There was a lot of distrust between America and the Soviet Union after the war was over and we were involved in a strange, dangerous tango. Part of that dance involved getting anti-communist materials into Russia and getting anything they had that was revolutionary back to us. This story is of the operation that was staged to get a powerful manuscript from a beloved Russian poet out of the country where it was banned and into reader's hands here and all over the world. The story was DR. ZHIVAGO and the men and women who helped make this happen posed as typists and second string government workers to not raise the alarm. This is a historical novel, a love story, and a spy story - both forbidden and dangerous and a debut that will stay with you. For fans of old school spy stories, The Americans and secrets everywhere.

A quiet and introspective look at a middle-aged Chasidic woman in Brooklyn who finds herself at a crossroads. Surie is 57 and almost a great grandmother when she discovers she is pregnant again. Because of her faith, she cannot end the pregnancy nor does she feel she can share her news with her husband or anyone else in the strict religious community. We, the reader, are privy to Surie's inner turmoil, her desire for a life change and her guilt at even thinking that this pregnancy might not be a blessing. She is not abused, neglected or in fear for her life. She has led a full life of a good marriage, children, and grandchildren so why does she want something different now? She questions her faith and how her religion has determined her decisions about everything in her life.

3 1/2 stars just because I like Rose's style! Rose wakes up out of a fog to find herself in a high-security long term care facility. As her mind clears and she feels more her feisty self, she stages a breakout and with the help of her precocious granddaughter, tries to unravel the mystery of what she is doing in a nursing home and why someone wants to keep her quiet. Thank you, Nevada Barr, for writing a zany mystery with a sharp, tough but lovable octogenarian who proves she still has some life in her. Madcap adventure aside there is plenty of violence and scary moments to satisfy the traditional mystery lover.

A madman is causing elevators to plummet all over New York City. Is it the work of a terrorist group or one deranged person? Two detectives and a journalist work to uncover who is creating this madness and stop them before more people are killed. The answer may surprise you as well as keep you out of elevators for quite some time. A solid thriller with likable characters and believable villains, mystery and thrill-seekers will eat this up.

Life, after WWI was hard particularly for the young women left behind to pick up the pieces. Violet was one of those women who lost her brother and fiance and now had to care for the family. One day she wanders in Winchester Cathedral and is welcomed into the Society of Broderers, the women who needlepoint the kneelers for the church. This gives her life a purpose and a friend support group. Her relationship with a bell ringer is also the focus of the story. This is a quiet look at a group of women that time forgot.

This is a story of mothers and fathers and daughters. It is a poetic journey that begins with a loss of innocence and childhood to begin a life of motherhood and that child's journey at the same age. A coming-out party with a dress that was never worn, a mother and father's musings at the life they might have had and their child thinking she was not wanted. In the heat of the moment lives will change and words will be said that can't be taken back. A slim novel that is filled with beautifully constructed sentences - pure poetry that crosses ethnic and economic lines seamlessly.

Emma is in trouble. Her body is a mess, her boyfriend isn't who she thought he was and not what she needed and she is hitching to the Black Hills with a bad guy. She escapes a bad situation only to end up in a worse one. Now she finds herself in a ghost town in a van without gas, evil lurking around everywhere and one poor little soul who may be her salvation if she can just get them out of there. As you read you can't help but think that it can't get any worse for them and then it does. It is an out of body experience like a bad nightmare that leaves you sweaty, shaking and questioning reality. A powerful new voice that matches violence with compassion and makes you painfully aware of human frailty.

You can take the journalism job away from Joan but you can't stop her from thinking like a journalist and hunting for a great story. As Joan takes a job of Assistant Copywriter for a tech startup she is suddenly surrounded by young people who are barely out of school and she feels more like the room mom than it is a solid career move. In this emoji driven world of social media soundbites instead of real copy, Joan discovers more about the company and what really is going on than she bargained for. Fun rom-com mini-mystery that will find an audience in anyone who sometimes finds themselves at a loss fitting into the next generation's world and finding their true talents.

A historical masterpiece highlighting the heroic efforts of one Dutch woman to save as many Jewish children as she could. Truus Wijsmuller known as Tante Truus was able to smuggle out hundreds of children out of Nazi-occupied Vienna in the early days of the war. Her largest extraction was known as Kindertransport which was a one time, one-way train trip authorized by Adolf Eichmann for exactly 600 children. The children were then sent to London to families waiting to take them in. Her story is beautifully told as is the story of a few of those lucky children she helped. It is a vivid illustration of heroism, love, and sacrifice on the part of the families who had to risk everything and say goodbye to save their children. This is a must-read for lovers of wartime heroes, little known WWII stories and amazing feats of courage.

After the Korean War was over there was still a large US military presence and to boost morale for the troops and take advantage of the fact that Marilyn Monroe was in nearby Japan on her honeymoon, the military flew her to Korea for a few days and a USO show. She needs an assistant who can guide Ms. Monroe in and out of her stops and a woman who speaks fluent English. Alice really doesn't know what to expect from the larger than life star and is taken aback by how personable she is and the kindness shown to her by Marilyn Monroe. Both are hiding wounds they keep from everyone around them but Alice has to confront hers as her history before and during the war will rise to the surface. Alice's tale of survival and love lost is mixed in with her time spent with Marilyn Monroe. Historical fiction at its finest but also a heartfelt story of kinship and loss despite cultural barriers.