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Maddy, her small tribe and Root, the dog don't consider themselves homeless. They live in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco following a set schedule, keeping under the radar and living life on their terms. Life is ok until the day that Root takes off leading Maddy to the body of a young guy in the bushes. Most of the people in the park take little notice of Shane's murder but Maddy ends up a witness and gets unwanted attention from Shane's distraught parents. As much as she wants to do things her own way she ends up getting pulled deeper and deeper into Shane's demise and helping the grieving parents understand. This powerful, non-judgmental look at the young homeless population shows a group that is sometimes trapped by their non conformance to society as well as running from an even worse situation at home. They are family, they are community and they try to take care of each other any way they can. After reading this you might feel compelled to smile at the next person you see on the corner instead of looking the other way. Readers of LONG BRIGHT RIVER will enjoy this book. 4 stars 
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A young woman flees Norway after a brutal attack leaves her traumatized and eventually leads her to become a serial killer. Nellie, the older sister married and living in America is all too happy to take in her much younger sister Belle and offer her a fresh start away from Norway. Belle seems happy at first with her work in the church and marriage to a kind man who provides her with a good life. Soon spending money on fine things but not being able to have children leaves her feeling bored and jealous of other families including her sister's. It is as if a switch has flipped and Belle soon learns to take what she wants both children and lovers. Once Belle kills the first time it awakens her bloodlust and she begins to kill anyone who gets in her way. She collects men and discards them when they fail to live up to her expectations. This is historical fiction that is based on a true story combining the Scandinavian immigrant experience in the midwest with a Lizzie Borden - type psychopath. Fans of Erik Larson's DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY or true crime serial killers will dive into this. I especially enjoyed the grisly background information found in the author's notes. 4 1/2 stars  Picture a British boarding school in the country where generations of young women have been sent to become Divine. These girls have nothing in common with the village locals so it comes as no surprise that the Divines think they are there to ignore, mildly torture or show constant disapproval at the school staff and townies. The Divines are also not very nice to each other at times. Joe doesn't fit the mold as she becomes friends with a local girl and is actually civil to her roommate who the other girls call the "Poison Dwarf". Something happens at the end of her term that will haunt her as an adult. It will affect her marriage, being a mother and all the other relationships she will have. Joe comes back years later and knows she must confront her past once and for all. This "Mean Girls" meets the perfect coming of age story will have you perfecting the hair flip and being very thankful that you missed out on that privileged education. 4 stars  A glorious saga similar to "Downton Abbey" but set in India. Madeline Bright is with her family once again in India after being raised in England. It is New Year's Eve in 1913 and she meets a mysterious man who steals her attention and her heart. Everything looks like it is falling into place until WWI breaks out and takes all the military men and most importantly, Luke away to war. When Madeline gets word of Luke's death at the front she is distraught and now has to raise his daughter alone. Feeling like the pain will never go away but thinking of her child Maddy marries an old family friend who has been in love with her forever. The other half of the story centers around a young soldier rehabilitating in a hospital for a long time. Due to a head injury he cannot remember who he is but he feels like he needs to get back to someone. Filled with stoic British this is a love story to rival Romeo and Juliet and one that swings the reader from utter joy to total despair every few pages. For readers of British historical fiction who love a good love story - get your tissues at the ready. 4 stars  Somewhere in Africa a young girl sees death and destruction and is suddenly gifted or cursed with a strange green glow that kills anyone or anything in its path. They call her Sankofa and she wanders from village to village easing old people's suffering but always keeping to herself. Wherever she goes people are wary but give her new clothes, a place to stay for a night. Her only companion is a fox called Movenpick. There is a villain in the form of a large pharmaceutical company who wants to harness this green glow and its power. Part of this slim tale reads like an atmospheric myth and part of it reads like a futuristic warning. Beautifully phrased, it immediately draws you into Sankofa's plight and her extreme loneliness. 4 1/2 stars  A classic Victorian mystery steeped in dark gothic undertones. Gideon, a kind but misguided Cambridge student is searching for his uncle the Reverend who along with his ward (a young woman whom Gideon is hopelessly in love with) is missing. Teaming up with Inspector Cutter, the pair begin to piece together Gideon's missing people with several murder/suicides and the strange disappearance of young women. Also involved in an investigation of the disappearance of the women is a female reporter yearning to break from only covering the society pages. Spiritualism, good old fashioned Scotland Yard police work and wonderful wit pushes this book squarely into what I hope will become a new series. Any fan of Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes as well as modern stories of all things Victorian will find much to love. 4 1/2 stars  After the war life in Italy was hard. The families who did without during the war had even less after it was over so a group took a train full of children from their desperate families in Southern Italy to stay with foster families in Northern Italy. For Amerigo it was a life changing experience - new shoes for the first time in his life, three meals a day of healthy fresh food and gifts such as a beautiful violin. After spending months with his adoptive family he is back on a train to see his mother. She is worse off than before and the changes he has undergone are too much for Amerigo to keep him there. Years later he will return an accomplished musician to reconcile with the past. Told in Amerigo's perspective the language gives it an authentic voice and a bit of humor. For fans of all the books about European refugees and especially those efforts to save the children, this is a heart- wrenching must read. 4 stars  Two teen sisters leave home to venture into the remote prairie of Nebraska to teach. They go to different parts of the territory and board with local families while teaching the local children in a remote one room schoolhouse. Both Raina and Gerda witness a legendary blizzard that strikes without warning but they deal with the crisis in very different ways. This one decision will alter their lives forever. Melanie Benjamin shares with us the hurtles and horrors of settling the Great Plains wilderness in the late 1800's. Grasshoppers, drought, freezing temperatures and any number of crop diseases could wipe out a homesteader's dream of a better life for his family after leaving Europe. The promise of low cost open farming land was a lure for those who had nothing and getting great numbers of people to settle in the west was instrumental in making sure the railroads were successful. This is an incredible story of survival and the immigrant experience in this country. It is also a testament to the fragility and strength of the human spirit. Little House on the Prairie meets a Stephen King nature horror show would best describe this work of historical fiction. 5 stars  Cadie has come back to the cabin of her youth where one summer changed her forever. She found a boat, made a best friend and discovered a boy who wanted to stay a secret but needed friendship and then they vowed to keep the horrible thing that happened a secret all these years. As adults the three have followed different paths but are reunited when it looks like the secret may come to light. Cadie's research on the destructive path of the bark beetle and a fire threat leads her back to the one place she vowed never to return to. There is still so much at stake and people she loves could be hurt. This multilayered story pivots around childhood friendships and keeping secrets but is also just as much a story of the effects of climate change and immigration policy. The landscape and natural beauty plus the coming of age story will resonate with readers of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING and STAND BY ME. The politics of climate change and immigration laws will appeal to readers who enjoy a story about current events with strong characters. 4 stars  George is the Chairperson of Hermeneutics at Northwestern University in Chicago. He is just what you think of when you think of academics until the day he discovers he can fly - if your definition of flying is hovering in one direction 4 inches above the ground. This gives him certain amount of notoriety especially from the debunking husband of a very wealthy and mean psychopath billionaire out to promote her husband at George's expense. At first glance I felt this book would only appeal to academics but then later on I realized that it pokes fun at academics and the ridiculousness of his miracle ability begins to grow on you. The lengths that these people will go to embarrass and destroy this unassuming man is sad. This will appeal to those who enjoy small miracles and quirky gifts but also want a deeper look at the characters. 3 1/2 stars  |
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