Recent Reader Reviews

"Properties of Thirst" by Marianne Wiggins tells us about World War II from the perspective of the United States mainland. If you live in a temperamental land, a Japanese camp (nomenclature is essential) is unwelcome. We have a wide range of well-developed characters to show how Pearl Harbor and the incendiary attitude toward the Asian population changed lives in Southern California.

The story, surrounding the neighboring landowner and the Department of the Interior architect, shows people going about their jobs with at least some good intentions. Some even try to create for the subjugated. Schiff, the working …more stiff from the Department of the Interior entrusted with the home for 1,000 Asians, falls for the landowner's daughter, and things become complicated.

With Father, Son, Daughter, and Architect, you learn a lot about their backgrounds, to the point that you do not know the main character, which works. Shiff battles politics in his duty to build a camp and finds people upset with the process in various ways, citing the hypocrisy of FDR's Four Freedoms while denying rights to citizens.

The collection of viewpoints enables you to take a break from the most emotional storylines. Very little death occurs "on screen," but the time is heavy, especially for amateur history students. You have so many cultures represented (Jewish, Asian, and Hispanic) that you can focus on the turbulent era and realize that it affected many people in many ways.

Wiggins lost the ability to read or write after a stroke, so she wrote "Properties of Thirst" over a few years after her daughter helped her finish, making this a fantastic achievement. The characters here are special and enjoyable, and the book's non-linear storytellers will please those who want to think about what they are reading; my thumb is up with much admiration. (less)

Imaginatively written by Alice Hoffman, this is the multilayered story of a house and the surrounding farmland located on the outer reaches of Cape Cod and its many occupants over the years. The house was first constructed in the 1700s when Massachusetts was occupied by the British, and each chapter moves ahead in time to the next family, all of whom live in what becomes known as Blackbird House.

Although this is a novel, it reads like a collection of closely interwoven short stories with each one of the 12 chapters building toward the next to catapult the novel forward in both time and plot.

Some of the …more characters we meet include:
• The Hadley Family opens the novel when John builds the house for his beloved wife Coral and their two sons, Vincent and Isaac. John is a fisherman, but the British occupation forbids him from pursuing his trade. If he is captured fishing on the open water of the ocean, he'll be imprisoned in England. But his family needs to eat.

• Ruth Blackbird Hill teeters on the edge of insanity when she loses her home to a ravaging fire, choosing to live without shelter on the beach in all seasons, accompanied only by her cows and her red boots. Kind women in the village intervene, and Ruth's life changes when they bring her to the farm that Lysander purchased from the Hadleys.

• Two sisters, Violet and Huley, live with their widowed father in the house. Huley is beautiful. Violet is disfigured with a large violet-shaped and violet-colored birthmark on her face. One day a professor from Boston comes to the village to investigate a sighting of a sea monster, and the girls' lives change forever.

• It's 1969, and teenage Maya's hippie parents have bought the old house that doesn't even have proper plumbing. In the winter, they have to use the outhouse. In the winter! Her parents live in a bubble by themselves, leaving Maya and her brother almost abandoned. It is only far later in her life that Maya comes to appreciate and better understand the love her parents had for each other.

• The last two chapters feature the same set of characters, set about 25 years apart. Emma is seven years old and has successfully battled leukemia when her parents impulsively buy Blackbird House as a summer escape. What happens that first summer is both joyful and heartbreaking. Fast forward to Emma's 30th birthday when her parents gift her the house. She returns on Midsummer's Night, a time when you become who it is you really are.

At just 250 pages, this is a short, character-driven novel that has a powerful message about love and family and the importance of community. Symbols abound and are woven through every chapter in some form—from water and fire and earth to blackbirds, including a white blackbird in the flock, and the color red.

Told with candor and compassion, this is a fierce but also lyrical and insightful tale. (less)

If you're a James McBride fan, this is a must-read book. If you haven't yet treated yourself to this award-winning author's novels, don't read this memoir of his life and his mother's life quite yet. I've only read two of his novels—"Deacon King Kong" and "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store"—but it's fascinating to see how the seed of some of his story ideas came from his mother's storied and remarkable past. Read a novel or two or three first and then treat yourself to this masterful memoir.

