James Henry Ferguson makes a big mistake, it costs him his marriage to the love of his life Rebecca and his adult daughters Katherine and Lillian won’James Henry Ferguson makes a big mistake, it costs him his marriage to the love of his life Rebecca and his adult daughters Katherine and Lillian won’t speak to him. What he did is all over the internet and on the news and reporters are stacked out the front of his house.
The preacher's son James leaves his old life behind, he needs a fresh start and a place to hide, and he buys a small house which he has renovated in rural Ham, Mississippi. To say he's shocked when he looks around him is an understatement, the other twenty two houses in his street are falling apart, they don’t have indoor plumbing and the residents live well below the poverty line.
The neighborhood is commonly referred to as “Around the Way” forgotten by the rest of America and the local politician and representative isn’t worried about improving the lives of the coloured residents and he thinks they don’t deserve anything better.
A troubling discovery is made, the whole neighborhood is upset and especially young Juba a young boy who James has befriended, his mother Patrice and stepfather Fountain. James is furious, he’s determined to get justice and it makes him think about his own life, the mistakes he’s made, accept no one is perfect and he can't change the past.
I received a digital copy of Mr. Jimmy from Around the Way by Jeffrey Blount, from Beaufort Books and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. What an amazing and inspirational story, the characters are all memorable and unforgettable, including James, Juba and Beech, Miss Septima, Olivia, Yankee, Mary, Dr. Longford, Fountain and Patrice.
A narrative about a billionaire’s fall from grace, his embarrassment and shame and how he fails his family and himself. However in the small town of Ham, Mississippi he becomes a part of a community, he finds acceptance, he does what he can do to help people and knows the best way for them to escape poverty? Education is key, the importance of reading, literacy and having access to books and believing they deserve more and a better life.
Through giving them a hand up and working together it’s amazing what people can achieve and the future suddenly looks bright. However the narrative does cover some difficult subjects, how the press will pay money for trashy stories about famous people and impact of cyber bullying, racism, sexual exploitation of women and their bodies.
Five stars from me, well done to Jeffery Blount, a unique coming of age and finding redemption novel....more
Five years have passed since Paul Brandt made a mistake as a university student in Vienna, he was given two choices, and he either joined the German aFive years have passed since Paul Brandt made a mistake as a university student in Vienna, he was given two choices, and he either joined the German army or go to prison. Paul was severely injured on the Eastern Front and he’s returning home to his father’s farm in Reichsgua of Upper Silesia and the village has changed since he’s been gone.
A luxurious retreat has been set up for recuperating officers and those who manage the concentration camps nearby and one is called Auschwitz. The hut is run by Obersturmfuhrer Neumann, a few German soldiers and Ukrainian guards and they have a small group of women prisoners, who cook, do the officers washing and sewing. One of the women looks familiar and Paul’s sure she was arrested five years ago with him. Brandt is asked to help train the locals to boost the defences of the valley, bridge and dam and the only males left are boys under the age of thirteen, the mayor and old men.
In the forest to the east, the Soviets are waiting for the signal to advance, one of these is a young Russian woman Polya Kolank, she once built tanks in a factory, including her own, and she now drives one. The woodlands are also full of Soviet infantry, partisans, escaped allied soldiers and they are all ready to start and will be followed by the tanks.
Brandt knows the end of the war is close, despite the propaganda saying the Germans are still winning, he wants to save his family, himself and the female prisoners.
A tense and extremely powerful story following the life of a young German soldier returning home from the Eastern Front and he lost one of his arms, badly burnt his face and upper body. Brandt has seen the brutality of war and but what’s happening near the in the Austrian village where he was born is inhumane and murder, while the SS soldiers are staying at the hut eating, drinking, listening to music and having a great time.
I received a digital copy of The Constant Soldier by William Ryan from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Wow, Mr. Ryan can certainly write a historical thriller, he’s the master at Second World War storytelling and I was hooked from the first page.
The narrative is told from the points of view of Paul Brandt and Polya Kolank a Soviet female tank driver. Full of raw action, a story about a brutal war, persecution, murder, catastrophe and fear of the unknown, no one knows if they would survive the winter of 1944, the Soviet invasion and five stars from me....more
London 1962. Celia Duchesne works in a bookshop, she dreams of getting a better job, maybe as a secretary and leaving Southwark. The shop has recentlyLondon 1962. Celia Duchesne works in a bookshop, she dreams of getting a better job, maybe as a secretary and leaving Southwark. The shop has recently been sold to Mrs. Denton, her new employer is busy settling in and Celia is left to her own devices. One day Septimus Nelson walks into the bookshop, he’s from America and his visits makes Celia’s job less boring. Around the same time Celia’s best friend Daphne discovers some information at the solicitors where she works about Celia and she stunned and wants to uncover all the hidden facts.
The London Bookshop Affair has a dual timeline, it’s told from the two main characters points of view and alternates from 1942 to 1962 and it’s extremely easy to follow.
