James Carl Nelson exhaustively researched his book about a little-known invasion of Russia in the last months of WWI. In 1919, 5000 U.S. soldiers, larJames Carl Nelson exhaustively researched his book about a little-known invasion of Russia in the last months of WWI. In 1919, 5000 U.S. soldiers, largely from Michigan, found themselves 500 miles north of Moscow in combat against the newly formed Soviet Union’s Red Army. Their enemies: The Red Army, bloody battle wounds with insufficient medical resources, and sub-arctic temperatures. For a year, most of these soldiers survived despite all odds against them.
Accounts from many of the survivors grace the back of the book. Diaries and periodical articles outline survival stories, battles, imprisonment, starvation, and even a wedding.
Written as a tribute to their heroism, the author emphasizes not just their plight. A decade later, a contingent of veterans ventured to find the remains of the 200 who had died. Once returned to Michigan, 50 of the recovered bodies were buried. A massive marble statue guards their graves. A polar bear.
Bravery against all odds should be remembered and honored. Thank you, Mr. Nelson.
My thanks to William Morris, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, for the advance review copy.
Merged review:
James Carl Nelson exhaustively researched his book about a little-known invasion of Russia in the last months of WWI. In 1919, 5000 U.S. soldiers, largely from Michigan, found themselves 500 miles north of Moscow in combat against the newly formed Soviet Union’s Red Army. Their enemies: The Red Army, bloody battle wounds with insufficient medical resources, and sub-arctic temperatures. For a year, most of these soldiers survived despite all odds against them.
Accounts from many of the survivors grace the back of the book. Diaries and periodical articles outline survival stories, battles, imprisonment, starvation, and even a wedding.
Written as a tribute to their heroism, the author emphasizes not just their plight. A decade later, a contingent of veterans ventured to find the remains of the 200 who had died. Once returned to Michigan, 50 of the recovered bodies were buried. A massive marble statue guards their graves. A polar bear.
Bravery against all odds should be remembered and honored. Thank you, Mr. Nelson.
My thanks to William Morris, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, for the advance review copy....more
In a remote region of the Alaskan wilderness, former Vietnam POW, Ernt, struggles to reframe his life as a pioneer with his wife, Cora and daughter, LIn a remote region of the Alaskan wilderness, former Vietnam POW, Ernt, struggles to reframe his life as a pioneer with his wife, Cora and daughter, Leni.
Kristin Hannah masterfully depicts the landscape of glacier-filled mountains, paint-blistered homes perched on pilings above muddy water, long days of sun with pink sky at night, and gravel roads riddled with potholes. As neighbors help the family rebuild their ramshackle cabin, we learn how all efforts equal number one priority in surviving the harsh winter. Neighbors are kind, life is meager, and fear is ever-present. Backbreaking work is the ticket to a new life.
Winter sets in with daylight receding into the background, a metaphor for Ernt’s dark moods as he struggles with the limitations of their new life. Domestic abuse ensues. Leni finds escape with a young boy in town. Mother and daughter take turns bolstering the other. Plot turns are neatly executed. “The neighbors” “loneliness”, and the “face of Alaska” become major characters. Hearts lift, only to be dashed again.
Painting with words, Kristin Hannah knows how to snatch a reader’s attention. You will be entwined with her story until the last page. Highly recommended.
I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the pre-release copy in exchange for my unbiased review....more
As Bright As Heaven, set in Philadelphia during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918, is a dramatic example of the resilience of the human spirit. HeartenAs Bright As Heaven, set in Philadelphia during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918, is a dramatic example of the resilience of the human spirit. Heartening and dramatic, the book releases February 2018 from Berkley Penguin Random House.
As Bright As Heaven opens with a flash forward scene set in 1918. Pauline Bright stands over the grave where a child has been laid to rest. She falls into reverie about the child’s birth. With that, the story of how she and her husband Thomas came to relocate from a poor tobacco farm to Philadelphia quietly and powerfully reveals itself. The shroud of the Spanish flu epidemic is about to cover the city and the Bright family will be fiercely tested and impacted. Clouds of love and compassion enfold the gravitas of their circumstances.
Meissner excels at her craft. Her writing astounds in prose and plot. The tenacity of the human spirit is a signature of her novels. Written with exquisite prose and articulate historical detail, her prose wafts over the reader, pages clipping by like lightning.
The book brims with unforeseen awakenings in the midst of loss. Narrated by various family members, the tension mounts as each reveal their experiences during the plague and experience emotional epiphanies. Characters are fully realized with distinctive personalities. We become completely absorbed into the lives, losses, and triumphs of the Bright family.
