The Stone Home is a riveting and difficult read made even more devastating knowing it is based on true events in recent South Korean history. While not a gentle read, I was drawn to the power of relationships and the basic human need to survive in the most abusive of cruel situations. While my book group most likely would not wish to read the novel, I am glad I did.

I thoroughly immersed myself into this intriguing and delightful story of the Kopp sisters, each vulnerable yet strong in her own right. I particularly resonate with the oldest, Constance, who with true grit, courage, cleverness, resourcefulness and independence, meets the challenges that threaten her family. This is a good choice for book clubs, lovers of historical fiction, and any reader who loves seeing difficult challenges met by strong feminine protagonists.

Whispering Shadows is a splendid read that draws one into the little known cultural world where modern China and Hong Kong meld into the complex setting for this murder mystery. And yet this story is much more than a murder mystery as Sendker deftly explores with tenderness and compassion the deepening friendships between painfully wounded people who, despite their flaws and vulnerabilities, risk building a trust that transcends cultural lines and personal struggles with their own past demons. I love this book for its humanity and wisdom .

This is the quintessential dream of escaping…escaping from dead end jobs, from lost broken relationships, from failure to either grasp or hold on to the illusion of the American dream of success, from the deflating of romantic passion in the pursuit of the dream, from financial ruin and confused relationships, from festering alienation and miscommunication. It is a geographical escape where each of the characters still must meet their demons even as they seek paradise on a remote Polynesian island resort. And as intriguing as all of this may be, the story is predictable. While the characters are colorfully revealed, I I was disappointed that the primary relationship between the primary antagonists is not developed with the depth that validates the conclusion.

I loved this book peopled with seemingly simple mountain folk whose lives are shredded by a tragedy which opens old wounds and older secrets and ultimately heals the least expected when "fairness is taken out of the equation." This book speaks powerfully and truthfully to the human condition with rich, honest characterizations and dialog.

An unplanned pregnancy resulting in the death of the child as a result of an affair at any time is difficult, but one set in the historical context of the mid 1600s when social conventions backed by law treated this as a crime punishable by death makes for an intriguing even if the depth of the characters seems to be less credible.

Mary Saint, the wayward-has-been rock singer and Jeanne,her mother, are both victims of family violence. Mary acts out in drugs and sings angry lyrics, and her mother tries to quietly put her past behind her. Both have a lot to swallow when an invitation to sing in the small town high school brings Mary's and her mother's reunites the two. I had difficulty connecting with Mary as a believable character. Jeanne, while more credible, did not get my sympathy. I found the book casually interesting.

A disturbing,challenging book that takes the reader into North Korean culture where truth finds expression in lies and deceit. Intrigue, danger, and glimpses of human vulnerability define this unique rites of passage story. The plot is rich; the characters are as illusive as the fabricated lives they live. The story haunts long after the last page.

The story set in the lazy summer days of rural Arkansas in the mid '50s is rich in regional idioms and quirky characters. Three generations of Moses who abide by the family rules of "no lying, no stealing and no tormenting of animals or small children," find their lives tragically changed only to rise in the end above their challenges with deeper understanding of what it means to love and be loved. Swan, the main character and a young member of the Moses clan, absolutely charmed me with her spunky imagination, rich insights, and deep empathy reminiscent of Scout in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and Huck in THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN. A wonderful read and a real keeper.