James McBride is the eighth of 12 children born to a White woman and a Black father. His father, Andrew Dennis McBride, …more died before James's birth. His mother, Ruth McBride Jordan, remarried several years later to another Black man named Hunter Jordan; the couple had four children, but most importantly, Mr. Jordan treated the McBride kids as his own. Lots of love to go around. McBride loved Hunter Jordan dearly and thought of him as his father.

Ruth was not only a White woman living in a Black world in a time when society mightily disapproved of this, but also she was the daughter of an Orthodox Jewish rabbi. In addition to regularly sexually abusing her, her father was cruel and vindictive. Ruth ran away from her Suffolk, Virginia home on day after her high school graduation, and when she married a Black man, her family declared her dead to them. They sat shiva for her. She found solace in the Christian church, something that held her up after the tragic loss of her two husbands.

Discerning his mother's life story was a difficult, years-long project for James McBride. Ruth was a very private person and saw no need to dredge up the past. But James was insistent. As he says, "It took many years to find out who she was, partly because I never knew who I was."

This memoir switches chapter-by-chapter between Ruth's life story and James's life story when he grew up poor in Brooklyn and Queens with little money, little food, and sleeping four to a bed. Some of the stories—especially Ruth's—are so astonishing as to feel made-up, but it's all true. James truly did come from two worlds—one White, one Black—and this has greatly informed and influenced his writing. Even though he was brought up a Christian, he says he has a Jewish soul inherited from his mother.

McBride's thoughts and ruminations on race and the struggles he had with his racial identity are candid, but also heartbreaking, and form the backbone of this brilliant memoir. His mother truly was an extraordinary woman, raising 12 children in poverty. She enforced strict rules and focused on their education. It paid off. Two became medical doctors, one a psychologist, one an Ivy League college professor, one a registered nurse and midwife, one a chemistry researcher, one a medical practice office manager, one a computer consultant, and two teachers. And James McBride himself is not only an accomplished musician, but also the 2013 winner of the National Book Award for "The Good Lord Bird."

This is a fascinating, almost mesmerizing book that reads more like a novel than nonfiction. It is filled with sincere, forthright, and brutally honest revelations that truly capture their lives—the good, the bad, and the ugly. It takes a lot of courage to be this truthful.

The meaning of the book's title? When he was little, James asked his mother the color of God's spirit. "Oh boy…God's not black. He's not white. He's a spirit," his mother told him. "What color is God's spirit?" asked James. "It doesn't have a color," she said. "God is the color of water. Water doesn't have a color." (less)

Yes, I was late getting to CLARK AND DIVISION, and anything I say about it has probably been said already. But did I like it? Yes--mostly.

CLARK AND DIVISION is a historical mystery. In my opinion, that makes it better than most historical fiction. Plus, apparently, Naomi Hirahara based her characters on real people and their stories. And her mystery was based on a real case. That's why I liked it.

it is 1944. A Japanese American family was finally allowed to leave the concentration camp where they had been incarcerated in California. They are now in Chicago and soon learn that the eldest daughter, Rose, who went …more to Chicago ahead of her parents and sister, is dead, run over by a subway. Her 20-year-old sister, Aki, investigates this "accident" throughout the book. Was this really an accident? Aki doubts it. But was the official finding, that Rose committed suicide, correct? Aki is sure that's not right. Could someone have pushed Rose? That's the mystery.

Even more than the mystery, though, CLARK AND DIVISION is about the Japanese American experience postdetainment. This historical fiction is the reason, I'm sure, the book won so many awards. (less)

This is one of those delicious mystery/thrillers that is unputdownable while you're reading it (or more likely devouring it), but chances are you won't remember it weeks or months later. It's the equivalent of literary dessert. Oh, so tasty!

Written by Alafair Burke, this is the story of three best friends, the secrets they closely guard and the lies they tell each other and themselves until their lives implode after a murder and they are forced to face the truth—no matter how difficult that truth may be.