Meissner includes detail on embalming a dead body, an absorbing side trip. See if you can figure out the surprise ending before you read it. Complex in depth with a sweet aftertaste, As Bright As Heaven is highly recommended.
I thank Penguin Random House and Bookish First for the advance reader’s copy....more
The cover of The Essex Serpent attracted me before I knew anything of the book's content. Themes of superstition vs. religion, underwater monsters, scThe cover of The Essex Serpent attracted me before I knew anything of the book's content. Themes of superstition vs. religion, underwater monsters, science, and Victorian era England clinched the deal.
The legendary Essex Serpent has returned. Newly-widowed Cora Seaborne, a naturalist seeks refuge from her grief in Essex. She becomes embroiled in solving a mystery concerning the serpent and death of a young man.
Lyrically written, the novel explores the bleakness of the Blackwater Estuary. The mood is well-established, but the thriller aspect of the fearful monster left me wanting. The story line thinned out as I read. "Who is in love with Cora?" seemed the strongest strut of the story. I loved the picturesque writing, but repeated and overlapping subplots soon cooled my enthusiasm.
I thank LibraryThing and William Morrow Publishing for an advance copy of The Essex Serpent. ...more
In Barcelona, a beautiful amnesiac woman carrying a broken violin case steps in front of a car. After hitting her, the driver, artist Daniel Mermet, tIn Barcelona, a beautiful amnesiac woman carrying a broken violin case steps in front of a car. After hitting her, the driver, artist Daniel Mermet, takes her to a local doctor at the Mediterranean waterfront hotel where he is staying on holiday. Aside from the memory loss, her injuries are minimal. As she and Daniel connect, surprises, lies and suspicions abound. Is it safe to fall in love when you know nothing about a person's past?
Crime thriller in novella form, The Executioner Weeps stuns first with its title. Slow burning at first, the book moves into romance until it takes off as a roller coaster ride. Highly recommended.
I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing the advance copy for my unbiased opinion. ...more
Georgia Tann, who kidnapped and sold children to wealthy families, ran the Tennessee Children’s Home Society in the 1030’s. Lisa Wingate’s book is a sGeorgia Tann, who kidnapped and sold children to wealthy families, ran the Tennessee Children’s Home Society in the 1030’s. Lisa Wingate’s book is a scathing expose of atrocities surrounding the treatment of these children.
The book is written from two points of view. In the historical narrative Rill struggles to protect her younger siblings removed from the family to a home for orphans. Avery represents the contemporary story. While concerned for her grandmother’s loss of memory, she discovers another woman in a nursing home, strongly resembling her grandmother. The connection between these stories plays out later in the story.
Powerful reads like Ms. Wingate’s are often disturbing. Before We Were Yours stirs powerful emotions. The writing is first rate. The struts of the book are the strong characters she creates, based on real stories. Perseverance under oppression, hope, and human resilience are the main themes.
Highly recommended, Before We Were Yours is a heart-wrenching novel that held my attention from the first page to the last.
I thank NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my unbiased review....more
A refreshing change from so many books set in WWII, The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, is uplifting and at times humorous. The Vicar has declared that since A refreshing change from so many books set in WWII, The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, is uplifting and at times humorous. The Vicar has declared that since all the male voices are fighting in the war, the village choir will no longer rehearse. The ladies take this up as a challenge and, headed by a music teacher, put together their own choir. The choir takes back stage, however, to the events of the womens' lives. Written as diaries and letters, the book explores issues of death, war, giving birth, and hiding Jews. The star for me is the conniving midwife. Thank you, Library Thing for the early Reviewers copy....more
Michael Hodge is a single parent trying to raise his autistic son, Jamie. His estranged wife, Anita, returns after leaving them both ten years ago. MiMichael Hodge is a single parent trying to raise his autistic son, Jamie. His estranged wife, Anita, returns after leaving them both ten years ago. Michael has enough to contend with. What does she want from them? Why did she abandon them? Does he still have feeling for her? What would her reemergence into their lives do to their son, Jamie? As the title suggests, his navigation through these questions form the struts for the book.
