The Prisoner's Wife by Maggie Brookes

 "War had ripped across Europe for five years--a great tornado, scattering families, tearing millions of people from their loved ones forever. But sometimes, just sometimes, it threw them together. Like with me and Bill. A Czech farm girl and a London boy who would never have met, hurled into each other's path. And we reached out, caught hold and gripped each other tight."

 It is 1944. Bill is a British POW assigned to work on her family's farm when Izzy first meets him. He teaches her English; she arranges for a priest to marry them. Then they run, hoping to reach the Czech partisans. Nazi soldiers find them first. With Izzy dressed as a boy and supposedly mute from shellshock, she and Bill manage to convince the Germans they are both British soldiers. Together they endure the hardships of a POW camp, managing to keep Izzy's true identity from everyone but a few close friends. Their story is one of love and survival...and it's inspired by true events.

"Bill's stomach churns with dread and misery; Lamsdorf is the last place in the world he wants to be with Izzy. ... He doesn't let himself think about what they'll do when they discover her, as he's certain they will. It's only a matter of time. Being discovered in Lamsdorf could be even more dangerous for Izzy than having been left at home for the Russians, and he's filled with anguish....he knows without any doubt that he would die to save her."

I liked this one! It's compelling and full of heart. Izzy's and Bill's situation brings out both the best and worst in the men around them. Once I started, I couldn't put this one down. It's very readable. And I appreciated all of Brookes' research, and the way she grounded their impetuous romance in historical detail. And I liked that their story is based on something that actually happened. It made it an even more powerful novel. I gave it 4 stars.

Happy Reading!

 

Murder at the Serpentine Bridge by Andrea Penrose

 

The plot:  It's June 1814. Napoleon has just been exiled and London is preparing for a grand Peace Celebration. The Earl of Wrexford is out for an evening walk in Hyde Park with his two young wards, Raven and Hawk, and his dog when they stumble upon a body. The murdered man turns out to be Jeremiah Willis, an engineering genius. He was working on a new kind of weapon that could revolutionize war, but his plans and prototype have gone missing. The government enlists Wrexford's help in finding them. His wife Charlotte, who is also the satirical and talented artist A.J. Quill, is more interested in bringing Willis's murderer to justice. Especially when Raven and Hawk befriend Jeremiah's young nephew, Peregrine. Their investigation uncovers conspiracies, intrigue, lies, and more murder. 

My thoughts:  This is an entertaining mystery series. I've read all six books and enjoyed every one. And while I always find the history and their murder investigations interesting, it's the characters that I really love. Charlotte accused Wrexford of murder in the first book; I loved how these two went from reluctant allies, to hesitant friends, to valued partners. They're newlyweds in this book. I also love Raven and hawk. They're the two orphan street rats who are now part of Wrexford's and Charlotte's family, and part of every investigation. Their street smarts, loyalty and youthful exuberance make them truly appealing characters. And they definitely added to the fun in this new mystery. 

Happy Reading!

Other books in this series that I've reviewed:

Murder on Black Swan Lane (#1)

Murder at Half Moon Gate (#2)

Murder at Kensington Palace (#3)

Murder at Queen's Landing (#4)

A Knife in the Fog by Bradley Harper

 

From the blurb:  "Physician Arthur Conan Doyle is invited to take a break from his practice to assist London police in tracking down Jack the Ripper. Doyle agrees, with the stipulation his old professor of surgery, Dr. Joseph Bell––Doyle’s inspiration for Sherlock Holmes––agrees to work with him. Soon the two are joined by Margaret Harkness, an author who knows how to use a Derringer as well as she knows the dank alleys and courtyards of the East End where she resides. Pursuing leads through London and Whitechapel becomes infinitely more dangerous for the trio when the hunters become the hunted in this adventurous debut novel and series starter."

My thoughts:  I've always been drawn to novels about Jack the Ripper, and this one is exceptional. I loved the voice Harper creates for Arthur Conan Doyle as he narrates his adventures on the streets of Whitechapel with Professor Bell and Margaret Harkness. Margaret is an equally great character: independent, capable, and fierce. (And apparently a real person, too.) I enjoyed how the author weaves these historical figures into the infamous murder investigation of Jack the Ripper and his victims. This novel is atmospheric and well-plotted. Harper's attention to historical detail really brings London's East End to life. His writing is amazing, and this novel is suspenseful, unexpected, riveting and fun. For me, this was a 5-star read. 