It's summer and rich girl Kelsey Ellis invites her besties Lauren Berry and May Hanover to join her for a week …more in the Hamptons in a home she has rented on the bay. Kelsey works for her very controlling father in the sprawling and highly successful family real estate business in Boston. Lauren is a classical musician and the director of the Houston Symphony. May is a new professor of law at Fordham University, having just left the Manhattan district attorney's office. All three have endured being socially "canceled" after three completely unrelated, embarrassing, and highly public events that diminished their professional and personal lives. Now they are off for a bit of R&R in the tony Hamptons.

The first night together, they go to Sag Harbor for drinks with Lauren driving. She spots a primo parking space and patiently waits while the driver in the huge pickup holding the space takes his sweet time pulling out. Just as he does and before Lauren can scoot into the space, it is taken by another couple. When they get out of their car, they turn to the three women and gloat. Seriously gloat. Well, that's maddening! This becomes the main topic of conversation over drinks, and they decide to write notes to the driver. It's fun. It's harmless. And the notes get stuffed into a purse. The note Kelsey writes says, "He's cheating. He always does." Unbeknownst to Lauren and May, Kelsey goes one step further, tucking the note under the wipers of the car. It's just a harmless prank that is payback for stealing the parking space!

The weekend is fun and relaxing until the driver of that car turns up missing, and Kelsey, Lauren, and May are targeted as suspects by the police. What started as a silly joke quickly spirals out of their control. They spin elaborate lies—so many lies. They guard deeply-held secrets—so many secrets. And the plot twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing until the end.

This is an ideal vacation book—fast and easy to read and totally riveting. (less)

Women of War by Suzanne Cope is a powerful and deeply moving account of the brave Italian women who risked everything to fight against the Nazi occupation during World War II. The book focuses on assassins, spies, and couriers—roles often overlooked in traditional war narratives—and highlights the extraordinary courage of these women under the harshest conditions.

Cope masterfully combines thorough historical research with vivid storytelling to bring to life the personal stories of resistance fighters such as Carla Capponi, Maria Occhipinti, and others. Each chapter immerses the reader into the heart of a war- …more torn Italy, where the line between survival and heroism is razor-thin. What makes this book particularly compelling is its focus on moral complexity: these women are not just heroines, but real individuals faced with difficult decisions and dangerous missions.

The narrative flows with emotional depth, revealing the psychological toll of resistance and the sacrifices made for freedom. It’s not just a historical chronicle but also a tribute to female resilience, agency, and defiance.

For readers interested in World War II history, women's roles in resistance movements, or untold stories of courage, Women of War is a must-read. Suzanne Cope has given voice to forgotten warriors who deserve recognition and remembrance. (less)

Excellent storyline and research.

We see Celia in the opening chapter drugged and in a cell with no idea how she got there.

We then meet Celia as a housekeeper in a wealthy family and a predicament that has her being removed from the home.

THE GIRLS OF GOOD FORTUNE takes us back and forth from Celia's time before the imprisonment and during the imprisonment at a time when there was anti-Chinese sentiment.

It is a bit confusing at first with the two timelines, but both are so well done that they pull you right in.

This is another Kristina McMorris gem that you won't be able to put down, and you will feel for every …more heartache Celia endures.

I do wish Celia would have made different decisions with some of her predicaments.

Don't miss this one even though it is a bit of heavy reading and at times intense, but an excellent historical fiction read that will keep you glued to the pages. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own. (less)

This historical fiction book takes readers to Portland, Oregon in the 1880s, when/where anti-Chinese sentiment in the US is high. American-Chinese Celia passes for white and keeps her heritage a secret. We start with Celia having been kidnapped. As she tries to escape, we go back several years to her some of her back story, which is heartbreaking through and through, but man is she tough!

I had a bit of a hard time starting the book, but once I got into it, I was completely engrossed. I enjoyed Celia’s story and learning more about this time in U.S. history, which I admittedly know little about. I did engage …more with our main character Celia but really loved the supporting character Marie, who IMO needs her own book!

I was happy to see the author’s note and Q&A at the end, which dove further into the Chinese experience in America at that time (and after). I always look for this with historical fiction and appreciate the additional background.