As the story unfolds, we are drawn to Michael, formerly a famous surfer now turned struggling contractor, whose main focus is his son. Penelope, Michael's mother, who assists in Jamie's care, presents additional challenges for him. Interspersed with the story are sea faring navigational subjects, reflecting any current crisis Michael faces. The deep emotional aspects of this character-driven novel will pull your puppet strings. Sympathy and understanding of special-needs individuals shine. Themes of family dynamics, priorities, protection of children are explored. Filled with warmth and love, the novel is bittersweet and satisfying.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance review copy. ...more
I am dazzled by the writing and the Count's character. Although only on p. 151, I can tell this will be one of my best reads for the year. Chuckles, sI am dazzled by the writing and the Count's character. Although only on p. 151, I can tell this will be one of my best reads for the year. Chuckles, smiles, and recollections of portions read happily fill this reader's mind....more
In her amnesiac thriller, Shalini Bolland introduces us to the confusion of a solitary woman washed up the shore. Percussive short sentences indicate In her amnesiac thriller, Shalini Bolland introduces us to the confusion of a solitary woman washed up the shore. Percussive short sentences indicate the woman’s state of mind. The author segues into the sights, sounds, and smells of the hospital as our heroine is brought into the Emergency Department.
Reassured by Dr. Lazowski that her amnesia is temporary, our victim obsesses because she can't even remember her name, much less how she came to be lying on the beach, water washing over her. Well-intentioned doctors, nurses and detectives press her for any memory that might surface. "Retrograde amnesia". The use of the term strikes her panic button.
• Where are you from? • Were you out running? • Do you have any identifying marks on your body? • Can you remember names of people you may know?
“I don’t know” is her resounding response. A look in the mirror confirms her fears. She has no idea who she is.
Someone reports that "Mia James" is missing. Could that be her name? We immediately mistrust Mia's boyfriend and family. Upon meeting her mother, she discovers that old photos of her are "in storage." Piers, her boyfriend, whom she does not remember, fills her in on a huge inheritance she received from her father, and a real estate business that she and Piers own together. Mia meets all new information with mixed emotions. Who can she trust?
This contemporary mystery proceeds at a fast clip, fueling my inability to put the book down. The first person narrative is peppered with short paragraphs we assume to be memories, but even these are hazy. The emotional acceleration is propulsive until the middle of the book. Lies, blackmail, secrets, accusations, mistrust weave through The Girl from the Sea, but the book’s momentum slows to the point where the thrill of the thriller is stalled. A good read for those not needing consistently compelling reading.
I thank NetGalley and Adrenalin Books for supplying an ARC for my unbiased review. ...more
What happens to us when we hang on to the past, no matter how forlorn it makes our current life? Bonnie Nadzam's book examines the perplexities faced What happens to us when we hang on to the past, no matter how forlorn it makes our current life? Bonnie Nadzam's book examines the perplexities faced by the inhabitants of a former thriving small town in Colorado. After it's beet factory closes, a few residents dig in their heals and remain. To keep the town alive, they call Lions a ghost town with the hope of attracting tourists.
The people are enigmatic, the writing so evocative that you will feel yourself sitting in the diner with the regulars. Although pensive and somber, the book kept my interest. Many loose ends left me wondering the fate of some characters I spent time trying to understand.
I thank Netgalley for the review copy and my friend, Diane S., for the book recommendation....more
Great fascination filled me as opened the pages of a story of the lost colony of Roanoke. Very littleI thank Pegasus Publishing for sending me an ARC.
Great fascination filled me as opened the pages of a story of the lost colony of Roanoke. Very little is known about these intrepid people and their fate. What a wonderful opportunity to create a fictional story. I really wanted to love this book.
The book is formatted as a journal by a widow, Emmie, young, beautiful, and well-endowed. Tell us more about her character, you may say. My thoughts matched those as I read. The story was lean on substance, although events like Govenor John White's return to Englad appear to be accurately described. The author emphasized Emmie's fate/choice to be promiscuous. The salacious scenes are not graphically described, but I grew weary of them and felt they detracted from the book. I wanted the author to dig into Emmie's motivations and emotions without constant reminders of her ample bosom. ...more
Glory over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House, stand-alone sequel to Kathleen Grissom’s grassroots best-selling novel, The Kitchen House, glued thisGlory over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House, stand-alone sequel to Kathleen Grissom’s grassroots best-selling novel, The Kitchen House, glued this reader to the page. The story revolves around blacks, those passing as whites, and slavery both in Philadelphia and North Carolina, mid 1800s. With each meticulously written word, heartbreaking tragedy and enduring courage pulsate through the plot. Compulsive and propulsive until the last page, Glory Over Everything rewards the reader with period detail, edge-of-your-seat danger, and profoundly human characters.
