BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Sisters of the Great War: A Novel
by Suzanne Feldman

Sisters of the GREAT WAR (9/13/2021)

This book is a paean of sorts to the many people who were at the front in the battles of the "war to end all wars." They include the soldiers, the medical staffs, the ambulance staffs, and the volunteers. In lucid prose the author paints vivid pictures of the sights, sounds, smells, screams, operations on the wounded, and the dreaded amputations. The romances are more contrived and there are several gratuitous and graphic sex scenes which I found jarring. All in all this is not an easy read but is a very compelling one indeed.

The Woman Before Wallis: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal
by Bryn Turnbull

Money and Happiness Don't Always Coincide (7/16/2020)

A glimpse into the life styles of the "other half" - the rich and famous - lived in the 1930's comprises the essence of this book. While the world was wallowing in the Great Depression, these characters were taking luxurious and leisurely trips, had servants to do their bidding, partying and drinking. The Woman in the title was Lady Thelma Morgan Furness, a twice-divorced socialite who captured the fancy of the playboy Prince of Wales with whom she carried on a torrid relationship. It makes one wonder how the course of history would have changed if Edward VIII had not abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson who was a friend of Thelma Furness. The book is well written, well researched, and a very good product from a debut author.

The Prisoner's Wife
by Maggie Brookes

Prisoner's Wife (2/25/2020)

This book. based on true facts, could have been a riveting read. The plot is different, the characters well developed, the writing excellent. But it has a glaring fault: there is so much minutiae that the book becomes too long, too dragged out, and somewhat repetitive in its actions.
I kept thinking that frequently less is more, and less of this book with details and explanations, and more left to the intelligence/imagination of the reader would have made it a more compelling read.

The Yellow Bird Sings: A Novel
by Jennifer Rosner

The Yellow Bird Sings (11/27/2019)

This is a beautiful but brutal book about a Jewish mother and young daughter caught in Poland during the horror of World War II. The author some fresh and unhackneyed themes into play: keeping a five-year-old child completely quiet while mother and daughter are hiding in a hayloft; the musical genius of the child; the imaginary yellow bird whose "singing" stands for the music in the little girl's head; the long and painful separation of the parent and child. it's happening today
as well!

The writing is crisp, clear, wonderfully descriptive, and heart rending. The plot delves into both the best and worst of humanity under perilous conditions. A thought-provoking read indeed.

Lady Clementine
by Marie Benedict

Lady Clementine (11/2/2019)

A gem of a book! Chronicled by a woman of incredible valor - Clementine Hosier Churchill - she describes herself, her feelings, her thoughts, her actions, and her lifelong romance with her brilliant but fractious husband, Winston. Although he claimed she was his "secret weapon" for advice, criticism, support and help, she managed to keep him under a modicum of control.
She was by his side after the disastrous British defeat at Gallipoli in 1915, his years of ignominy, and his rise to Prime Minister before and during .World War11. She worked assiduously to make the bomb shelters comfortable and sanitary and did so many other behind-the-scenes deeds. Members of her own family served valiantly as well.
A fine book of historical fiction about a woman whose name we Americans do not even pronounce correctly!

The Shadow King: A Novel
by Maaza Mengiste

The Shadow King (6/22/2019)

This is an informative book of historical fiction well worth reading, albeit not a quick or easy read. In lyrical prose and beautiful descriptive language she proves decisively that war is indeed hell. And in a relatively novel way she relates that in the Italo-Ethiopian conflict of 1935-1936, African women played a significant, though under-credited role.

She develops equally the characters on both sides of the battles and details the bestiality of this war. The invaders, the Italians, came with modern machines of death, while the Ethiopians fought valiantly with spears, outmoded guns and lack of materiel. An odd match with hulking Benito Mussolini as the antagonist and small, frail Haile Selassie as the defending SHADOW KING who went into exile in England. This was of course a prologue to the terrible bloodshed of World War II. The SHADOW KING is a book well worth reading.