France 1942. Anya Moreau is nineteen years old, she just been dropped into France and she’s a pianist or wireless transmitter and she sends messages to London. What Anya does is dangerous, she’s part of a circuit, her other contacts become her friends, Anya is betrayed by a person she trusted and she’s arrested by the Gestapo.
Celia and Anya are connected, Celia wants to find out the truth about what happened to Anya twenty years ago, it’s been hidden by her parents, bureaucracy and the secret services act. Septimus is very keen on Celia, she’s not sure if she’s ready for a romantic relationship, her life is complicated as it is and she doesn’t know what to do?
I received a copy of The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein from HarperCollins and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Inspired by true events and people who were active during the Cold War, there was a real threat of a nuclear war starting between two superpower countries, American and the Soviet Union. England was America's ally and preparing to help, it was full of Soviet spies and Celia discovers this for herself.
A narrative full of twists and turns and it kept my interest from the beginning and the ending wasn’t at all predictable. The story is set in the 1960’s with the invention of TV and the Beatles and a time of social, political and cultural change. With a focus on the Cuban Missile Crisis, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament a British organization that opposed the development and use of nuclear weapons, Celia and Daphne are members, betrayal, injustice, secrets, mystery, intrigue, danger, courage, bravery, selflessness, forgiveness and empowered women.
Five stars from me, I enjoyed The London Bookshop Affair and the authors previous book Daughter of the Reich and I highly recommend both....more
Laura Bradshaw adores books, reading and stories that end happily ever after. Since her mother died seven years ago, her father Stanley has changed, LLaura Bradshaw adores books, reading and stories that end happily ever after. Since her mother died seven years ago, her father Stanley has changed, Laura is left home with the kindly housekeeper Mrs. Gaskin and her pet bird Tybalt. Her father owns the Bradshaw Shoe Company, all he worries about is taking down his competitor, Campbell Shoe Company and they were once business partners and friends.
When she can, Laura likes to visit the Buffalo Zoo, it’s near her house and she loves animals. Laura started writing poetry when her mother died, she left a poem in a tree trunk at the zoo, she was shocked to find someone had left a letter in it's place and for years she and the unknown “boy with the pine-cones” have been corresponding.
Isaac Campbell is the heir to the Campbell Shoe Company and one of Buffalo's most eligible bachelors. Isaac's thoughts are consumed by discovering who's the mystery woman he exchanges letters with at the zoo and she uses the name “wishing girl.”
As children Laura and Isaac were friends, when their fathers had the falling out they are not allowed to speak to each other and have been caught up in the messy breakup. Isaac want's to uncover the reason for the Bradshaw-Campbell falling out, he starts looking into what happened at the time and hires a private investigator.
I received a digital copy of The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham from Edelweiss and Thomas Nelson publishing in exchange for an honest review. The author uses real public places in Buffalo, NY from the 1920's in the narrative and I found this extremely interesting. I enjoyed discovering the family history between the Bradshaw's and the Campbell's, what caused the feud and it full of drama, confusion, mystery and suspense.
The well written story by Ms. Fordham it's told from the two main characters points of view and using a Romeo and Juliet scenario. Five stars from me, a sweet, clean and wholesome romance and suitable for all ages to read....more
1942. Claudette Pelletier is a seamstress and she was born with a twisted leg, she didn’t go to school and a kindly Jewish peddler Mr. Baume teaches h1942. Claudette Pelletier is a seamstress and she was born with a twisted leg, she didn’t go to school and a kindly Jewish peddler Mr. Baume teaches her to read. Time passes and Claudette works as a seamstress in Loire Valley, in the free zone and at an old French chateau. When Isaac Baume and his son Raphaël arrive, she hides them for a few days and she develops feelings for Raphaël. After they leave, Claudette discovers she’s pregnant and she refuses to name the father of her child. When the Germans are almost banging on the front door, the Duchess Silvia de Castellane and her family leave for Spain, taking Claudette with them and they assure her baby will be safe in the village with the wet-nurse and she has nothing to worry about?
1946. Uzi Yarden is form Youth Aliya he’s searching the French countryside for Jewish children and he's taking them back to Israel. Jewish children have been hidden away during the war, in churches, monasteries and with Christian families. With most of Europe’s Jewish population being murdered in the holocaust, most of the children are orphans, it's important for them to practice their own faith and have a fresh start.
1969. Sharon Bloomenthal is an Israeli intelligence officer, she lost her boyfriend when the submarine he was in goes missing at sea and without a trace. Sharon is recruited by Daniel Yarden to smuggle recruits around France, scope out locations and he works for the Israeli Navy. Five missile boats from the French port of Cherbourg, have been paid for by the Israeli government and haven't been delivered due to the French arms embargo and they want them.
The narrative has a triple timeline it goes between 1942, 1946 and 1969, it's a little confusing at times and I did manage to piece it all together and you have to really concentrate while reading it.
When Sharon discovers Danny came to Israel from France as an orphan, she can’t understand why he isn’t interested in finding out who his parents were and if they could possibly be alive? Danny has his mind on his mission and job and is happy with his life and he can’t be bothered chasing ghosts from the past.
