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One of the best fairy tale retellings of another culture as well as Chinese historical fiction. Three generations of Chinese women have been cursed/gifted with seeing the future, seeing the past and disappearing. Ha Yut Ying born in a time of war and violence sees violence at the hands of the Japanese soldiers. A chance for a better life with her father and stepmother only ends in misuse and deception. She travels to the United States where her daughter will also discover the curse. The murky relationship between mothers and daughters, cultural heritage and a bit of magic are beautifully woven together in this layered story of the plight of women struggling in a world where they have no voice withholding affection to sever ties and give their daughters a chance to fly. Readers of Lisa See, and PACHINKO will enjoy this. 5 stars 
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The powerful story of what happened to women who fought for freedom in Afghanistan only to see it stripped away again at the return of the Taliban. Abusive husbands and their families, the Taliban forcing women to return to the dark ages and the constant fear of being discovered while trying to educate, protect and hide wanted women - created a city of widows. This is a story of the women of Afghanistan before and after the Americans pulled out of the country and their horrific exit from the country of their ancestors. It is a story of sacrifice, bravery and a fierceness I don't think they even knew they had in them. To be given a taste of freedom, education and career for themselves and their daughters only to have it be reversed overnight. I will never be able to comprehend what it must have been like for the women of Afghanistan but through this story I can understand their fear and applaud their bravery. 4 1/2 stars  Two sisters, bound to a life they have no control of, escape to a lighthouse that offers protection but at a steep price. Elle will do anything to protect her younger sister including murder. A deal with the devil doesn't just end with one death however. It turns out at the end of the world in Halifax sailors aren't the only ones in danger. A gothic ghost story with all the tugs of trust, yearning for love, sacrifice and the power of forgiveness. One thing this story teaches is when you make a deal with the devil be sure and read the small print. Creepy but not overly so and once again we see women doing whatever it takes to gain some control over their lives. 4 1/2 stars  Daisy has dreamed of killing her husband and is just about ready to pull the trigger (so to speak) when they accidentally run someone over and must hide the body. This begins the slippery slope of who knows what happened or is digging a little too close to the Dixon's. A natural disaster might just get them off the hook or add to their troubles. I felt sorry for Daisy in the beginning (her husband really is a class A jerk) but then she is so unemotional and hides her head in the nobility sand that I had a hard time warming up to her. This is a classic tale of greed and irresponsibility along the lines of the death wish for each other in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. 3 1/2 stars  Down on her luck Vera was an assistant to a movie star (who also happened to be a longtime friend) until she made a rash decision. With only one place to flee, she packed up her few belongings and her dog and drove to her grandmother's place at a senior center in Palm Springs. This is not your average senior community and Vera might be cramping her free loving Grandma's style. Life's lemons might make a great lemon drop cocktail when Vera gets a job offer but it comes with living quarters alongside her ex. Sparks fly between Vera and Eli but the party atmosphere and "live life fully" attitude of the octogenarians are rubbing off on Vera. Could she really have the life she wants for herself instead of being there for everyone else's dreams? Maybe her dreams of finishing her screenplay and finding love are just over the reality rainbow if she can put up with a few showers. This is a slightly spicy/ quasi cozy, feel good story of a woman standing up for herself and her dreams even if it is later than she expected. Love that we have stopped showing the elderly as not having a life after 65. 4 stars  Fiona heads home to Australia after being away for many years to restore the sprawling mansion her beloved uncle left her. Leaving a bad marriage behind she needs a distraction and the years of neglect and dust give her just that. The townspeople, her cousin and her mom don't want to have anything to do with the house but even the odd occurrences and bumps in the night won't sway Fiona from giving it up. She finds a fascinating book in her uncle's library by an unfamiliar author whose story could give up secrets the house is trying hard to hide. A gothic "haunted house" vibe but also a multi generational story of goodness and combined family. The author has ties to rural Australia and did a fantastic job or giving the reader the good, bad and the ugly of some of the history. Fiona wants to preserve the soul of the house and its history instead of taking the easy route and tearing it all down and I appreciate that. Readers of complicated multi-generational family stories like those of Kate Morton will really enjoy this. 4 stars  1970's and a very innocent Eileen meets the man of her dreams marrying him with dizzying speed. He is stationed on a small island off the coast of Italy where the U.S. has just begun to have a greater naval presence. While Eileen tries to adjust to Navy wife life and relocation overseas she begins to take a greater interest in what is happening behind the scenes and the locals aversion to the nuclear subs that will be stationed there. A handsome journalist enters her life as her husband is away frequently awakening her to a more full life than just Navy wife. This is an interesting late in life "coming of age" story as well as historical fiction and a look at the impact Americans had and still have abroad. 4 stars  Three women find themselves in the unique discovery that they have all been dating and been swindled out of their savings by the same man. Their plan for revenge (just a scare and getting their money back) includes another woman with money to lure him to a remote cabin in the woods. As it often happens at remote creepy cabins in the woods, things get out of hand and the women escape only to be charged with a crime by the police. The story flips back and forth from their police testimony to a glimpse of the relationship the women had with the bad boyfriend. A strike of luck meeting each other or more of the curse to lose it all? Classic caught in a blizzard with a killer on the loose and blood of at least one of their hands. I would have rated it higher but I had difficulty bouncing from the police testimony back to the start of all their relationships. 3 1/2 stars  Starting in the 1970's a man bilks millions out of unsuspecting women, abuses their daughters and leaves countless people in the lurch. Once caught he charms his way into the justice system by ratting out his fellow inmates with testimony that will put them away and reduce the time Paul Skalink spends in any jail cell. This pattern continues for decades and will leave an innocent man on death row for most of his life. Pamela Colloff gives us a riveting account of gross injustice - from cops, to judges and beyond. How can such an unreliable witness with everything to gain and nothing to lose have been trusted with others lives? 4 stars  A horrific thing happens to Margo and her kids when every device is tuned into her movie star husband's bad behavior and public shaming. Overnight Margo goes from the perfect wife in a perfect marriage to the wronged wife on the front page of the tabloids. She does the only thing she can do - she grabs their youngest daughter and runs to her childhood home. When Margo, her daughter Skye and sister Julia discover a secret past that their cheerleader/cookie baker mom has kept hidden in the attic it takes their mind off the present and focuses it on their mom's involvement with a female vigilante who terrorized bad boy behavior in New York City in the late 70's. The three investigate to unravel their mom's past and the story behind the notorious Lady X and in doing so develop a sense of pride in their mom as well as giving Margo the strength she needs to deal with her current situation. Historical fiction with a healthy dose of women helping women and vigilante justice. I bet more than one female reader will wish their mom has a secret box in the attic. 4 stars  |
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