, easily picking up the book at different times and falling right back into the well-written, engaging, and entertaining story. Well-done, Samuel Marquis! I’ll be checking out more of your historical novels.
Thank you to Samuel Marquis, JKS Communications, Mount Sopris Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC. Blackbeard is available now! ...more
5 southern family secret stars to The Myth of Perpetual Summer, my first favorite read of summer! 🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
Set in Mississippi in the 1960s and 70s, Tallul5 southern family secret stars to The Myth of Perpetual Summer, my first favorite read of summer! 🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
Set in Mississippi in the 1960s and 70s, Tallulah James’ story is memorable and haunting. Her parents have a tumultuous relationship sparked by a self-absorbed, yet bleeding-heart when it comes to social causes outside her own home, mother, and a father with an at times debilitating mental illness.
The town is always talking about the high profile Jameses, including lurid family secrets past and present. Tallulah, though not the oldest child, takes the helm of the ship when it comes to protecting her fragile family. Her right hand is her steadfast brother, Griff, and her left hand is her quintessentially southern paternal grandmother.
Explosive events cause Tallulah to leave her family behind, and the story actually opens with her return to Mississippi years later, once again trying to shoulder the responsibility of repairing and bolstering her family. The Myth of Perpetual Summer is then told through past and present chapters allowing the reader to get to know the James family, good, bad, and in between, loving and full of life.
Tallulah is head strong and morally convicted, and she has the most genuine love for each of her family members. In return, she is loved back by the likes of her older brother, Griff, who could not have been more nurturing and caring, her younger brother, Walden, innocent and yearning for his place, as well as, Dharma, her younger sister, a bit dramatic and self-absorbed like their mother. I also cannot forget Ross, Griff’s best friend, and Tallulah’s friend, too. What a love Ross is, and a true, faithful friend to this family.
The family is dysfunctional, yes, but there is so much love and sacrifice for one another. Set on a backdrop of the major events of the time, the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war, The Myth of Perpetual Summer is a huggable book, one where a family’s secrets may be larger than life, but the thread of love that unites them may be enough to absolve their tragic past.
Thank you Susan Crandall, a most gifted storyteller, Gallery Books, and Netgalley for the complimentary copy. The Myth of Perpetual Summer will be published on June 19, 2018.
5 this is exactly the kind of historical fiction I can sink my teeth into stars to Love and Ruin! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
Happy Publication Day to Love and Ruin!
Lo5 this is exactly the kind of historical fiction I can sink my teeth into stars to Love and Ruin! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
Happy Publication Day to Love and Ruin!
Love and Ruin is exactly the kind of historical fiction I can sink my teeth into because of the time period, the characters, the flawless writing, and the tumultuous love story between Martha Gellhorn and Ernest Hemingway.
Hemingway is a favorite author of mine, and I’m always game to learn more about his life. My high school English teacher assigned A Farewell to Arms for summer reading, and he was a fan of Hemingway’s works and so enthusiastic to share this reading experience with us that I was quickly enamored, too.
I related to some aspects of Martha Gellhorn’s character right away. She wants nothing more than to please her father with her writing and for him to see her as a success. Even after his death, this drives her and propels her forward. Martha is a strong and unusual woman, especially for her time. The Author’s Note provides further insight into Martha’s life.
Martha Gellhorn, a journalist and award winning war correspondent arrested for going to places “in the field” where she was not allowed, is both intriguing and inspiring to me. What transpires in her marriage and its resulting falling apart had me transfixed. Gellhorn and Hemingway compete for jobs, vying for attention and acceptance. At this point, Hemingway’s life is becoming more unwound and unstable. The love and obsession between Martha and Ernest was palpable and electrifying, and as is the case with many marriages and affairs, sometimes from the greatest of highs, the greatest of lows are found in the end.
Overall, Love and Ruin is a beautifully written account of the non-traditional love story between a formidable woman and a formidable man.
Thank you to Paula McLain, Random House/Ballantine, and Netgalley for the ARC. Love and Ruin is available now! ...more
4 glowing stars to The Spirit Photographer! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
It’s 1870 in Boston, and photographer Edward Moody’s job is to capture spirits of departed lov4 glowing stars to The Spirit Photographer! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
It’s 1870 in Boston, and photographer Edward Moody’s job is to capture spirits of departed loved ones in photos. The word on the street is that Moody is a scammer, but at the same time, his popularity is spreading, and his work is in high demand.