I received a copy of The Boy with the Star Tattoo by Talia Carner from Harper Collins Publishers and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. The main part of the story is about Claudette having no idea how badly damaged France would be at the end of the war, people killed and displaced, and trying to find a missing child was extremely difficult, and bit like finding a needle in a haystack.
The author covers real subjects I had never heard of before, like Youth Aliya, the disappearance of the submarine INS Dakar and it’s crew in 1968 and the plans the Israeli government created to get the boats they had ordered from the French. Four stars from me, if you’re a fan of complicated and in-depth historical fiction and then this is the perfect novel for you....more
Martin Sabater owns a cocoa plantation called Valle del Cauca, in Columbia and he’s holding a gala spectacular, when he rides off into the night and dMartin Sabater owns a cocoa plantation called Valle del Cauca, in Columbia and he’s holding a gala spectacular, when he rides off into the night and disappears. His cocoa trees have been neglected and Martin’s hacienda is now a Catholic hospital run by Dr. Farid Manzur and there has been an outbreak of cholera and he and his nurses are trying to stop it from spreading.
Three months later Purificacion de Lafont is navigating Colombian back roads by car when an earthquake hits, it saves her from bandits and she takes on another woman’s identity. Posing as a nun Sor Puri arrives at the hacienda, she wants to find Martin, she’s keeping her real identity a secret and she knows him very well. Puri owns a chocolate store in Ecuador, she has a contract with Martin and has received her order of cocoa beans.
Lucas Ferreira is Martins friend, he’s a photographer and he wants to solve the mystery of what happened to his best mate. He finds Sor Puri the nun snooping around, he finds her annoying and offers to help her. The head nurse is a nun Sor Camila, she is the sister of Dr. Manzur, she made a mistake years ago and her family have been punishing her ever since.
With three people are all trying to find out what really happened to Martin Sabater, Lucas, Purificacion and Sor Camila, slowly they uncover clues, and it’s a story full of lies, dishonesty, infidelity, greed, secrets, hidden gems, illegitimate children, a love triangle and a family feud.
I received a copy of The Queen of the Valley by Lorena Hughes from Edelweiss and Kensington publishing in exchange for an honest review. Set in Columbia in 1925, during the Cali earthquake and the characters in the story have more than aftershocks to worry about!
A historical mystery about the disappearance of a charismatic man, everyone is hiding something and you have to piece it all together and to find out what really happened to Martin Sabater. I have read the previous novel The Spanish Daughter, it helped me workout the complexity of the characters in the new book, their connection to each other and I can understand why some readers have struggled to make sense of the narrative. The Queen of the Valley is a standalone novel, however I would suggest reading The Spanish Daughter first and four stars from me....more
Mary “Mae” Foley was born to immigrant parents in 1886, her family lived in the Gas House District a part of Manhattan and an area of New York where gMary “Mae” Foley was born to immigrant parents in 1886, her family lived in the Gas House District a part of Manhattan and an area of New York where gangs ruled the streets and as a child she witnessed fights, assaults and thefts.
Mae grew up fast, she could stick up for herself and after she graduated high school Mae worked as a clerk in the Tenement House Department and as a case worker for the Welfare Department and then she joined the New York Police Reserves.
Mae was a wife and mother but this didn’t stop this from her joining the New York Police Department, a specialty division was formed and it eventually grew to have over two thousand female members and Mae was one of the original sixty seven women who started. Mae was part of the “Masher Squad” they made sure women were safe on the streets, catching the subway and in movie theaters.
Mae wore her police uniform and badge with pride, when she was finally issued with a gun she was given a special purse to keep it in and it also had a compartment to hold her lipstick. While pounding the beat over her career, Mae arrested rapists, owners of speakeasies that popped up all over New York during probation, bootleggers, a serial killer, she attended rallies that were pro German and because during the Second World War they were worried about spies.
I received a copy of The Girls Who Fought Crime by Mari K. Edger from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Mae Foley was a women who helped change societies views about women, they could be a wife, mother, and work and at one of the most stressful jobs. Mae loved her family, her job and going on cruises. She understood women were entitled to have down time, a holiday and her husband wasn’t a keen traveler and so she went on her own. Mae was a real character, strong and I admired her tenacity and four stars from me....more
Verona, 1864. Christina Rossetti, accompanied by her mother Frances and brother William returns to Italy for a long awaited holiday, she’s a successfuVerona, 1864. Christina Rossetti, accompanied by her mother Frances and brother William returns to Italy for a long awaited holiday, she’s a successful poet and her latest suitor is keen to get married. After meeting an old family friend of her father’s Giovanni Pecora, she discovers a small ornate box with the three Muses carved into the lid and it has a secret compartment. Christina finds a letter from her father Gabriele Rossetti with an urgent and personal request, he wants her to return a stolen book of poetry and an emerald pendant.
The story has a dual timeline, it's set in 1864 and 1947 and is told from the two main characters points of views, Christina and Marianne and I had no trouble following it.
