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1973 USSR Anya is the daughter of a ballerina who left her and her father suddenly years ago. Anya is very talented in gymnastics and wants nothing more than to be the next Olga Korbut. Her coach sees something in her and pushes her more than anyone should be pushed. Like prized racehorses these girls are verbally and physically pushed, prodded, and shot up with drugs to deaden the pain and keep them in perpetual childhood. While the program doesn't care if these girls have friends or attend school, Anya does develop a close friendship with Elena an older gymnast who becomes her roommate. These are the children of the new regime whose parents only know the new fear after war, imprisonment and doing everything for the good of the motherland. It is a brutal look at what it takes to create a champion in a country where you are lucky to get one chance and never given a second one. A second story connects the back story of Anya's mother and her struggles at taking her chance through the memories of a neighbor and friend. 4 stars 
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The continuing story of Irish brothers Tom and Michael and the half-Native American woman Sara on the run for crimes they did not commit. They are living off the land in the wilds of the Dakota Territory. Trying to stay one step ahead of those who are looking for them, the violence of war and steer clear of future violence, the group is near starvation and struggling to survive winter. The brutal but beautiful landscape of the mountains suits the gentle nature of the three until others invade and push them too far. A story of adventure, the violence of the old West and the intimate bond between the two brothers and the woman they both love. This is perfect for fans of LONESOME DOVE, TRUE GRIT and NEWS OF THE WORLD. 4 stars  Earl sees the world differently and this makes him a loner and easy to take advantage of in the little town of Stovall Texas. As a teen in the 1970's a potential girlfriend talks him into a roadtrip to Austin that ends in tragedy and Earl is sent away to prison. After 44 years he is released into a world he knows nothing about and must begin again in Oregon. He is helped by a kindly librarian, her boyfriend and mom. This allows him to begin trusting again and feel like he finally belongs. But sometimes you just can't escape your past. The writing forces you to see things from Earl's perspective and it takes a few chapters to get into the rhythm but once you do -you are hooked. Gritty, heartfelt and poetic in the juxtaposition between the violence in his past and his quiet calm demeanor, this is one beautiful and tearful read. Readers of RAZORBACK TEARS and GREEN MILE will find much to love. 4 stars  A dirt poor family consisting of a mom and 5 kids find their way to Florida in the company of a Shaker elder promising a fresh start. He brings them to their new community and family in the Shaker compound in rural central Florida in the early 1900's. The author transcribed reel to reel tapes that the oldest boy made at the end of his life and this is his story. Russell Banks gives us an unusual coming of age story and insights into the magic kingdom of New Bethany Shakers before it became the Magic Kingdom we know today. I was intrigued by the way the story was presented - did the author really discover these waterlogged tapes by accident and spend time transcribing and writing this memoir or is it a complete fantasyland? Harley Mann and his love for a fragile young woman is a sweet love story as well as insight into the Shaker philosophy and the land grab in Florida making this an interesting mix that will appeal to readers of Amor Towles and Jamie Ford. 4 stars  A stunning debut set in Northern Ireland in the 70's. Cushla is worried about her mother's drinking, her family's pub and the students she teaches at the Catholic school. Her world is small but Belfast and war seem very close. She makes good choices and bad and gets caught up in what she thought was right and what might not be right at all. This does not read like a debut but more of a seasoned author who delves deep into characters that we may have nothing in common with but we want to know more. 4 stars  Ann arrives in New York to accept a choice summer internship at the Cloisters, the medical museum of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She and a few others including the museum director are researching the role that tarot cards may have played in predicting the future back in the 15th century. Ann becomes very close to the beautiful and self assured Rachel as the two work to uncover what might be a secret deck of tarot. Life at the Cloisters is not all about old books and research work as Ann soon discovers dark practices and that everyone seems to have secrets. Soon a tragedy happens and Ann begins to feel she might be in over her head. Secrets kept in the dark for centuries, ambitious coworkers, poison gardens and mind games galore make this a mystical treasure hunt that is a delight for those who love nothing better than a romp through old museums even if it tempts fate. Fans of A SECRET HISTORY, NINTH HOUSE and THE CARTOGRAPHERS will eat this up. 4 stars  The mining town of Moonstone Colorado in 1907 is as rough and ragged as the Rocky Mountains in which it resides. The Pelletier family arrives to yet another tent city where Sylvie's father and brother work for the marble mining operation. Like so many around them this town and operation is owned by an Eastern robber baron who bleeds dry the miners and their families. Sylvie begins working at the manor home and sees a different side in addition to working as a cub reporter for the paper run by a straight shooting tough woman. Not only do Sylvie and K.T. Redmond become fast friends but K.T. does her best to educate Sylvie in the news business and organizing a labor union. Sylvie will lose her dad to yet another accident on the mountain after he is outspoken about worker's rights but her feelings become complicated by her infatuation of the owner's son Jace. It is a time of independence and reform for some but at a great cost. Racial hatred, labor strikes, distribution of wealth and power all play a great role here. This sweeping saga shows the pioneering spirit of immigrant families and the never ending push to settle the West even under the violence of Mother Nature and men. For historical fiction fans, adventurous spirits and those who love a good underdog story. 5 stars  PRETTY BABY meets MOMMY DEAREST, this coming of age drama jumps from Ryan as a young girl in the 70"s to the present where she is forced to confront her past and her mother's unsavory business deals. You can't choose your family and Ryan would not have chosen to have Fiona, who is known more for her sudden disappearances than her cuddly mothering skills. Ryan is such a pretty little girl- a grown up seductive face in a little girl body whose look at 10 years old was just what men wanted for ads and a movie. Now Ryan is an adult and a mom herself when she comes back to New York for a funeral after living a quiet life. She begins to remember the events that shaped her future and made her grow up way too fast and must confront her mother's role when a scandal and questionable photos come to light. Right away I thought of Brooke Shields as a real life model for Ryan - a child model and actor whose innocence was stripped when she was made to act and look older and seductive. Kiddie porn, stage moms and the power of childhood friends to save you all play out in this powerful and disturbing look at manipulation and innocence lost. 4 stars  1964 Mississippi Two sisters on the run after one gets involved with a powerful white man's son and commits a murder in self defense and the other finds herself with shattered dreams, pregnant and not married. Violet knows that these men will not rest until she is found and silenced permanently so she travels far changing her name and her past to protect herself and her sister. She doesn't know that the man after her is desperate and needs the big paycheck her being found offers to save his dying son in the hospital. Marigold had everything going for her until she found herself pregnant so to protect herself and her baby she marries a man she doesn't love while trying to hide her sister's whereabouts. Horrific conditions, KKK atrocities and no police intervention due to the color of their skin, this is a thrilling chase and a Civil Rights history lesson rolled into one. 4 stars  Just as she brought life into the mom of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, Sarah Miller adds depth to the steadfast mom in LITTLE WOMEN. We see Marmee in a new light struggling with her husband off at war with little money coming in and full responsibility for four young women at home. We could see her as a pitiful figure but Marmee is anything but, somehow managing to feed and clothe everyone and give whatever is left to those in greater need. She works tirelessly but we are also able to see her fears and her desire to make all her girl's dreams and ambitions come true. There is a quiet elegance to her character but more importantly, an iron will to go along with her big heart. This is just what historical fiction mixed with the classics should be like. 4 stars  |
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