Happy Reading!

One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus

 

This is a historical fiction novel set in the American West in the 1870s. It is the story of May Dodd, a well-bred young lady who agrees to become one of a thousand Cheyenne brides in order to escape the asylum where her father placed her when she fell in love with an unsuitable man. 

"But now that we have actually embarked upon this journey, our future is so uncertain, and so unknown, it is impossible not to have misgivings. How ironic that in order to escape the lunatic asylum I have had to embark upon the most insane undertaking of my life."

"I am rather accustomed to doing the unconventional, the unpopular... Frankly, from the way I have been treated by the so-called 'civilized' people in my life, I rather look forward to residency among the savages."

"As I look around the circle of this tipi, even the chokingly close walls of my old room at the asylum suddenly seem in memory to be somehow comforting, familiar...a square, solid room with four walls... but, no, these thoughts I banish. I live in a new world, on a new earth, among new people. Courage!"

Jim Fergus does an excellent job of immersing the reader in the past, detailing that time period, and the Cheyenne people and their way of life, and their continuing conflict with the American government despite their white wives. But it's the women who are at the heart of this novel. It's told through the journals and letters of May Dodd, a very independent and memorable character. My one complaint is that sometimes her letters overlap with her journal entries and end up repeating the same information. But that's a small thing. Overall, this book is both a compelling and very heartbreaking read. I'm grateful to Sam at Book Chase who first introduced me to Fergus's trilogy. 

Happy Reading!

Similar read:

Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson (which is based on the true story of Cynthia Ann Parker and her life with the Comanche)

 

 

A little bookish escapism....

Sometimes I just want to read a book that's lighthearted and fun, with some romance, a little adventure, and a happy ending. A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott definitely fills that bill. It's set in 1871 and centers around two very engaging characters. Young, serious and handsome Capt. Ben Coleridge is leading an Army survey of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. He's also looking for his father who went missing on a previous scouting expedition. Then there's Meg Pero who is determined to take her late father's place as the survey's photographer. She's determined, and spunky, and loves capturing the wonders of nature on her photographic plates.

Ben and Meg have a history and their relationship is at the heart of this novel. But there's also a mystery to solve, and it's not just the question of what happened to Colonel Coleridge. Someone is following...and sabotaging the expedition. Is it one of the other members of their team? Or someone else? And why do they want the survey to fail?

I enjoyed this one. The Old West setting is always a favorite of mine. I thought the two main characters were believable and well-matched, if a little predictable. There were some very likable secondary characters, and all of Scott's historical details, especially when it came to Meg's photography, gave the novel some nice authenticity. All in all, A Distance Too Grand is an entertaining and sweet romance. And just what I needed right now.

Happy Reading!

Queen me!

The Queen's Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile

by C.W. Gortner

"I had read enough of our history to know that if female succession was not forbidden in Castile as it was in Aragon, no one actually believed a woman capable of ruling. The few who succeeded had encountered relentless opposition, sacrificing everything to retain their tenuous power. In the end, none had lived a happy life; all had paid a price for the right to call themselves queen. Was this what God required of me?"

What I quickly discovered while reading this book is how little I know about Spain's colorful history. And all I really knew about Isabella of Castile is that she was the queen who supported Christopher Columbus's journey to America. But she was so much more than that.

Her early life was not easy; her mother was high strung and often suicidal. At thirteen, Isabella had to learn to navigate the intrigues of the Castilian court all while her beloved younger brother, Alfonso, challenged her older half-brother, Enrique, for the crown. Then, at sixteen, when she was declared the official heir to her brother's crown, she had to stand up against the many powerful men around her who wanted to decide her future for her. She refused to give in to them, and somehow even got the king to agree that she could choose for herself whom she would marry.

She chose her cousin, Ferdinand of Aragon. They had five children. And together they united their two realms and drove the Moors from Spain. Isabella valued education and made sure her four daughters were as well-taught as her son. Sadly, she also allowed Torquemada to carry out the Spanish Inquisition. Throughout her life, Isabella drew on her faith in God for guidance and strength. For her, duty to God and to Castile were paramount.