Verona, 1947. Widow Marianne Baxter is a textiles historian and her friend from college Rufina Rovelli has invited her to visit Italy, two years after the Second World War ended and restore three dresses that belonged to Victorian poet Christina Rossetti. They have been hidden away in a trunk for nearly a century, they were recently discovered at the Fondazione Museo Menigatti and will be part of it's opening display. The owner of the museum Alessandra Forni is rather curt and offish and only gives Marianne a few weeks to restore the dresses, get them ready to display on mannequins and that’s not long enough when handling delicate antique fabrics. Marianne discovers a mysterious letter with a warning message hidden among the dresses, she wants to solve the mystery and this leads her down a dangerous path.
I received a digital copy of The Lost Dresses of Italy by M. A. McLaughlin from the publisher and NetGalley/Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Inspired by the real-life of Victorian poet Christina Rossetti, her poetry was about humanity, pleasure, divine love, abandonment and relinquishment. Which ties in with Marianne’s quest to restore and display the three gowns, she’s uncovers a sinister secret and is betrayed by someone she trusts and it wasn't predictable and took me completely by surprise.
I enjoyed reading about Italy, Verona, how it was still recovering from the Second World War and the restoration of the three Victorian era gowns. A story full of mystery, intrigue, secrets, murder, history and five stars from me. I'm keen to find out more about Christina Rossetti and read her poetry and she's a fascinating woman....more
Ann Greene is an abolitionist, she becomes ill just before her twenty-fourth birthday, and her beau Wendell Phillips proposes and they marry. Her illnAnn Greene is an abolitionist, she becomes ill just before her twenty-fourth birthday, and her beau Wendell Phillips proposes and they marry. Her illness left the doctors at the time puzzled, she suffered from extreme fatigue and pain and was often bed ridden.
Wendell was an attorney, he quit his job to focus on speaking out against slavery, and he was a member of the American Anti-slavery Society and the Boston Vigilance Committee. Both Ann and Wendell didn’t eat sugar or wear clothes made from cotton as it was grown and harvested by slave labor.
Anthony Burns is a slave in Richmond, his owner leases him out to other people, at the time of his escape he's working for an apothecary, Master Millspaugh and he hides in the bowels of a ship and make his way to Boston, Massachusetts. Anthony is eventually arrested, imprisoned and the court case that follows is a farce, despite him having legal representation and due to the fugitive slave act. People take to the streets and protest, the national guard is brought in and Anthony is doomed.
The narrative looks at the plight of young southern women, many are only teenagers and when they become brides too much older men. The character in the novel Colette Randolph is ruled by her husband, a beautiful decoration for his home and under pressure to produce as many children as she can and it's a form of bondage.
I received a copy of The Stockwell Letters from Ingram Publisher Services and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The author Jacqueline Friedland uses real and fictional characters to call attention to the evils of slavery in the South and the abolitionists in the Northern states, men like Wendell Phillips who championed for the enslaved, downtrodden, persecuted and rights of women. Putting their own lives in danger, social status, relationships and funded the cause.
Anthony Burns was a young man who in his twenty two years, was branded and had his right hand broken and a slave. He was said to be a smart, kind, godly and industrious and Ms. Friedland portrays this in her novel and how other influential African American people including Reverend Leonard and Octavia Grimes supported runaways like Anthony. Four stars from me, I like historical fiction based on real people and this is both a well written and thought provoking book....more
Violet Jessop is a dedicated daughter and sister, she works as a stewardess, and she survives the sinking of two ships, the Olympic in 1911 and the TiViolet Jessop is a dedicated daughter and sister, she works as a stewardess, and she survives the sinking of two ships, the Olympic in 1911 and the Titanic in 1912. No one can understand why she keeps returning to sea, Violet needs the money and she’s the breadwinner for her family. Violet's childhood was fraught with illness, her father passed away and her mother is too sick to work, and she has five younger siblings. When The Great War starts, all passenger ships are requisitioned by the navy and Violet becomes a nurses aide. Disaster seems to follow Violet, she’s on the Britannic a hospital ship when it strikes a mine, she survives, once she recovers and she returns to sea.
The narrative has a dual timeline, and is told from the points of view of the two main characters Violet and Daphne and I had no trouble following it.
Daphne Chaundanson grows up feeling unwanted, her mother died when she was a baby, her father Charles Labine is busy with his career, she was raised by a series of nannies, attended boarding school and later studies six languages. Daphne's approached to be a Special Operations Executive and to become a secret agent during World War II, she passes the training and is sent to France. When she sees her first German soldier, the war becomes very real, and her job is to find air drop sites, establish relationships with members of the French resistance, engage in acts of sabotage and she uses a variety of code names and aliases.
I received a digital copy of Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh from Harper Muse and Edelweiss plus in exchange for an honest review.
A story that highlights Violet's dedication to her family, she always put them first, this meant she lost the man she loved and she was given the nickname “Miss Unsinkable” and she's a real person. Daphne never felt good enough, and her going to France was to get her father's attention and use her language skills for a meaningful purpose and Daphne's character is based around real women who were Special Operations Executives in France and Secret Agents.
