The curse that began in 1620 still affects the Owens women in this final story of the series. They lose those they love so they tried to spare the last generation from magic and knowledge of the curse. When they come together to bury their beloved Jet the curse rears its ugly head making several of the women take matters into their own hands and break it for good. It will take the power of goodness, strong family ties and a lot of courage tea to succeed . Alice Hoffman has a melodic writing style that speaks to a deep inner spirit and ties to the natural world. This story, like her others, centers around a strong family and the belief that if you are brave enough and it is something you want bad enough that left hand magic can be overcome. Fans of her other books will not be disappointed except to learn this is the last one. 4 stars
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I wish I had been able to get more than a 60 page taste of this delicious life through food. Stanley Tucci is a masterful writer who chooses his words as carefully as his mother would choose her tomatoes. Readers will delight in this ode to close knit families, the power of home made fresh food and life as a celebration. Loved my morsel and now I want the entree. 4 stars
This is Matthew Pearl's first foray into non-fiction but he is at heart a storyteller so the characters and the drama are foremost backed up by facts and background information making it easily readable.
We all think we know Daniel Boone or at least the larger than life bear wrestling pioneer and the stuff of legend. This is the story of someone who is desperate to to claim pristine land for his family and generations to come, one step ahead of the politics and crowds back east. He has seen both sides of the native people and the politics and wants nothing to do with it. While on an outing away from the safe walls of the fort, Jemima Boone and a few girls are grabbed by a Cherokee raiding party and kidnapped. Jemima is her father's daughter and cleverly manages to keep a cool head allowing her dad and the others to catch up and rescue them. This would be a short tale if it ended with her safe return but instead this action opens up a hornet's nest between the settlers and the native population. Murders occur on both sides and with the Revolutionary War beginning, more people get involved as the situation spins out of control. I especially enjoyed learning about the native practice of taking hostages from their enemy and adopting them into the tribe to replace those family members killed. This seemed like such a peaceful and smart practice and one not practiced by our side. Daniel Boone knew this firsthand and found it difficult to straddle both sides. There is something for everyone - history, politics, high adventure and a birdseye view of a part of history that has been kept out of the schoolbooks. 4 stars Cairo in 2002 was a different world than it is today. There were few opportunities for women outside the home especially for three young women with no business background or connections who wanted to open a bookstore/cafe. What began as a single location grew and they expanded their business while expanding book culture and their patrons thirst for knowledge. Whether it was trying to convince each other to stock various religious texts or convince the government that THE NAKED CHEF Jamie Oliver was anything but, Diwan was there for their patrons even in the middle of a revolution. These women fought for what they believed in and their passion kept them strong while those around them (mostly men) expected them to fail. After reading a few chapters I realized my perception of Egyptian women was wrong and that these women weren't going to let anyone tell them that they "can't". Even if you have never been a bookseller or started your own business, this is an interesting and inspiring story.
A clever RomCom about family and cultural differences but how love is the same all over the world. Kiran has promised to marry an Indian man as her family demand and not dishonor them like her older sister did by marrying beneath her. Nash is new in town and has no family except for an aunt who has always been there for him. Neither is looking for love but a friendship that begins over chai and laughter turns into more. This question will come up several times in the story - when do you listen to your heart instead of your head. A sweet story that brings up really interesting points about cultural differences and biases that make you realize how hard it can be and all those hurtles immigrants face coming here. 4 stars
A harrowing and fascinating look at the life of a child at risk of being invisible to those who could and should make a difference. We follow Dasani and her family for eight years through the countless roadblocks and hurtles kids need to get over just to survive being poor and black in New York let alone excel. This is not a glimpse into a section of people but a deep dive with a face and story behind all those facts and statistics. Andrea Elliott makes us care about what happens to this one girl. She presents the bigger picture but pinpoints one composite story which will break your heart. 4 stars
A frightening collection of stories of race, violence and uncertainty that are complete on their own but flow together beautifully. The main story is of Da'Naisha and a group of neighbors who are run out of town as their homes are burned down by a white supremacist group. They flee to Monticello where they take it over barricading themselves against the outside world. Da'Naisha is a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings so it seems right that this is where they stop and fight back. Themes of racial hatred, the struggle for a better life and the violence and uncertainty of the future makes some of this feel apocalyptic like McCarthy's THE ROAD. This is a powerful debut that you will think about well after the final page. 4 stars
A mash-up of postpartum depression, a loss of self and a quest back to childhood roots. A new mom of less than a year leaves the baby at home with dad to attend a conference out west. Once there she takes off on an impromptu escape into the desert to revisit her childhood and previous wild life. Born to freedom seeking hippy parents, one of whom hung out with Charles Manson and family, they moved constantly and had an early introduction to drugs, sex and free thinking. Letting loose of all those responsibilities of motherhood and the relationship back home, she does what she wants to who she wants for as long as she wants. It is honest, gritty and chockfull of dark thoughts. I wanted to slap her and tell her to get her butt back home but still enjoyed her colorful story. 4 stars
I have seen this book pitched as a cross between Rebecca and The Haunting of Hill House and that would be my take as well. Jane is practical - she needs a husband but doesn't care for the romance. Independent and smart, she doesn't want a life tied to housekeeping and raising children. The handsome but tragic Doctor Lawrence fits the bill and accepts her proposal with one condition. She must stay at the doctor's office in town and never come to his dreary estate house. This wouldn't be a gothic tour de force if Jane stayed put and never caught a whiff of the dark and sinister going ons at the house at night as well as what it is doing to the good doctor. There is also the small matter of Elodie, a very haunted house and dark magic. This will appeal to those lovers of classic horror like Frankenstein as well as readers of gothic thrillers that feature unconventional women taking matters into their own hands for better or worse. Best read under the covers and not in a creaky old house. 4 stars
An idyllic cabin on a lake with no one around for miles sounds like the perfect summer childhood for a family with three boys. It was a treasured place where they were bound at the hip until one tragic accident happened and the boys drifted apart. Years later they are on their way to the cabin together one last time to scatter their mother's ashes and confront what really happened. This begins like the perfect family drama and the banter between the boys, the way Benjamin tries to take care of the others like a mama duck and the freedom to just catch tadpoles or swim. The story takes place in Sweden but it talks about family relationships, guilt and deep emotions that are universal. You don't really get to the heart of the story until the end of this slim novel and then it is an emotional gut punch. 4 stars
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