This novel is a fascinating account of Isabella's life; it's well-researched and well-written. I love it when historical fiction is both engaging and informative. And Isabella is such a complex character; Gortner does an excellent job of showing her courage and tenacity, her mistakes and imperfections, and the many struggles she endured over the course of her life. Not only did I enjoy reading this one, but I learned a lot, too.

Happy Reading!

Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland

"He felt hot with the pressure to get started, and to make it the greatest figure painting of the whole Impressionist movement. ... Figures, landscape, genre subject--all in one. Throw in a still life too. Not just a few figures. A dozen or more, at closer range this time. ... He would use a combination of styles. It would be an experiment. The faces modeled with more classical techniques, one hue blending seamlessly into another, but the landscape and still life in looser, distinct strokes. Every figure, every feature a small painting in and of itself."

This book has so many things in it that I love: Paris, sailing on the Seine, Sunday afternoons on the Ile de Chatou, great art, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and the Impressionists. With her skillful storytelling, Susan Vreeland transports the reader to Paris in the 1880s, capturing the brilliance and struggle of Renoir (one of my favorite Impressionist painters) and depicting the conception and creation of his most famous painting. She really brings Renoir and his friends (who posed for him in this painting) to life. And the way she recreates that time period...it felt like I was there. This is a great read--well-written and interesting. And I loved everything about it! I can't wait to read Vreeland's other books.

Happy Reading!

Luncheon of the Boating Party -- Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1881

Woman 99 by Greer Macallister

A Gilded Age historical fiction novel

First line:  "Goldengrove devoured my sister every time I closed my eyes."

When Charlotte's parents have her older sister, Phoebe, committed to Goldengrove Asylum, Charlotte decides to channel her inner Nellie Bly and get committed to the asylum herself in order to rescue her sister. Only she doesn't tell anyone her plans. And it only dawns on her once she's locked up in the asylum as just another anonymous indigent 'madwoman' that it might not be so easy to find Phoebe, or to get back out.

"I'd planned to find Phoebe, then inform the doctors that we were both sane, there had been a mistake, and we were leaving....I would save my sister the way she had saved me. But I could see now that what I'd imagined was only one of many, many possibilities and far from the likeliest one. Like Nellie Bly, I'd found it relatively simple to get in; how hard would it prove, I now wondered, to get out?"

I didn't like this one as much as I thought I would when I first started reading it. Probably because I found Charlotte's voice, as well as many of her actions, frustrating. She never would have succeeded in her quest to rescue her sister without the help of the other women in the asylum. I mean, who decides to get herself thrown in an asylum without a good plan of how to get back out? But maybe Macallister's main point was to show how unfairly women were treated back then, and how easy it was for the men around them to deem them mad and have them locked away for the rest of their lives. She certainly does an excellent job of portraying life in the asylum! Charlotte's personal life, and romantic drama, were less interesting to me. And I thought it all wrapped up a bit too neatly at the end. But the things that bugged me about this one might not bug you. And there were things I liked about it. So if you're interested in this time period, or in the stories of the women who were put in these asylums, definitely give it a try.

Happy Reading! 

A bookish adventure...

It's 1814. Napolean has just been exiled to Elba and 16-year-old Georgiana Fitzwilliam is facing her own exile to Stranje House. Which really isn't fair. She didn't mean to burn down her father's stables; she was only trying to formulate some invisible ink when things got a little bit out of hand. And now, for her crime of having a scientific and curious mind, she's being sent away to Emma Stranje's School for Unusual Girls. But Stranje House is much more than a reform/finishing school for unmarriageable young ladies. And Georgie is about to embark on her most exciting adventure yet.

"One thing I knew for certain. My life would never be the same. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. I glimpsed something, something shimmering with possibilities. Maybe, just maybe, Stranje House would be a way out of the tight-lidded box into which I'd been born."

There's A LOT to like about Kathleen Baldwin's A School for Unusual Girls. It's entertaining, and unexpected, and full of humor and romance. All the girls at Stranje House are exceptional in very unconventional ways:  from picking locks, to training rats, to making Holmesian deductions, to dissembling with a curtsy and a smile. I liked all five girls, especially Georgie and Tess. And I enjoyed all the secrets and spies, too. Stranje House is the place to be if you're looking for some fun and adventure. I can't wait to read the next installment in this YA series.