A very interesting book to read, perfect for fans of historical fiction about the Titanic, the Resistance in France, and with an emphasis on strong and brave female characters, please make sure to read the authors notes at the end and four and a half stars from me....more
The story is set in Chicago during the roaring 1920s, the beginning of the Prohibition Era in America and the city is full of corruption and gangstersThe story is set in Chicago during the roaring 1920s, the beginning of the Prohibition Era in America and the city is full of corruption and gangsters ruled the streets.
Penelope is the daughter of a wealthy coloured horse breeder Ambrose Sawyer from Kentucky, her family are members of the elite black society, after the unexpected death of her brother Elder, and Nelly goes from being a spare to being an heir. To overcome her grief, Florence Sawyer decides Nelly needs to make her debut at a ball in Chicago and marry a rich man and have babies.
For the past year Nelly has been working secretly undercover as an investigative journalist, for the Chicago Defender, sharing the accomplishments and problems of everyday coloured people. Her latest assignment is to find the mysterious Mayor of Maxwell Street, he’s the leader of one of the biggest crime gangs in Chicago and his identity has been closely guarded. Nelly underestimates how dangerous it is sticking her nose in places it's not wanted, not only is she risking her own safety and she’s oblivious to the fact it could hurt others and have a domino effect.
Nelly meets Jay Shorey, he’s bi-racial and originally from Alabama and has reinvented himself in Chicago, he runs a speakeasy and trouble seems to follow him. Discrimination, racism and hatred is still a problem for people of colour in Chicago, Nelly has been shielded from the worst of this due to her family being rich and while she’s sneaking around looking for the Mayor of Maxwell Street she comes across what it's really like to be a black woman, where your own body is a threat and it’s a big shock.
I received a copy of Avery Cunningham’s novel The Mayor of Maxwell Street from Edelweiss Plus and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. This debut book's touted as a great and epic love story and I really don’t understand why?
Yes, Nelly has two men who could be possible love interests, one being Jay Shorey and the other polo player Thomas Escalante Roche and his family reportedly own half of Mexico. I found it to be a rather long and confusing story, it jumped all over the place, maybe because of the narrative being set in Prohibition era Chicago and it's main focus is on the cities underground and in that case Ms. Avery achieved what she set out to do.
To me it was more of a historical detective/mystery type of novel and a very long one, full of violence, gangs, greed, danger, hidden identities, racism, secrets and a young woman who didn’t know what she was doing, I’m still trying to put it all together, please read the book for yourself and makeup your own mind and three stars from me....more
The Germans are poised outside Paris, those who can are fleeing the city and not everyone can leave. The story is told from the points of view of threThe Germans are poised outside Paris, those who can are fleeing the city and not everyone can leave. The story is told from the points of view of three women, all choose to stay and due to their individual circumstances.
Camille Lacroix is a chamber maid at the Ritz Hotel, she sends money home to her mother in Dinan, Brittany and to take care of her sister. Vivian Miller is a rich American widow, she’s lived at the Ritz for three years in a beautiful suite, she pays Camille extra money, to act as a ladies maid and do her hair. Rachel Berman works at Ritz as a cleaner and in the laundry. Rachel is scared of the Germans, her father doesn’t think they have anything to worry about, he believes being obedient and following any rules they impose will keep them safe and Rachel doesn’t have his faith.
Of course the German introduce a curfew, then thugs start targeting Jewish people and their businesses. When all Jewish people are ordered to register, Mr. Berman wouldn’t dream of not doing so, after that things start to get worse, men are taken away to work for the Germans, Jewish people are banned from public places and lose their jobs. Camille is very worried about Rachel, she needs to get her out of Paris and turns to Vivian Miller for help. The American has been using her wealth and connections to obtain travel papers for people in need and that’s why she didn’t leave France.
The German officer’s move into the Ritz Hotel, Hans-Dieter Gunther Von Bauer is extremely high up in the SS, he’s been sent to France to build a concentration camp at the Drancy and he’s keen to date Vivian and much more! Once Vivian is seen in the company of Diti, she’s considered a collaborator and it ruins her reputation and she has her reasons. Camille has to take the drastic step of hiding Rachel in an underground bunker, she working as a housekeeper for a German officer, she has an idea of how she can get her out of France, but Rachel will need false identification papers and it takes time.
I received a digital copy of The Paris Housekeeper by Renee Ryan from HarperCollins and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The well written narrative focuses on what it was like living in Paris just prior and once the Germans invaded the city and from the points of view of the three main characters Camille, Vivian and Rachel and two of their families.
The Parisian heard the Germans coming and before they saw them, the sound of thousands of pairs of boots goose stepping, the rumble of tanks, vehicles and motor cycles and officers on horseback. An impressive and imposing sight, and life was going to change and Parisians knew it wouldn’t be for the better and the Germans were ruthless victors.