While the book had a lot of sadness, I also found it to be inspirational and hopeful. The writing was thoughtful and treated the characters with care. I’ve had McMorris’ “Sold on a Monday” on my physical TBR for a while and will definitely bump it up in order! (less)

Local Souls
By Allan Gurganus

Imagine a small Southern town where everyone knows each other and on the surface, it's a beatific, innocent place. A visitor might look around this town, named Falls, North Carolina, and see happily married couples, successful children, thriving businesses, and churches of every denomination. Okay, now scratch the surface. What do you see? Everything isn't as perfect as it seems. That is the subject of these three loosely connected novellas by Allan Gurganus.

Each story focuses on characters who have a deep yearning to form a connection with others.

• "Fear Not": When Susan was 14 …more years old her father accidentally died in a horrific, very public way at the hands of his lifelong best friend, Dennis, who is also Susan's godfather. Dennis, the married father of three, is wracked with guilt—just consumed with it. Susan is grieving. Her mother has checked out mentally having witnessed her husband's death and takes to her bed. Dennis spends a lot of time alone with Susan, and before you know it, he gets Susan pregnant—and she's only 14. What happens to her in the ensuing years is the soul of this heart wrenching story.

• "Saints Have Mothers": Caitlin Mulray is a bit much. She is a high school junior who is perfect. And I mean perfect: Kind to everyone (and she's a teenage girl!), brilliant, musical, talented in every possible way, and gorgeous. She is also compassionate, working tirelessly with and for those who have less. The summer before her senior year, she goes to Africa to teach. While she is there, something horrific happens that sends her mother reeling, as well as her father and stepmother in California, her twin 11-year-old brothers, and basically the entire town of Falls, North Carolina. She is, after all, their golden girl. This melodramatic novella is written in the first person by Caitlin's less-than-perfect mother, Jean, who is having an identity crisis all her own. It's a difficult story to enjoy because Caitlin and Jean are tough characters to like.

• "Decoy": Bill Mabry has a bad heart—so bad that it was diagnosed as a ticking time bomb when he was just a child. But the small town of Falls, North Carolina has one of its own as the favorite physician, and Doc has sworn to care for Bill with great care and keep him alive. Told in the first person from Bill's point of view, this is a love letter to Doc and life in a small town. All is well, almost idyllic, until tragedy strikes Falls when the normally placid river overflows its banks after a hurricane, causing death and destruction.

This is a slow read. Yes, the stories frequently drag, getting bogged down in mindless details. But it's more than that. There is something about the writing that makes it difficult to read at times. Hence, three stars. (less)

If you are looking for light entertainment about the Holocaust, "The Postcard" by Anne Berest is not that book. Should you desire something heavy that packs an emotional wallop, look no further. I have learned a lot about Jewish culture, but here we see lively celebrations and abject suffering, the latter making the former all the more tragic and bittersweet.

I needed to consult an AI family tree a few times to ensure I followed correctly. Some ill-fated characters in 1940 recognized the historically significant horrors they were experiencing, and others saw it as an opportunity. Things become real only when they …more begin to assign barracks and numbers, and the frightened reader recognizes the intense claustrophobia and fear that awaits them.

The storyline goes like this. The Berest family receives a postcard with nothing written but their ancestors' names. The narrator then makes it her mission to find out who sent it and why. The result is a mixture of survivor's guilt and anti-Semitism that most likely affects a large number of Jewish descendants. Judaism, part culture and part religion, carries significant weight in one's identity.

The modern-day narrative becomes a mystery for Anne to solve about the postcard. She tries to determine which family, friends, or neighbors were involved. If you or any of your relatives have gone down the family history rabbit hole before, you will recognize Anne's relentless pursuit of the sad truth and what she finds.

Some characters and sad plotlines happen late in the process, and I found that the ambitious writer had a different moral and lesson, not decreasing the quality, than I anticipated. The ending is chaotic, confusing, and random, but I fear that was accurate for French Jews in 1942. It still amazes me how many stories have come out of this time. (less)