Three generations of Chinese immigrants tied together by their DNA, complicated heritage and the choices already made for them. May is a scientist, a child of the Cultural Revolution who sees a chance to do something for her family and takes it. Lily, her daughter, falls in love with a wealthy white man who fathers a son he won't get to know. Nick grows up with his single mom smothered by her love but hungers for the father he resembles but doesn't know. Each make choices that ripple onto the generation that follows. This is a beautifully crafted saga that explores the fragility of humans and the power of science. It is a coming of age story that comes full circle exploring family, heritage, straddling cultures and nature vs. nurture. While it is an immigration story it is also a powerful tale of a family on the edge that will satisfy readers of BANYON MOON and THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY by Jamie Ford. 4 1/2 stars
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1918 and war is tearing Europe apart. Jesse Carson travels from her New York City Library position to France to bring books and do her part to help war torn villages. She finds joy in offering books to the children especially and along with the founders of CARD socialite Anne Morgan and Dr. Anne Murray Dike they work the front lines helping rebuild, refuel and refresh those in need. In a parallel story in 1987 a young librarian and aspiring writer is stuck in a rut at the New York City Library until she finds a reference to a little known group of women called CARD and becomes obsessed with telling their story. Fascinating historical fiction meticulously researched (including photos and a study guide) this is sure to find a forever home on the shelves along side those untold stories of brave women in war and early librarian rebels. 4 stars
Historical fiction that dives into a little known true story of a small town disaster in 1928 and the grief it caused then and ripples in the generations that followed. Twins Daisy and Rose just wanted to have some fun but no one knew that one Flowers girl along with most of the young people in town would not come home that night or be left severely injured due to a massive explosion of the dance hall. 50 years later a new Daisy is deposited on her grandmother's doorstep while mom goes off with the latest boyfriend. Daisy hopes she will only be there a short time with her grandmother the town mortician but a timely newspaper internship and the discovery of the tragedy no one will talk about changes everything. The dual timeline offers these universal truths - young people always seek to rebel a bit, time doesn't heal every old wound and every family has its share of secrets. Coming of age in the Roaring Twenties and 70's in small town America that will have readers of LAST DANCE ON THE STARLIGHT PIER and SHOOT THE MOON dancing in their seat. 4 stars
A celebration of food, art and the Parisian way of life in 1980 as well as a hunt for a father, a female painter and a path forward for a lost American expat. Stella travels to Paris to honor her mother's last wish. She had led a difficult life so far with her not at all "warm and fuzzy" mother and has no clue who her father is. She finds herself experiencing everything life has to offer from beautiful vintage designer dresses to food to art. With no income she finds a temporary home at the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore and discovers a community ready to offer support and help her with her quest. Perfect armchair travel - all the sights, smells and tastes that only Ruth Reichl can convey plus a colorful cast of characters you can't help but fall for. Readers of MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING and francophiles will eat this up. 4 1/2 stars Historical fiction of a famous Scopes Trial and the impact on a small town balanced with the independence of one of its residents. A publicity stunt for the town of Dayton Tennessee sets off a powder keg trial matching up Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryon arguing over the legality and right to teach evolution vs. religious creation in schools. This deeply religious town and its inhabitants including Annabel Craig was thrown into the maelstrom and threatened to sever family, friends and marriages. Annabel's husband, an attorney and science believer, was deeply committed to defending the rights of the school teacher charged with breaking the law and teaching evolution.
Annabel used her photography skills to help the journalists but was split between two camps. She saw the good and bad of both sides, the havoc that the "monkey trial" created in her hometown and the effects on her husband. For the first time in her life she had the power to make up her own mind evolving from a meek woman who accepted everything to one who questioned. For readers of historical fiction with a birdseye view of an event blended with a fictional character that feels very real. 4 stars A fantasy richly infused with all the vicious history and power struggles of Spain and the Inquisition. Luzia is a scullery maid able to perform small miracles that help her survive and go largely unnoticed. When a nobleman does notice them he sets about grooming Luzia and her magic to help elevate his own status placing her doubly in danger by performing forbidden magic and her Jewish background. Walking this tightrope between nobility and an overcrowded jail cell ending in torture, Luzia epitomizes the gap between the haves and have nots and not knowing who to trust. Leigh Bardugo paints a lush portrait of how the Spanish throne used the Inquisition to rid the country of those they deemed unworthy in Luzia's story. It is both romantic and cruel, historically accurate with the edges blurred by fantasy and the unexplained. This will appeal to both fantasy and historical fiction fans and both young adult and adult readers. 4 stars
This unique story is so hard to jam into just one genre - a bit fantasy, a bit adventure, a bit coming of age and a search for self in a magical library. As a child Aubry won't give up a wooden puzzle ball and is cursed with a life spent on the run. If she stays more than a few days in any one place she will bleed out. With only a bit of money, her wits and a good deal of luck she travels the world many times over always traveling along a new path. Years go by and Aubry now an older woman tired and fed up, finds an exhausting underground library where alone she is able to magically stay reading her way through. Douglas Westerbeke knows of what he writes since he is a librarian and has used those research skills and considerable imagination to concoct this fantastic story of loss and longing while having adventures enough to fill several volumes . Fans of AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS , THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE and the solitary life of the caretaker in PIRANESI will adore Aubry and will fight a losing battle of reading each adventure slow and will instead be unable to put the book down. There is plenty to discuss for book clubs. 4 1/2 stars
The master storyteller has pulled a collection of gems together that differ from one another as does a diamond and turquoise but each is character heavy and told in his unmistakable style. Full of flawed characters, immediately human, whether it is a man caught in a Ukrainian revolution trying to survive or a woman testing her independence in the Golden Age of Hollywood. I truly enjoyed jumping from one life to another but the cherry on top of the cupcake was the continuing story of a character from RULES OF CIVILITY. Haven't we all wanted a trip to not end and wondered what would happen if you just stayed on the train, plane or missed the stop on the highway? The destination is Hollywood in 1938 where the shiny glamour meets the tarnished underbelly with both good and bad people caught in the middle. A true gem of short stories and novella that will appeal to his many fans and the perfect way to get a taste of his genius. 5 stars
1920's London is a microcosm of nations including Chinese supplying various treasures from the Orient as well as opium. Lao She is a university teacher who keeps himself and the crush on his landlady's daughter in check. He begins to come out of his shell after he is asked to help a well known Chinese judge in town to solve a string of murders. The fact that they are all Chinese men makes it a low priority for the police but they are all acquaintances of Judge Dee. A cozy mystery in the vein of Sherlock Holmes with a dose of the exotic. It is interesting to see the juxtaposition of the desire to appear less Chinese when dealing with the British and the desire to honor the Chinese culture and fight for their countrymen's rights. I loved the carefully orchestrated fight scenes! Readers of classic detective stories told from a different viewpoint will appreciate this. 4 stars
The daughters of two famous fathers form a friendship that lasts decades despite their very different backgrounds. Portia is the daughter of Booker T. Washington a respected leader of the Black community and Alice is the eldest daughter of President Teddy Roosevelt. They bond over their common plight as women with their families pushing them towards marriage and neglecting their desires to do something on their own plus both are seeking approval from their ambitious fathers. They do both marry transferring the ability to steer their own path from father to husband. It is an interesting look at the daughters of famous men who seek independence yet are judged publicly for those ambitions. The only frustration I had was that their personalities and worlds seemed so different it was hard to see how they would be more than a go-between their fathers. Historical fiction readers who enjoy stories of underestimated strong women behind powerful men will find much to love here. 3 1/2 stars |
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