The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz
by Jack Fairweather

The Volunteer (4/17/2019)

This is an amazing true story that should be read by everyone interested in World War II history, except for the squeamish or faint-hearted. The Volunteer depicts the horrors of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps through the prism of a heroic Pole, Witold Pelecki, who has himself shipped to Auschwitz to work toward destroying it The ghastly methods of exterminating Poles, Catholics, enemies of the state and of course the Jews are shown in detail. As for me, after reading this book I am far more aware of and concerned about the genocides in so many foreign lands as well as the rapid rise of anti-Semitism worldwide. It is said that if we don't learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. A sobering thought indeed.

The Night Tiger: A Novel
by Yangsze Choo

The Night Tiger (12/30/2018)

The more I think about this book the more I like it. The premise is a promising one: Chinese people and other foreigners living in Malaya before the onset of World War II. They have all come to the island for different reasons.
The beliefs, the events, the customs, the superstitions, the numerology, the motley characters were all well delineated. Of particular interest to me was the fascination with death and life, and the rituals that accompanied them. Also, the unexpected twists and turns were a clever touch. As the book ended and the characters went their different ways, I wondered if the author plans to write a sequel to NIGHT TIGER. Time will tell.

At the Wolf's Table
by Rosella Postorino

SO MUCH FOOD BUT IS IT SAFE? (10/22/2018)

AT THE WOLF'S TABLE can not only be read but experienced as well . During WWII ten conscripted German women had the job of tasting every morsel of food that went into the Wolf's (Adolph Hitler's) mouth. The interactions among the tasters -- the friendships, the animosities, the secrets, stresses, fears were well drawn and the historical references were pertinent and timely. The ending, though, seemed somewhat forced and many decades of time had elapsed before we find out what happened to the characters and their families. I do wish the ending had been happier. Life never turns out the way we think it will.

So Much Life Left Over
by Louis de Bernieres

So Much Life Left Over (7/9/2018)

A gem of a book. De Bernieres' short, terse chapters move the story along at a rapid and seamless pace. The character development is exceptional.
The tale of the dashing British "fly boys" of World War 1 who expected to be killed in the line of duty provides a different twist to the usual war stories. The fact that some of the flyers survived, and what happens in their post-war lives makes up the essence of the book.
Evidently we didn't learn from history so the book carries the characters to World War II. An engrossing read indeed!

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A Place for Us
by Fatima Farheen Mirza

A Place for Us (4/4/2018)

A well-told generational story about the clash between old world traditions and mores and more modern ones. This talented author has done a fine job in depicting the enduring love and the heartbreak that occur in so many families.

The crux of the book was the ongoing conflict between a stern and unyielding father and his wayward son. Although father-son conflicts have been written about since Biblical times this one had a different approach. The mother and the two older sisters added some spice to the family dynamics.

The non-linear story development of the story added charm to the book; the inner monologues of the fourth chapter were powerful indeed. A Place for Us was not a quick or easy read, but a very satisfying one.

As Bright as Heaven
by Susan Meissner

As Bright as Heaven (10/11/2017)

A winner! This is a well written, well plotted, well researched book. The setting and events are unusual: a family living in an on-site funeral home in Philadelphia, as well as a closer look at the tragic effects of the Spanish flu pandemic during the waning months of the Great War.

Although there are two incidents that seemed most incredulous I was able to suspend disbelief and enjoy the story line. A good read and a unique one.

The Necklace
by Claire McMillan

The Necklace (6/15/2017)

This book is a pleasant summer read. The writing is clear and straightforward. The alternating chapters, encompassing two different eras -- one in the roaring twenties, the second in more recent times--are adroitly handled.
That said, the book could have been better if it had more depth and substance and was less predictable.. The acquisition and disposition of the necklace did not excite this reader, nor did the unlikable characters. Still as an easy read and a light romance it passes muster.

My Last Lament
by James William Brown

My Last Lament (3/21/2017)

This is a historical novel, and a sad one, about the Nazi invasion of Greece during World War 11 and the devastating aftermath for the Greek people when the war ended.

