A riveting portrayal of a country at war both at home and far from home in Vietnam. It was a time of unrest and sadly those men and women who served their country (right or wrong) came home not to salutes and hugs but protest, insults and avoidance. Frankie (Frances) and her brother Finlay lead a charmed life surfing and hanging out at their California country club but that all changes when they both enlist to serve in Vietnam. While Finlay is branded a hero Frankie's decision to become an Army nurse is not and her parents are ashamed of her. Nothing prepares her for her time in Vietnam and she grows up overnight. In between the endless bombing, long nights of too many wounded and fatigue Frankie makes some lifelong friends and falls in love a couple of times. When she finally returns home she is met with denial that she even served unlike her male counterparts. Kristin Hannah gives us an honest and well researched story of love, friendship and coming of age in combat as well as dealing with the emotional toll of coming home. The nurses bond for life and help each other get through loss, PTSD and find happiness where they can. THE WOMEN brings us to the heart of the real experience of war and beyond where coming home was almost as bad as being there in an emotional story that only Kristin Hannah can tell. For those of us who only had TV shows like MASH and CHINA BEACH to understand the war in Asia this packs a punch. 4 1/2 stars
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An immortal love story and a search to find yourself. Ricki leaves her very successful but stressful family in Atlanta for Harlem where she falls straight into the arms of a mysterious stranger. Ricki's fairy grandmother has helped her realize her dream of opening a flower shop and its success is everything so she doesn't need the distraction that Ezra presents every time he appears wherever she is. They play a cat and mouse game but secretly we know that they are soulmates. Ezra also knows that he wants Ricki and she is the one person he can't have. The beauty and colorful history of Harlem in its golden age combined with the very real problem of curses, steamy love scenes and witty dialogue will have readers swooning and rooting for Ricki. Readers of MIDNIGHT LIBRARY, Pete Hamill's FOREVER and ill-fated love stories will fall heavily for this. 4 1/2 stars
Post WW1 London where two women fight to have the respect and life they want. Alice Diamond is the undisputed queen of crime where her ring of shoplifting women are more than frustrating the authorities with their daring. Police Detective Lilian Wyles is one of the first female detectives and uniquely able to bring in Alice and her Forty Elephant gang. Riveting historical fiction from a women's perspective that makes for a great read outside of the society pages. 3 1/2 stars
I think Aristotle Onassis's wife Tina said it best when speaking to Maria Callas - "Remember, Aristo is Greek. The two things he cares about are family and money." I would add to that fame because he wanted Maria when she was a star and then when the next shiny object appeared (Jackie Kennedy) he wanted that too. Maria Callas is an opera legend. She performed all over the world and had people falling at her feet and along with her quiet husband/manager she thought only of her next performance. That all changed when she met the charming Ari Onassis. He captured her heart but redirected her passion for the music to himself bringing her great joy but also great sorrow. Maria Callas was not the first strong woman to fall for a powerful man but it shows her insecurity that stemmed from childhood. Cameo appearances by the Churchills, Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy Onassis and her sister Lee add to a well rounded picture of the famous faces in the 50's and early 60's. 3 1/2 stars It is the summer of 1993 and Sam, Swami and their three young children have left it all behind to head to far northern Wisconsin to buy his uncle's white water rafting business. Swami is unconvinced that this is a great idea but agrees to last the summer. By the time they discover the emotional and financial toll this decision will have on the family and marriage it is too late. Sam's uncle Chip did not tell them of the land grab by a mining company nor the new rafting company down the road. Sam throws his heart into the business while Swami throws her brain into it but it is a toss up if either will succeed. Down to earth characters caught in a very real situation that fans of J. Ryan Stradal, Willy Vaughn and Ann Napolitano will latch onto with a side of outdoor adventure story. The showstopper is the relationship between the kids and Uncle Chip. 4 stars Maude's sister ran off posing as the ship's boy and joined a search party to hunt for the missing Franklin expedition in the Arctic. Just as Constance is not all she seems so are some of the crew members on board and soon she finds herself in danger and when the ship returns to England Maude is told that her sister has died. She wants answers but gets the runaround with the exception of a kind soul who gives Maude her sister's journal. From the journal she finds herself hunting a man who organizes macabre train excursions to witness prison hangings and other gruesome places like Madame Tussaud's Chamber of Horrors. This historical mystery blends the best of seagoing explorations and misadventure with the Victorian society's fascination with death and the sensational then bundles it nicely with an eerie mystery and a wicked little twist at the end. Perfect for readers of Greer Macallister's ARCTIC FURY and Stuart Turton. 4 stars