Happy Reading!

  

(P.S. Happy PI Day!) 

A chilling read...

For our first buddy read of the year, Melody and I chose to read The Hunger. In this novel, Alma Katsu relates the haunting history of the Donner Party but with a supernatural twist. She also explores the evil that lies within men ... and without. All of her characters, from Tamsen Donner, to James Reed, to Charles Stanton, carry their own dark secrets. But there's another kind of darkness stalking them along the trail. One that hungers. And kills. And as they near Lake Truckee high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, that awful darkness closes in on them.

"...evil was only an arm's length away, waiting to swoop down on them, whether animal or spirit--or man."

There's a lot to like about this novel: Katsu's compelling prose, her attention to historic detail, the authentic voices of her various characters, and her quiet building of suspense. Then there's the tension and horror she creates as the party gets trapped and the number of deaths starts to mount. I really liked the combination of historical fiction and horror in this novel. The one flaw for me was that I felt Katsu tried to juggle too many characters. Some of her characters showed up once at the beginning only to then disappear for the rest of the book except for one brief mention at the end; and a few other times, a character wouldn't be mentioned for several chapters in a row and then they'd suddenly show up again in the narrative. It was a little jarring. But all in all, The Hunger is an atmospheric and gripping novel, and I liked it a lot. And did I mention that I really appreciated the lyrical way Katsu writes? Here's just one example:

"The children were turning into strange, stalking insects, all eyes and spikes and desperate twitches. Stanton, in comparison, looked like a man in color among a wash of wraiths."

Reading this book with Melody made it even more fun. She always has such good insights and comments. And she asks some great questions, too. Here they are, along with my answers. And be sure to check out her excellent review. 

Happy Reading!

Melody's questions:

Q. Many of these characters become unlikable as the story progresses. However, there are still one or two characters whom we sympathized with. Who do you think is the most pathetic?

A. I think all of my sympathies were with some of the younger characters like Elitha Donner and Mary Graves, who had no choice or voice in any of the decisions that were made concerning the Donner Party, but who then had to live with the tragic consequences of those choices. I also sympathized with the young Paiute guide, Thomas, who also got caught up in something he didn't choose or deserve. I had a lot of sympathy for Charles Stanton, too. Of the many adults in this book, he was by far the most likable. 

Q. What mistakes do you think the Donner Party made that can account for the tragedy? You may choose to answer this question based from the true event or the fiction aspect of the story.

A. Where do I begin with this one? So many mistakes were made! Starting too late. Loading their wagons with unnecessary weight. Not heeding the advice of others who told them to turn back or take another route. And not traveling faster. Fighting among themselves. It's like a domino effect how all these seemingly small decisions led to one large and unforgettable disaster. 

Thanks, Melody!

Haiku Reviews...

Caroline: Little House, Revisited by Sarah Miller

The journey, prairie,

log home, Pa, Mary and Laura--

all through Caroline's eyes.

(Historical Fiction .... 363 pages .... 4.5/5 stars. 

Check out Nadia's review for more.)

Slashback (Cal Leandros #8) by Rob Thurman

An Ancient evil

has come hunting; Nik and Cal

must stop it....or die trying.

(An urban fantasy novel with my two favorite brothers and lots of mayhem and monsters .... 337 pages .... 4/5 stars)

Hidden (Alex Verus #5) by Benedict Jacka

When a fellow mage

goes missing, it's Alex & Co.

to the rescue. Again.

(Urban fantasy .... 298 pages .... 4.5/5 stars .... I love this series!)

Happy Reading!

A little bookish fun...