A powerful and emotive story about bravery, resilience, persistence, friendship, sacrifice and having the courage to do the right thing, not easy considering the circumstances, risk and one simple mistake could have disastrous consequences for all involved. Five stars from me and I have been a big Renee Ryan fan since I read 223 Orchard Street way back in 2018 and I highly recommend her latest book....more
Joetta McBride lives on a small farm in Nash County, North Carolina, with her husband Ennis, sons Henry and Robert and her father-in-law Rudean lives Joetta McBride lives on a small farm in Nash County, North Carolina, with her husband Ennis, sons Henry and Robert and her father-in-law Rudean lives in a cabin on the property.
Rudean is interested in the talk of a war between the states, he visits town to buy tobacco, catch up with the latest news and afterwards shares his opinions with his grandsons. When it starts, Rudean considers fighting in the war to be the correct thing to do, an adventure and if only he was a few years younger and he supports the Confederate side.
When fifteen year old Henry, influenced by his grandfather’s stories, runs off to volunteer, Ennis wants to wait, he thinks Henry will be sent home due to his age and Joetta doesn't agree and in her opinion he should leave straightway and search for him. Weeks go by without word from either father or son, Joetta and Robert do their best to take care of the farm, feed the animals and get ready to harvest the sorghum and make syrup. All the time gazing down the road looking for Ennis and Henry and both are exhausted.
Joetta offers water and assistance to all, regardless of which uniform they wear, her actions get her into trouble with her neighbours, townsfolk and the Home Guard. Joetta is neutral, she doesn’t own a large plantation and slaves, and their farm has only ever produced enough to feed the family and their animals and as far as she's concerned it has nothing to do with her. Joetta is not welcome anymore, in town and none of her friends will speak to her. She struggles on the farm, determined to keep it going, Robert becomes sullen and unhappy, it’s too much work for a woman and a young boy and it only gets worse. The war, over work and the worry all takes it’s toll on Joetta, food becomes scarce, and everyone in the South are starving.
I received a copy of When the Jessamine Grows from Kensington Publishing and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. Donna Everhart looks at the American Civil War from a different perspective in her latest novel, from that of a wife and mother who doesn’t want to take sides and this makes her very unpopular and a target.
Joetta is my favourite character from the book, she was steadfast in her beliefs, her urge to mother and take care of anyone sick or injured was an admirable trait, and especially Charlie and she's a woman that couldn’t ignore her natural instincts. Five stars from me, looking at the war from a lesser known opinion and of course not everyone would have believed in the cause and I like how the author explores this concept. ...more
For years there have been rumours around Vincent Van Gogh’s death, was it suicide, murder or an accident? The Dutch Post-Impressionist painter was famFor years there have been rumours around Vincent Van Gogh’s death, was it suicide, murder or an accident? The Dutch Post-Impressionist painter was famous for his landscapes, still life’s, portraits and self-portraits and did he paint his last one just prior to his death and it was displayed at his funeral.
Luke Perrone is an artist and the great-grandson of the man who stole the Mona Lisa, and his girlfriend Alexis Verde is the daughter of a notorious art thief Richard Baine. Alex buys a black and white painting and by sheer accident they discover it's been painted over and underneath it looks like a self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. When it’s stolen from Alex, the couple are reunited with INTERPOL agent John Washington Smith in a dangerous and deadly search that will take them to Amsterdam.
During the Second World War the German's stole thousands of art work and mostly from Jewish collectors, a lot has never recovered and some made its way to America, sold by dealers and is this how the painting ended up in New York?
I received a copy of The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer from Sourcebooks and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is not only about the missing painting, it’s about the legend of Vincent Van Gogh, the masterpieces he created, the shady side to the flourishing stolen art trade and it links back to the Second World War.
A thriller for art lovers, full of intrigue, secrets, double dealing, lies and I wish I had read The Last Mona Lisa and I might have found the author's latest novel less confusing and easier to follow. Three stars from me, I enjoyed reading about Vincent Van Gogh, his paintings and Anne Frank....more
This is a story about the power of books and enchanted stories, a mother’s love and finding a safe place. Mia Jacob grew up in a strict cult in MassacThis is a story about the power of books and enchanted stories, a mother’s love and finding a safe place. Mia Jacob grew up in a strict cult in Massachusetts, where contact with the outside world is forbidden, punishments for breaking the rules are harsh and books are banned.
While she’s selling produce at the farmers market she sneaks off to the library and for Mia it’s her salvation. Here she meets the town’s librarian Sarah, who gives her a library card, it opens up a whole new world to Mia and a risky one.
Mia becomes obsessed by one book and it saves her, The Scarlett Letter by the author Nathaniel Hawthorne, it’s about a single woman who has a child in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony and she is forced to wear the letter “A” for adultery. The story parallels Ivy's, Mia’s mother, she was single and pregnant, ran away from home and lived in Massachusetts.
Mia discovers reading can transport you to another time, this is where the magical realism element to the narrative begins, is Mia the young women who falls in love with a character in her favorite book or does she go back in time, meets the writer Nathaniel Hawthorne who lived two hundred years ago and falls in love with him?
“A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.” This is the story of one woman’s dream and for a little while it came true.