The crisply-drawn characters encounter dreams unfulfilled, blame unwarranted, serious illness undiagnosed, unimaginable losses, and great love. Except for a somewhat slow-moving section in the middle of the book, the plot moves along briskly with some surprising twists. MY LAST LAMENT demonstrates so surely that life NEVER turns out the way we expect it to, and the human spirit has resilience even under dreadful circumstances, A good read!

The Half Wives
by Stacia Pelletier

Half Wives (1/7/2017)

I have mixed feelings about this book. The Pros:The writing was crisp and vivid. I empathized greatly with the bereaved couple who had lost their young child. I enjoyed the local brouhaha about moving the cemeteries with the corpses of course from San Francisco to Colma. The Cons: The plot was predictable. The man, a pastor, loved his wife but had a child with another woman when his marriage deteriorated. To which of the two women he chose to return was almost a foregone conclusion. I found the characters unlikable, deeply flawed and quite selfish. I really didn't much care what happened to any of them.

The Tea Planter's Wife
by Dinah Jefferies

Tea Planter's Wife (7/23/2016)

I wanted very much to like this book. The premise was intriguing: a story about tea planting and picking in Ceylon in the early years of the twentieth century. As I read this historical novel, I really enjoyed the historical parts -- the caste system, the growing unrest among the poorer classes, the vast differences between the lives of masters and servants, the rampant brutality. As for the fiction part, I enjoyed that much less. The writing was overwrought, many of the characters stereotypical, and so many of the words and phrases repetitious. There were too many "tears filled his/her eyes" and "he/she pulled a face." Perhaps more stringent editing would have made this a better book.

Miss Jane
by Brad Watson

Miss Jane (3/30/2016)

A must read! The writing is beautiful and almost poetic ---terse and imaginative. The characters are finely drawn: the laconic father, the worn-down mother, the rebellious older sister, the kindly doctor, the immature boyfriend, and of course Miss Jane herself.

Born with a genital affliction that could have made her
bitter, reclusive, and joyless, Jane showed extraordinary gumption. She was her own person and an inspiring one at that. In her quiet way she forged a full life for herself despite being "different."

I loved the book and unequivocally recommend it.

The Dark Lady's Mask
by Mary Sharratt

Dark Lady's Mask (2/25/2016)

A fanciful romp of offbeat characters late in the sixteenth century makes the DARK LADY'S MASK a delightful read. Recounting the adventures and tribulations of Aemilia Bassano Lanyer, an educated female poet (!), a rarity in her time, gives us insights into the customs and mores of five hundred years ago in England and Italy.

Whether she was or wasn't the muse, the inspiration, the collaborator, the lover of the penniless poorly-educated writer from Stratford who became the renowned William Shakespeare -- does it really matter? Suffice it to say: suspend disbelief, savor and enjoy the book. I did.

Shelter
by Jung Yun

,SHELTER (12/17/2015)

Although SHELTER deals with a lengthy list of unpleasant subjects: a very dysfunctional family situation, flawed characters, rape, untimely death, and a graphic and gratuitous sexual encounter, I did not find the book to be a "downer." Why? The uniqueness of the plot, the fast pace of the actions, the outcomes, and especially the quality of the writing kept me wanting to read more. But it is not light reading. I liked the interaction among the characters, the effect of culture and upbringing, and the difficulty of forgiving those who have grievously hurt one. In sum, SHELTER is a provocative book.

When the Moon Is Low: A Novel
by Nadia Hashimi

When the Moon Is Low (8/24/2015)

Love, death, birth, chaos in a rocket-ravaged Kabul, and the fortunes of a family emigrating from the turmoil of Afghanistan are the themes of this "in the moment" book. It is also a coming-of-age story as a young man separated from his family tries desperately to rejoin them; the obstacles he encounters are many.

I found the book intriguing and difficult to put down. Inasmuch as some important issues remained unresolved, a sequel to WHEN THE MOON IS LOW would make for more enticing reading.

Reviews by Florence K. (Northridge, CA)

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Reviews by Florence K. (Northridge, CA)

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