Title:  Whispers Beyond the Veil
Author:  Jessica Estevao
Genre:  Historical fiction/mystery
Setting:  Old Orchard Beach, Maine, 1898
Main Character:  Ruby Proulx

5 Things to know about Ruby Proulx:  

• She was raised by her father and grew up traveling the medicine show circuit with him, helping to sell his "miracle" elixir to the needy and gullible.
• On the side, she tells fortunes using her dead mother's Tarot cards.
• She knows how to read people and can lie without batting an eye, but she has a good heart.
• When her father's latest get-rich scheme ends up killing a man, Ruby runs to Hotel Belden in Old Orchard Beach, which is owned by her Aunt Honoria whom she's never met.
• In order to help save her Aunt's hotel--which caters to the Spiritualist crowd--she pretends to be a medium who can speak to the dead even though her only psychic ability is the voice she occasionally hears advising her what to do (because it turns out, Ruby is clairaudient just like her mother was).

My thoughts:  This is a fun read. I like this time period. And Ruby is a great character, as are the other people she meets at the hotel, like Mrs. Doyle, the stern housekeeper who knows when someone is lying to her, and the two elderly Velmont sisters who are hoping to contact their dead father through Ruby. Then there's Officer Yancey who is investigating the recent murders at the hotel and who suspects that Ruby is somehow involved. Even though she's not. And while this isn't the most tightly woven mystery I've ever read, the few flaws and loose ends here and there didn't stop me from enjoying it. In fact, I liked it enough to have already put the next book in this series on hold at the library. 

Happy Reading!

Queen's Gambit

 "The Parrs are on the rise thanks to you."

The thought of it is like a nail hammered into her. But it is not Will's fault the King has set his eye on her. Neither is it his fault that he wants the Parrs to go up in the world; he was bred for that, they all were. Every last noble swaggering about this court is gazing at the stars.

...The King will take her for a wife and she will not have any choice in the matter. All these men--the King, her brother, Hertford--have sealed her fate. She is no more free than she was as a girl ... There is no escaping .... It is a whore's job, this business of being a woman.

I've always been intrigued by the Tudors and the many wives of Henry VIII. This historical fiction novel tells the story of his sixth wife, Katherine Parr, the one who survived him. It begins with the death of her second husband and goes through her marriage to Henry VIII, his death and her own last chance at a happily ever after with her secret marriage to Thomas Seymour. It details the intrigues of the Tudor court and what life was like in the 1500s, and paints a picture of just how strong and resilient the real Katherine must have been. I'm no historian, so I don't know how accurate Elizabeth Fremantle's version of Katherine Parr's life is, but I felt like she took a few liberties with the facts. Still, I found this novel to be both interesting and readable. I only wish that Katherine Parr had had a happier ending. The next book about the Tudor queens I want to read is Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen by Alison Weir. Check out Helen's review of this book and you'll see why.

Happy Reading!

From the H Shelf...

Author:  Jody Hedlund

Title:  With You Always

It's 1857. With both her parents dead, 19-year-old Elise Neumann is now the sole provider for herself and her younger siblings. But work for a woman in New York City is hard to find. She finds a position as a seamstress, but when New York's economy falters she loses that job and can't find another. Desperate, she heads West to the growing town of Quincy, Illinois, with only the promise of a job and the hope of building a new life for her family. And even though life in Quincy is not everything that was promised, Elise is not one to give up. 

Then there's Thornton Quincy. He and his twin brother have been issued a challenge by their dying (and very rich) father:  "First, each son must build a sustainable town along the Illinois Central Railroad. And second, each son must get married to a woman he loves. Whoever succeeds in doing both by the end of six months wins the challenge and becomes owner of Quincy Enterprises." Thornton is determined to win and prove to his father that he's as good as his brother. But then he meets Elise, and all his plans start to change.

This book has both humor and heart. Hedlund's prose is very readable and I loved the historical setting. And the two main characters have depth and personality that make them both easy to root for, and to like. Yes, this story is completely predictable. But it's also an entertaining and fun read with a satisfying happily ever after ending. I ended up liking it a lot.

Happy Reading!

Egypt in Fiction

The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips

I read this book years ago and I still smile every time I think about it.  Written through a series of journal entries and letters, this odd and quirky epistolary novel is set in Egypt in the 1920s. It centers around a young archaeologist who is determined to find the lost tomb of Atum-hadu and prove his love for Margaret, the girl he left behind in Boston, even if he has to create the tomb himself. This novel is inventive, unexpected, darkly funny, and utterly unforgettable.