Jamie Pyke, passing as James Burton, was a minor figure in The Kitchen House. He is now a white aristocrat artist living in the upper echelon in early nineteenth century Philadelphia. He constantly attends to societal details, even fresh manicures, as he graces ballrooms and is attended to by house servants. Despite his sophistication, he fears his security in the white elite is tenuous.
Multiple first person narratives inform us of James’ back-story and lives of minor characters, some who were introduced in The Kitchen House. Jamie totters on danger if his true identity is discovered. After incriminating evidence is revealed, life as he knows it ceases. He chooses a virtuous path, returning to the south to rescue Pan, the son of his old friend, Henry.
Tension builds in this historical thriller. We expect the brutality of the slaves to take center stage, but kindness trumps evil in the story. The bravery, sacrifice, and courage of the slaves are impressively aligned with the compassion and humanity of those who help them. The fine line walked by mulatto people living during the time of slavery is brilliantly painted. What happens to Pan in the future is an open door for Ms. Grissom to walk through in what may become her next novel. We shall see. Highly recommended.
I thank the author and Simon and Schuster for an advance reader's edition for my unbiased review. ...more
Two words describe Ellen Feldman’s historical fiction novel about Margaret Sanger: Relevant and controversial. Margaret Sanger fought a fight for the Two words describe Ellen Feldman’s historical fiction novel about Margaret Sanger: Relevant and controversial. Margaret Sanger fought a fight for the good of downtrodden women, all the while leading a personal life open to question.
It is well known that American women had few rights in 1900. Because of social convention, fears of pregnancy hovered over them like dark clouds. Margaret Sanger, intent on improving her own position in society, and mourning the state of her own mother (who gave birth to thirteen children paying for it with her health), eventually devoted herself to the cause of legalizing contraception. Eager to bettering lives of women faced with unwanted pregnancies, abortion, and shame, she played a pivotal role in legalizing birth control for women. Her mission: To give women of all economic levels access to birth control in the United States. This trailblazer was accused of muddying the waters and met opposition by:
• Imprisonment • Court cases • Exile to England • Journalistic censure
In Sanger’s voice, Feldman addresses the common criticisms leveled against the feminist and mother of the birth control movement. She focuses a lens on Margaret Sanger’s enigmatic personal life. Sanger, one of thirteen siblings, mourned her mother’s premature death. The daughter of an alcoholic father, she married with trepidation. A trained nurse, she suffered from tuberculosis. Frightened of the responsibility, Sanger became a wife and mother. She broke sexual taboos and struggled with family responsibility. She triumphed in the establishment of Planned Parenthood, but sacrificed her family. Her life ended in heartbreak and isolation.
Historically accurate, the book hinges on a first person narrative by Sanger, which downplays the events surrounding the birth control movement in favor of her own personal agenda. Pocket narratives by her children and husbands fill in detail. If the reader can move past Sanger’s self-focused aggrandizement, he will cheer, chide and salute the strides made for the female sex. On the cusp of Planned Parenthood’s centennial in October 2016, Miss Feldman successfully navigates the controversy over the pioneer who sacrificed personally for the good of all women.
The title stems from a Margaret Sanger quote from 1914:
“It is only rebel woman, when she gets out of the habits imposed on her by bourgeois convention, who can do some deed of terrible virtue.”
I thank Harper Collins for the advance readers copy....more
London 1923. Dolly Lane dreams of acting on the stage. Loretta May is worried her performing days are over. The lives of these two women coalesce in tLondon 1923. Dolly Lane dreams of acting on the stage. Loretta May is worried her performing days are over. The lives of these two women coalesce in this study of women surviving in a male-dominated world. Narrated in three points of view, Dolly, Loretta, and Teddy (Dolly’s lost love) the novel reflects on the Great War, 1920s culture, and the glamour/drudgery of being a performer. I felt the letters added a great deal to the book. Strong female characters. Nicely done, Ms. Gaynor. Thank you to LibraryThing for my advance reader’s copy....more
Eminent domain affects a family living in Miller's Valley for decades. A tender, beautifully rendered story thanks to Anna Quindlen's sensitive writinEminent domain affects a family living in Miller's Valley for decades. A tender, beautifully rendered story thanks to Anna Quindlen's sensitive writing. Mimi, the main female character, narrates her srurggles, loves, quirks, and lovingly tells family stories. A remarkable peek into growing up in the 1960s. I enjoyed every page of this novel. I thank NetGalley for a copy for my unbiased review....more
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