On the coast of South Africa there is a house, once grand and now crumbling, home to a diverse group of haunted people and a djinn. The Doctor leases out rooms to Sana and her dad. As the only young person in the house Sana keeps to herself but soon begins to explore and when she finds a diary of a past inhabitant she finds herself drawn into secrets the house has tried to hide for decades. Driven by her own ghosts Sana becomes obsessed with the mystery of the journal's owner and her life at the house stirring up emotions long buried and mournful ghosts unseen. A tale full dichotomies- of loss and great love, of tragedy and joy and of guilt and forgiveness. Beautifully crafted, the melodic writing pulls you under the spell of the lost souls of the house. Fans of gothic haunted houses filled with tortured souls that always seem to be by the sea will enjoy this. 4 1/2 stars Marley is a loner until she is pulled into the embrace of the Josephs. They are a family made up of hard headed men and while they may be great at fixing roofs they all need help fixing their relationships with others and between themselves. Marley comes into the family with one brother but then falls in love and marries the middle brother and becomes a surrogate mom to the youngest. She quickly becomes frustrated with the way they handle the business, each other and her mother in laws indifference. At some point this all changes and she will become the sun they revolve around even the tyrannical head of the house. Every family has their secrets and every small town either works to unearth them or hides them right along with you. A quiet but piercing look at family and all those hard things that break you up while the people who are your glue keep you together. It may be 1990 in rural Pennsylvania but the emotional impact, deep characters and love rings true anywhere and anytime. Best read with a tissue box handy. Fans of Ann Patchett, J. Ryan Stradal and WE ARE THE BRENNANS will hold this close to their heart. 4 1/2 stars
A gorgeous multigenerational family saga beginning in Nantucket and characters from MOBY DICK mainly a chowder maven innkeeper and a sailor named Ishmael. Evangeline has been blessed or cursed with the ability to plant suggestions in people's heads letting her influence the thoughts of those around her. While she hungers for Ishmael who has signed onto a whaler which causes her to leave home later with her infant daughter. This search will continue as do the gifts handed down to the women of the family. Her daughter will grow up unmoored and her journey as well as her granddaughter's journey will eventually lead them full circle back to Nantucket. A beautifully written story of little white lies, the magic power of suggestion and family tension between stubborn women with an independent nature and a hunger for answers. While this story does pay homage to MOBY DICK, it highlights the women behind the whalers and even a whale to dive deeply into the struggles these women faced in the search for the truth of their history. Fans of THE PROSPECTORS by Ariel Djanikian and GREAT CIRCLE by Maggie Shipstead will enjoy this and you may also want to reread MOBY DICK. 4 stars
Life was hard for settlers in Maine in 1789 and women knew this all too well. Disease, crop failure, childbirth or the whims of men plagued women young and old. Martha Ballard is a respected midwife who up until now has been the medical authority for the village. She is there for births, sickness, death and accidents all of which she diligently records in her journal. When she is summoned to help with a boat accident and to record a death of a man found trapped under the ice she fears that her findings will put her family at risk. Not everyone is eager to hear the truth especially the legal authority in town and the men who may be responsible for the death and a rape coverup. It takes great strength to stand by her convictions and that is what she does even if her family will be harmed. Gentle storytelling blended artfully with the violence of the harsh New England landscape and vicious treatment of women at the hands of powerful men. Historical fiction that will appeal to readers of Greer Macallister and Alice Hoffman.
4 1/2 stars |
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