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Reviews by Cariola

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The Second Mrs. Hockaday
by Susan Rivers

Beautifully Written Civil War Story (12/6/2017)

Placidia was only 17 and not even thinking of marriage when widower Major Gryff Hockaday swept her off her. She had a single day to decide whether to accept his proposal. Only a few days after they married, the major was called back to join his Confederate troops, and …more

The Tudor Secret: The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles
by C. W. Gortner

Fun but Flawed (3/31/2011)

I love historical fiction but am not a big fan of mysteries, so I wasn't sure how well I would like The Tudor Secret. Overall, it was a fast and fun read, but the novel has many flaws that make it less enjoyable than it might otherwise be. The pacing was uneven and the …more

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel
by Helen Simonson

Charming! (3/21/2010)

This book is a bit lighter than my usual fare, but I was absolutely charmed by it. If I lived in Edgcumbe-St.-Mary, I think I'd be in love with the major, too. It's the gentle tale of a widowed retired major who is grieving for his recently-deceased brother when friendship …more

All Other Nights: A Novel
by Dara Horn

Interesting Approach to the Civil War Novel (5/13/2009)

The premise of this novel sounded intriguing: a young Jewish man, running away from the life his domineering father had planned for him, joins the Union army and is recruited as a spy. His first assignment: to kill his own uncle, who is believed to be plotting to kidnap and …more

The Pirate's Daughter
by Margaret Cezair-Thompson

Family and Identity (10/10/2007)

An imaginative, touching book about love, the longing for family, and the search for identity. Both Ida and May are caught among racial identities (African, Chinese, Caucasian) in the changing Jamaica of the 1960s and beyond. The author portrays perfectly the prickly …more

On Chesil Beach: A Novel
by Ian McEwan

Stunning! (9/28/2007)

Although I'm a big McEwan fan, I wasn't sure, after reading a few reviews, that I would enjoy On Chesil Beach. How much could one write about a single night, even a failed wedding night? Plus the reviews tended to focus only on the awkwardness of that night (and the sexual …more

The Boleyn Inheritance
by Philippa Gregory

Gregory's Best (2/17/2007)

This is by far Philippa Gregory's best historical novel. I love the way she interweaves the voices of three characters--none of which have been given much voice in previous novels by other authors. I've always wondered what motivated Lady Rocheford (Jane Boleyn) to assist …more

St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves: Stories
by Karen Russell

Unique (2/17/2007)

I have mixed feelings about Russell's collection. "Weird" might be a better word than "unique," and at times I felt like she was being weird for weirdness sake. Don't get me wrong--weird can be great, but I like it to have some meaning or purpose. The title story didn't do …more

Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette
by Sena Jeter Naslund

Fascinating Portrait (2/17/2007)

Naslund's portrait of Marie Antoinette makes the doomed queen a much more multifacted and interesting character than previous historical novels. The technique of interweaving letters between her and her mother with the narration of events worked quite well.

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Book Jacket — Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus

Praised by *Parade* and *The New York Times Book Review*, this debut features a 1960s scientist turned TV cooking star.

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