King and Goddess by Judith Tarr

Born the daughter of Tuthmosis I, then married to Tuthmosis II, Hatshepsut lived a truly interesting life. When her husband died, she was declared regent for her young stepson, Tuthmosis III. Instead, she claimed the crown, declared herself king and Pharoah, and ruled the land of Egypt for twenty years. Not only does this book tell the amazing story of an amazing woman, it also gives you the flavor of life in Ancient Egypt. I loved it. Tarr's writing is historical fiction at its best.

Other awesome Egyptian reads:

Chronicle of a Last Summer by Yasmine El Rashidi

The Amelia Peabody Series by Elizabeth Peters

Happy Reading!

A bookish journey to Budapest...

Title: Katalin Street
Author:  Magda Szabo
Summary:  In prewar Budapest, the Elekes, Held and Biro families live side by side on gracious Katalin Street, their lives closely intertwined, their four children inseparable. Then, in 1944, during the German occupation, all their hopes and dreams for the future are shattered. Lives are lost. And those who survive are forever changed. They are haunted, not only by their own guilt and sorrow, but by their longing to return to their former lives on Katalin Street.

Adjectives that describe this novel:  introspective, poignant, and bleak

Favorite quotes from Katalin Street:

There were several ornaments and objects from her former home too, but none of them conjured up the magic he had been hoping for. Iren's new abode had turned out to be nothing like the one in Katalin Street, and even here he was haunted by the sense of being somewhere else. The marriage to Iren had showed him that she yearned and pined for Katalin Street just as much as he did, that she had not found it, and neither had her parents, who were locked in the same hopeless quest to recover it ... This tyranny of somewhere else was a cruel one. It stopped Balint from seeing both the reality that existed and what he would have liked that reality to be.

The people who were with me on that day were imprinted on my memory--some of them permanently, some for many years afterward--exactly as they were at the time...

It was the first time in my life that I had an inkling that the dead are not dead but continue living in this world, in one form or another, indestructibly...

It is not only facts that are irreversible, our past reactions and feelings are too. One can neither relive them not alter them.

This isn't exactly a happy read, but it is an interesting and thoughtful one. (It's also not very long.) I  like reading about Europe, and World War II, and the time period following it during the Soviet occupation; I think it's important for all of us to know and remember what those times were like for the people who had to endure them. So even though this novel is a little depressing and sad...

Happy Reading!

Last Christmas in Paris...

My dear Tom,
    ...How strange that we have known each other for so many years and know so many little things about each other, and yet only in these past months, since writing to you, do I feel that I've really begun to know you at all. Letters make one uncommonly honest, don't you think? I've told you things in words that I would have been far too shy or distracted to tell you in person. I wonder if I will have anything to say to you at all when we see each other in the flesh again. Will it be soon? ...
With much love,
Evie

I love epistolary novels! This one is set during World War! Evie's and Tom's exchange of letters tell the story of the war--both on the front lines and back home in England.  It's also a story of friendship, courage, death and loss, endurance, and love. I wish people still wrote letters like this! It's such a great novel. I loved it as much as The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And I was sad when it ended. Everyone needs to read this book! You'll be glad you did.

(Oh, and I have to thank Nadia for recommending this book. It was her rave review that made me put this book on hold at the library in the first place.) 

Happy Reading!

We Hear the Dead...

Maggie:  I began the deception when I was too young to know right from wrong. No one suspected us of any trick, because we were such young children. We were led on by my sister purposely and by my mother unintentionally. Only with the passing of time did I come to understand the consequences of my actions.

Kate:  Maggie has a different understanding of all the events that have happened since that night in Hydesville long ago. To her the spirits were always a game. For my sister Leah they were a means to an end. For my mother, a miracle. And for me they were my life's calling. I have no regrets.

So begins Dianne K. Salerni's fictionalized account of the Fox sisters and the Spiritualist movement they spawned with their spirit rappings and messages from the dead. It was in a small house in Hydesville, New York, where these first ghostly encounters happened, but Maggie's and Kate's notoriety quickly spread. Their older sister Leah soon had them performing to much wider audiences, traveling from New York to Philadelphia and back. It seemed nearly everyone at that time was interested in the afterlife and in communicating with the dead. So much so some were even willing to pay for the privilege.