I received a copy of The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. I must admit I’m not a big fan of magical realism or time travel stories and I may not have really grasped the meaning behind Ms. Hoffman's book.
What was interesting was reading about the friendship between Mia, and librarians Sarah Mott and her companion Constance Allen. A short story and the first novel I have read by Alice Hoffman, and don't let my review put you off reading her latest book yourself and three and a half stars from stars from me....more
Elizabeth Arden or Florence Nightingale Graham was born in Canada, her eldest brother encouraged her to move to Manhattan in the late 1880's and she wElizabeth Arden or Florence Nightingale Graham was born in Canada, her eldest brother encouraged her to move to Manhattan in the late 1880's and she worked as a waitress and at a beauty salon. Elizabeth opened her first Red Door Salon in 1910, by 1915 she expanded her business overseas and in 1934 she opened her day spa in Maine. Elizabeth wanted women to understand that make up was proper and appropriate and not just for floozies. She was the sole owner of her company Elizabeth Arden Inc. and at the time she was one of the wealthiest and most successful women in the world.
Helena Chaja Rubenstein was born in Kraków Poland, her parents were Jewish and she was the eldest of eight daughters. Banished to Australia by her father when she refused an arranged marriage to an older man and she lived with an uncle. Helena Rubenstein opened her first beauty salon in Melbourne in the late 1880's, followed by Sydney, London, Paris and finally in the shadows of The Great War she moved to New York. Helena Rubenstein liked to promote her "scientific" knowledge, her creams were made with “herbs” from the Carpathian Mountains and I guess she needed something to hide the smell of lanolin. Helena was the first in the industry to promote women having different skin types and she employed beauticians and members of her own family to work at her company Helena Rubinstein Inc.
Both ladies were ruthless, competed against each other and tried to get the upper hand in marketing and packaging, having a larger and better range of products, celebrity endorsements, giving out samples and a gift with purchase, planting spies and stealing staff and one employed the others ex-husband. Two women who were pioneers of the beauty industry, both managed to stay in business during two world wars and weathered America’s Great depression.
I received a digital copy of A Beautiful Rival by Gill Paul from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, it was a really fascinating and engrossing narrative and I enjoy reading about ambitious women. Ms. Paul looks at the rivalry between cosmetic queens, each changed the beauty industry in their own way, with their creams and lotions, sold the promise of youthfulness and the subtle use of cosmetics to enhance a ladies best features.
Did they hate each other who really knows, they did see the other as a rival, a competitor in the way of their successes and both altered the truth about some aspects of their childhoods and lives. Gill Paul is one of my favourite historical fiction authors, her research is thorough and she chooses influential women who have paved the way for future generations and five stars from me....more
Leonie Hayes escapes her life in Dublin, she travels to San Francisco and hopes a change of scenery will mend her broken heart. She moves into a VictoLeonie Hayes escapes her life in Dublin, she travels to San Francisco and hopes a change of scenery will mend her broken heart. She moves into a Victorian era house on Green Street, it’s been converted into apartments, she leases one and it needs a good clean.
This is how she finds a bundle of unread love letters and hidden at the back of a wardrobe. Leonie contacts the real estate agent to see if he has a forwarding address for the last residents, she’s the first tenant and they have no idea. With no clues, Leonie tells her new neighbour Alex Fletcher about the letters, she can’t think of who they would belong to and the two women work together on solving the mystery.
Alex is a news reporter, for a small local TV station and they do a segment called Today by the Bay. Leonie and Alex both have their own relationship problems and not that they have shared them with each other. They begin the difficult task of trying to solve the mystery of who's the sender and recipient of the love letters?
I received digital a copy of The First Day Without You by Melissa Hill from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. It tells the story about Nathan writing letters to Helena, regretting the choices he made, he wants her to know that he still loves her and pleading for her to forgive him and he has no idea she’s never received them.
Leonie and Alex don't know how old the letters are, in trying to piece together and solve the mystery it makes both of them confront their own relationships, what went wrong and are they really over?
I enjoyed reading about the major landmarks and places to visit in San Francisco, from the Golden Gate Bridge, to the Island of Alcatraz and the infamous penitentiary, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and of course Leonie has a bowl of soup served in a sourdough bowl.
Michelle Hill is the queen of chit lit, I can understand why and a narrative combining lost love, unopened letters, a tour of San Fransisco and with the many twist and turns makes for a quick, enjoyable read and three and a half stars from me....more
Kate Grifferty is a press photographer, an unusual job for a woman, she attends an anti-fascism protest in East London and here she meets David RabatkKate Grifferty is a press photographer, an unusual job for a woman, she attends an anti-fascism protest in East London and here she meets David Rabatkin. He’s a Jewish medical student and his younger brother Simon is a fascist and he later travels to Spain the fight for the republic.
David knows his skills are needed in England, his mum and dad have sacrificed a lot for him to study medicine, they want him to finish his degree, marry a nice Jewish girl and have children.
