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Reviews by Barbara O. (Maryland Heights, MO)

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The Scavenger's Daughters: Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters, Book One
by Kay Bratt

A Delightful Floral Bouquet! (8/1/2013)

A sweet read, the author tells a lovely story of a childless couple and the family they create by opening their humble home to abandoned and orphaned baby and very young little girls. The background story reveals the life of a scavenger as well as the Mao cultural revolution and the hardships endured told through the eyes of Benfu, the author's chief character. You'll look forward to more stories each focusing on one of Benfu and Calli's daughters, each bearing the name of Flower.

Flat Water Tuesday
by Ron Irwin

Wow! (5/21/2013)

Love this book. Beautiful language, beautiful scenery, beautiful story. Loved the way the author weaves the past and the future with layers of intriguing relationships. Not your typical coming of age story. Well done!

Walk Me Home
by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Survivors (5/8/2013)

Great read for book clubs. Two sisters each coping and surviving true to their individual personalities. Survivors. Beautifully written, their story told in glimpses, just enough facts revealed to keep the reader curious to know what happened. Loved it.

One Minus One: Nancy Pearl's Book Lust Rediscoveries
by Ruth Doan MacDougall

Emotional Conflict (4/10/2013)

Good story relating the emotional pain of a suddenly single young woman as she ventures into the reality of being "one". This period piece also captures New Hampshire as a background character slowly facing decline as the manufacturing plants begin their demise. The author engages the reader with a strong portrayal of confusion and yearning and the foolish decisions humans make to ease pain. A good read for book club discussions.

Children of the Jacaranda Tree
by Sahar Delijani

Beautiful Writing (2/10/2013)

Beautifully written, "Children of the Jacaranda Tree" reveals what really happened post Revolutionary Iran. The reader is emotionally invested from the start. The author reveals Iran, mysterious and terrifying and yet the reader can relate to love of country, family and ideals. I hope to see more books from this author with a talent for painting beautiful visuals through prose.

With or Without You: A Memoir
by Domenica Ruta

A different Mother/Daughter Love (11/28/2012)

"With or Without You" is a dark memoir of a childhood spent surrounded by drugs and alcohol and a dysfunctional mother and father. Yet despite the darkness there are bright rays of light filled with love and humor. I loved this story and look forward to reading more by this entertaining new author.

The Forgetting Tree: A Novel
by Tatjana Soli

A Magical Journey (8/5/2012)

"The Forgetting Tree" is Claire's story, at first, her happy successful life, then tragedy followed by numbness and illness. A page turner as you journey with Claire back to her youth and forward through great pain to peace. Vivid in it's scent and color and characters, this is a beautiful and magical story.

Sentinel: A Spycatcher Novel
by Matthew Dunn

Snowy Thriller (6/8/2012)

The Sentinel is a heart racing page turner. Matthew Dunn engages the reader from the opening chapter and never lets go until the end. Will Cochrane is a character the reader will want to see more of, tough, resourceful and intriguing. One can't help but wonder at his backstory. Set in snowy Russia, this is a thrilling chiller of a story.

The Secrets of Mary Bowser
by Lois Leveen

The Secrets of Mary Bowser (4/11/2012)

The Civil War told from a different perspective, a black female spy. An intriguing story filled with interesting characters, the author keeps the reader entertained from beginning to end with a well told tale.

All Woman and Springtime: A Novel
by Brandon W. Jones

All woman and Sprngtime (3/12/2012)

Disappointed in this author's attempt to give the reader a glimpse into life in North Korea. The plot fails to convince the reader that two orphans in a tightly controlled police state would find themselves "tricked" into breaking all the rules and being sold as sex slaves. I wasn't convinced of the authenticity of the female characters. Overall the story felt contrived.

The Starboard Sea: A Novel
by Amber Dermont

Starboard Sea (2/18/2012)

A modern day "Catcher in the Rye", the story of a young man's journey to make sense of his life after a tragic incident. Jason Prosper finds others like himself in a new school his senior year. Their stories and Jason's innate decency lead the reader through a tale of teenage angst, tragedy and life in a prep school with a reputation for taking in kids kicked out of other private schools. A good read made even better for anyone with a love of sailing.

Heat Wave: A Novel
by Nancy Thayer

Great Beach Read. (5/1/2011)

A book to just relax with, a story of relationships, food and starring in the background, Nantucket. Lose yourself in the story of friends, the good, the bad and the ugly and yet, in the end still friends. Highly entertaining, meant to be read outside with the image in your mind of an island B&B, a nice breeze, crashing waves and a good story.

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

The Tudor Secret (4/1/2011)

The author writes an engaging story seamlessly fitting in a fictional character to historical fact. There are a lot of recognized authors in this genre and it's my opinion that C.W. Gortner deserves to be among them.

Brendan Prescott is an inexperienced young man, forced to grow up quickly in a short period of time. He's an engaging hero, hapless and lucky with good supportive characters both real and fictional that give credence to the tale. Underlying the main story is a believable premise that sets the stage for the birth of the earliest known "secret agents", the famous Cecil and Walsingham so important to Queen Elizabeth during her reign.

Highly entertaining, recommend especially to lovers of good historical fiction.

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