This is such an interesting time period in American history and Salerni does a good job of portraying the Fox sisters and relating the facts of their stories.  But I have to say, this one was a bit of a slog for me. Maggie is the main narrator, but it's like she's relating things that happened to her in the past. And maybe that's why this novel lost some of its immediacy. I actually preferred Kate's chapters, but they were few and far between.  It's not a bad read. And I did learn a lot about the Fox sisters and their lives that I didn't know before. Another bonus? This is one of the books that I chose to read for Lark's 2017 Backlist Reader Challenge because it's been on my TBR list for years. So, despite it being a a slow read, I managed to finish it! I just wish it had been a little more compelling...or 100 pages shorter.

Happy Reading!

P.S. I did really enjoy Salerni's other novel, The Caged Graves, which is more of a gothic mystery and would be a perfect October read. 

A bookish melody...

The book:  The Ballroom by Anna Hope
The setting:  Sharston Asylum, England, 1911
The main characters: 

     1. Ella Fay, a mill girl, newly arrived

"Was she mad, then, for breaking a window? Mad for kicking and biting those men? Was that all it took? ... She felt a power in her then. The same feeling she'd had in the mill, but now it took root, lifting her spine. It was dark, she was alone, but her blood was beating; she was alive. She would study it, this place, this asylum. Hide inside herself. She would seem to be good. And then she would escape. Properly, this time. A way they wouldn't expect. And she would never go back."

     2. John Mulligan, Irish, one of Sharston's "chronic" patients

"(John) did not want to sleep. Knew what was waiting for him there:  a woman and a child. Dan's stories did not frighten him; neither did Brandt and his threats. It was what was inside him that did .... he thought of where he was. And how long he had been there. And what was simple broke apart and became a shattered, sharded thing."

     3. Dr. Charles Fuller, a young doctor and musician

"Charles was content. He had escaped his family. Wrested the rudder of his life from his father's hands. And now here he was, five years later, first assistant medical officer, with a salary of five pounds a week, and a newly appointed bandmaster and head of music. It had been his first action in his new post to institute a program of pianism in the day rooms:  an hour a week in each, carried out by himself. He believed he was already seeing a positive effect among the patients. He had great plans for the orchestra, too; under his care he was determined to see the ballroom thrill and live as never before."

The verdict:  This is a book that should be savored, not merely read. Anna Hope's writing is magical, and I love the way she lets Ella's and John's story slowly unfold over the course of this novel. Their relationship is sweet and poignant, especially considering they're locked up in an asylum for lunatics, (although they both seemed sane to me). Besides examining human nature at close range, this book also delves into the disturbing idea of eugenics which seemed to be a popular scientific theory in 1911. The Ballroom also chronicles how those deemed mad were treated a hundred years ago. I found all the various aspects of this well-written novel entirely absorbing:  I rooted for the characters, took umbrage at their treatment, and hoped for a happy ending for all. If I were rating this book on Goodreads, I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars. It's not exactly a light-hearted happy-go-lucky novel, but it is a compelling and moving one. And I'm very glad that I read it...and that I got to read it with Bettina.. Be sure to visit her blog and check out her awesome review. Then go check out this book.

Happy Reading!

The Cherry Harvest by Lucy Sanna

The Main Ingredients:
        * Summertime, 1944, in Door County, Wisconsin
        * a cherry orchard in need of laborers
        * German prisoners of war
        * the Christiansen family:  parents Thomas and Charlotte, their teen-age daughter, Kate, who wants to be a writer, and Ben, their son, who's fighting overseas in Italy
        * a lighthouse
        * a murder
        * lies and secrets
        * love and romance

My thoughts:

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was the historical setting that first drew me to this novel, and spunky Kate--with her love of books and her desire to go to college--that kept me reading. (I liked her dad, too.) I had a much harder time sympathizing with, or even liking, her mother, Charlotte. What I enjoyed most was reading about Kate's adventures and newfound romance, but the book focused more on Charlotte and the family's struggles to keep their cherry orchard going and somehow survive the hard times at home caused by the War. Then, towards the end, the story takes a much darker turn than I was expecting. So I didn't end up loving this one, though I do think it's a pretty good historical fiction read, and certainly a memorable one.

Happy Reading!