Moody ends up developing a photo with a “real” spirit connected to himself instead of his paying client. As a result, he travels to Louisiana to resolve some of his past.
The Spirit Photographer is a southern Gothic mystery taking place during the fascinating time of the Reconstruction. It’s well-written with round characters and took me on quite the thrill ride! Just who was that spirit captured in Moody’s photo?
Another fabulous recommendation from my friend, Fran!
Thank you to Jon Michael Varese, Overlook Press, and Netgalley for the ARC. The Spirit Photographer releases on April 17, 2018! ...more
4 haunting stars to The Which Way Tree! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The Which Way Tree was recommended by my friend, Diane S. Thanks, Diane!
Living in the Texas front4 haunting stars to The Which Way Tree! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The Which Way Tree was recommended by my friend, Diane S. Thanks, Diane!
Living in the Texas frontier, Benjamin Shreve has quite the story to tell written in his own twangy voice in letters of “testimony” to a judge. The Which Way Tree is considered a pursuit narrative, and I would add that it was very much an adventure in that pursuit.
Benjamin and his sister, Sam, are pursuing a panther that not only scarred Sam’s face, her childhood, and her future, but also tragically killed her mother. She wants revenge.
I absolutely loved hearing Benjamin’s voice and his natural gift for storytelling. Sam is a strong, invincible girl, and I rooted for her throughout. The abiding and enduring sister/brother relationship between Sam and Benjamin was beautiful to watch unfold. Their struggle to survive was impactful.
There were some triggers (violence human-to-human and between animals and humans), and living on the wild frontier “some” violence is certainly understandable.
Overall, The Which Way Tree is a well-written, engaging, and beguiling tale of the brother and sister bond and a thirst for revenge no matter the cost.
Thank you to Elizabeth Crook, Little, Brown and Company, and Netgalley for the ARC. The Which Way Tree is available now!
5 Wild, Wild West stars to West by Carys Davies! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
This bold, unforgettable story is short on pages, but huge on impact! I’m going to try my b5 Wild, Wild West stars to West by Carys Davies! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
This bold, unforgettable story is short on pages, but huge on impact! I’m going to try my best to keep my review brief, too, so I leave the reader to explore from scratch this marvelous adventure in storytelling.
Cy Bellman leaves his home and young daughter in Pennsylvania to head west. Told in his perspective, as well as his daughter’s, West is full of emotion, heart, adventure, danger, hope, and wonder.
It was a book I devoured in one sitting, and I was left feeling completely transported to a different time and place with flawless writing and flawed, but lovable characters. It gets my highest recommendation and is a most huggable book.
Thank you to Carys Davies (please keep writing!), Scribner, and Edelweiss for the ARC. West will be released on April 24, 2018! ...more
Her writing is on the heavier side, but I completely understand why Margaret George is well-loved and respected in the historical fiction genre. This Her writing is on the heavier side, but I completely understand why Margaret George is well-loved and respected in the historical fiction genre. This was a wonderfully informative read. ...more
4 a tribute to the lost art of letter writing stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I read and loved Gina Mulligan’s other novel, Remember the Ladies, about the women’s 4 a tribute to the lost art of letter writing stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I read and loved Gina Mulligan’s other novel, Remember the Ladies, about the women’s suffrage movement, so I was excited to return to her writing with From Across the Room.
Thomas Gladwell is a writer who has traveled to California from his home in Boston in order to finish his novel when he bumps into (literally) Miss Mary Harting, from a well-to-do railroad-owning family. Thomas’ desire to write is cast aside because he falls in love; however, the Harting family is not on board with the match because a writer simply could not be worthy.
There is a bit of intrigue as Thomas uncovers some information that could have big and lasting repercussions. I have to mention, Thomas’ mentor is none other than Henry James. It is through letters that Thomas and Mary continue their forbidden courtship. Will love win out over family and rules of social class?
Set during the Gilded Age, the sense of time and place immediately was brought to life in From Across the Room. The epistolary style was achieved in a natural way with a bird’s-eye-view on Mary and Thomas. The intrigue added some fun and flair and definitely kept up the tension.
Overall, I found From Across the Room to be delightful and charming with characters I cherished and a compelling storyline.
Thank you to Amy Bruno of HFVBT for the invitation to read this novel, and to the author for the beautiful signed copy. All opinions are my own.
Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader
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