Kate was raised by her Irish father Frank, her mother died giving birth to her and he sent her away to school, she’s always felt unloved and it made her very independent. Kate has never wanted to get married, she discovers David’s parents would never accept her, despite the feelings they have for each other and he has to choose between them.
Four years later, Kate is living with her much older sister Orla Sherwood in Brighton, she’s owns a boarding house, it’s busy with servicemen staying and the odd holiday maker and so far it’s been a phony war. David is working in a hospital in London, when the Blitz begins, he’s working in emergency and in the basement.
Both Kate and David face many challenges and disappointments, but they have never forgotten their first love and how they felt about each other.
The narrative focuses on the years from 1936 to 1940, a very turbulent time in England, with the Second World War, fear of the country being invaded, the uncertainty, and people being bombed out, injuries and nowhere is safe. Is it possible for love to bridge two different cultures, Kate is Catholic and David is Jewish and it’s not your typical love story.
I received a copy of Bonfire Night by Anna Bliss from Kensington Publishing and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. A narrative is about love, misunderstandings, racism, loss, the Battle of Cable Street, difficulties women faced in the workforce, the significance of Bonfire Night to the main characters and how photo’s documented British life.
Four stars from me, a well written debut full of history, suspense, secrets and the ending isn’t at all predictable....more
Marlene is employed as a housekeeper by Lee Radziwill in 1961, she’s only twenty one and previously worked for an elderly lady. Her duties include doiMarlene is employed as a housekeeper by Lee Radziwill in 1961, she’s only twenty one and previously worked for an elderly lady. Her duties include doing the laundry and making beds, she's in charge of the kitchen, dining and entertaining areas. Caroline Radziwill is married to Prince Stanislaw Radziwill, he owns houses in both New York and London and the couple have two young children. Lee is Jackie Kennedy’s younger sister, and Lee feels like she lives in the First Ladies shadow.
During her time working for Lee, Marlene meets her famous friends and including Jackie and President Kennedy, Gloria Vanderbilt, Aristottle Onassis, Gore Vidal, Andy Warhol and author and playwright Truman Capote. After writing Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Truman is extremely successful and likes spending money. Lee becomes one of his “swans” and Lee is cast as the leading lady in the TV adaption of Truman’s Laura and it's a flop.
Lee, Truman and Marlene witnesses many extraordinary events during the 1960’s and 1970’s. First the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and later his brother Bobby Kennedy, the political upheaval in America and demonstrations over the countries involvement in the Vietnam War. Unfortunately Truman's life spirals out of control, he's drinking too much and taking drugs, and he and Lee have a major falling out. Truman has a tendency of sharing things he’s been told in confidence and private information about people.
I received a copy of Such Good Friends by Stephen Greco from Edelweiss and Kensington Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The story is told mainly from Marlene’s point of view and she was Lee Radziwill’s fictional housekeeper from 1961 to 2005, she was there for Lee's ups and downs, divorces and often the referee between Truman and Lee. Marlene has secrets of her own, she never talks about the first seventeen years of her life and she wants to be a writer.
The story gives you a glimpse into the private lives of Truman Capote and Lee Radziwill. Truman was a novelist and screenwriter, openly gay, and he was in a long term relationship with Jack Dunphy. Lee was a sister, mother, wife, princess and socialite, later a public relations executive and interior designer. I had never heard of Truman Capote and Lee Radziwill prior to reading this book, three and a half stars from me, the narrative moved at a slow pace and maybe it’s just me who thought so?...more
Cecily Alcantara is married to Gordon, she has three children and after the Japanese invaded Mayala four years ago and nothing has turned out she's beCecily Alcantara is married to Gordon, she has three children and after the Japanese invaded Mayala four years ago and nothing has turned out she's been led to believe. Cecily is scared for her children, her son Abel is fifteen and boys his age disappear never to be seen again, Jujube works at a tea house frequented by groping Japanese soldiers, her youngest daughter Jasmin is only seven and innocent.
Ten years prior, Cecily's a bored Eurasian mother and housewife, she meets charismatic Bingley Chan aka General Fuijwara, and she starts giving him details about her husbands work and any relevant gossip she overhears, she wants Mayala to no longer be under British Colonial rule, and instead be governed by Asians.
Instead, life under Japanese occupation is brutal, with food shortages, curfews, schools close, the Japanese take anything of value and everyone has to bow to them and punished if they don’t do it correctly, young girls and ladies are assaulted and become comfort women, and teenage boys vanish.
The dual timeline story is told from the four main characters points of view, Cecily, Abel, Jujube and Jasmin and their experiences.
I received a copy of The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan from Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss plus in exchange for an honest review. A generation of Malayan people refused to speak about what happened during the Japanese occupation and I can understand why and it provides the inspiration for the author to write her debut novel.
The historical saga looks at the horror of war, living under Japanese control, the deprivation, desperation, the fight to survive and Cecily is very worried about her family and her peers discovering she was a spy.
Four stars from me, a story about war, family, fear, suffering, displaced loyalty, being brain washed and I thought Cecily was a rather shallow person and it might because she's Eurasian and the British looked down on her and the era the narrative was set in....more
Loading...
