Reviews by Rosemary K. (Saginaw, MI)

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The Family Chao
The Family Chao: A Novel
by Lan Samantha Chang
The Most Interesting Family Chao (11/17/2021)
When I received a copy of Lan Samantha Chang's epic The Family Chao to review, a feeling of dread passed through me. How was I going to plow through a detailed history of a family whose names were going to be a bit challenging to remember?

The book introduced the topic of …more
Migrations
Migrations: A Novel
by Charlotte McConaghy
Another World/Bleak, yet Haunting (8/7/2021)
This book is mysterious; it is brilliantly written.

I was immediately intrigued by the initial basis--that animals are gradually disappearing. When the focus turned to birds, I was intrigued by the resultant soundless atmosphere that would remain.

Because my personal …more
The Mountains Sing
The Mountains Sing
by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
To Make the Mountains Sing (3/24/2021)
Nguyen Phan Que Mai's novel, The Mountains Sing, is a masterful work: the writing is smooth, educational, and full of emotion.

Although I was in college during the Vietnam War, I have to say that I knew very little about it. Fellow students were in an uproar, and members of …more
Fly Girls
Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History
by Keith O'Brien
A Soaring Read! (6/25/2018)
Keith O'Brien's Fly Girls is, to me, the best non-fiction book of 2018. This detailed account of five brave women who made aviation history is written in a smooth, lively way that keeps the reader involved.I learned an incredible amount, and my reading stayed on a very high …more
The Twelve-Mile Straight
The Twelve-Mile Straight: A Novel
by Eleanor Henderson
Read till the end of the road! (5/15/2017)
The Twelve-Mile Straight is a stunning book; brilliantly written, and full of inspired plot lines.

I was hooked from the first words. There was a brief period, though, when I was confused. I needed to re-read several pages, but they did not enlighten me. I finally decided to …more
The Typewriter's Tale
The Typewriter's Tale
by Michiel Heyns
some slogging required (2/9/2017)
Michiel Heyns' The Typewriter's Tale focuses on a typewriter/typist for the eminent author Henry James.

I could comprehend a typist working from a written draft, but this story has the author dictating and the typist following along. Being as Henry James is known for his …more
Under the Wide and Starry Sky
Under the Wide and Starry Sky
by Nancy Horan
a bit too wide/not enough stars (11/23/2013)
Nancy Horan's Under the Wide and Starry Sky reveals the enthralling story of Robert Louis Stevenson's life with Fanny van de Grift Osbourne.

Those who are aware of Stevenson's masterpiece works, such as Treasure Island, have probably imagined the author--if they thought …more
Song of the Spirits
Song of the Spirits: In the Land of the Long White Cloud saga
by Sarah Lark
what a song! (9/3/2013)
Sarah Lark's Song of the Spirits is a sumptuous epic. I was completely enthralled throughout its nearly 700 pages. A continuation of Lark's earlier work, In the Land of the Long White Cloud, the plot concerns key families who settled in New Zealand in the late 1800s.

This …more
The Lion in the Lei Shop
The Lion in the Lei Shop
by Kaye Starbird
an exciting read! (6/11/2013)
Nancy Pearl, of Book Lust fame, has undertaken a wondrous project: helping worthy out-of-print books become available once again.

Kaye Starbird's The Lion in the Lei Shop is one of these treasures. A young girl, Marty, is evacuated to the mainland after the attack on Pearl …more
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald
by Therese Anne Fowler
nothing new here (3/17/2013)
Therese Anne Fowler's Z/A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald seems to have been written to cash in on the success of Paula McLain's The Paris Wife.

While I thoroughly enjoyed McLain's book (how much do most of us know, after all, about Hadley?), I found Fowler's book quite tedious. …more
The Edge of the Earth
The Edge of the Earth
by Christina Schwarz
a book indeed with an edge (12/3/2012)
Christina Schwarz's exquisite The Edge of the Earth relates the story of Trudy Swann, who travels to a remote California lighthouse in the very late 1800's. As Trudy assists her not-particularly-likable husband Oskar with the operation of the lighthouse, she also begins …more
Beneath the Shadows
Beneath the Shadows
by Sara Foster
losing oneself in the shadows (6/6/2012)
From the very first, Sara Foster's Beneath the Shadows had me in its thrall. Wild, snowy moors, secrets in the basement. . .suspenseful elements abound. Unique characters are marvelously depicted. The author weaves a wondrous tale, drawing readers into the sad plight of …more
Sacre Bleu
Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d'Art
by Christopher Moore
Sacre Bleu indeed! (2/22/2012)
Christopher Moore's Sacre Bleu is one of the most dreadful books I've ever struggled through. I can appreciate the author's premise--barely, but the way the plot unfolded was tedious. None of the characters were appealing. I suppose the author was shooting for humor, but he …more
A Partial History of Lost Causes
A Partial History of Lost Causes: A Novel
by Jennifer duBois
A Partial History: something IS missing (1/12/2012)
For the most part, I found A Partial History of Lost Causes to be quite interesting. I felt motivated about the primary characters.

However, there still remained a gap; I felt somewhat too isolated from these people and their lives. Something kept me from throwing myself, …more
Before the Poison
Before the Poison
by Peter Robinson
a delectable mystery (1/3/2012)
Peter Robinson's Before the Poison is an old-fashioned mystery that had me entranced from the first page. A recently widowed composer purchases Kilnsgate House, an isolated mansion in the English countryside, where a murder had been committed years before. The man, …more
Turn of Mind
Turn of Mind
by Alice LaPlante
The Fragility of Mind (5/16/2011)
Alice LaPlante's Turn of Mind is a brilliant novel. The story unveils the complex story of Dr. Jennifer White, a victim of Alzheimer's, who may have committed a murder.

The narrator is usually Dr. White, who relates situations as she views them--sometimes she is in the past ( …more
Jamrach's Menagerie
Jamrach's Menagerie: A Novel
by Carol Birch
Don't give up! (2/16/2011)
Carol Birch's Jamrach's Menagerie is not really my type of book at all. Following the adventures of a street urchin who gets involved with exotic animals and goes to sea does not pique my curiosity.

Nevertheless, I soldiered on and slowly, gradually, the author won me over. …more
Snowdrops
Snowdrops: A Novel
by A.D. Miller
Chillingly wonderful! (12/3/2010)
A.D. Miller's Snowdrops is a refreshing book full of intrigue. Set in modern-day Moscow, the story concerns a British lawyer who becomes involved with two enticing young women.

The reader smoothly enters another world: feels the gripping cold, gapes at the horror of certain …more
Adam & Eve
Adam & Eve: A Novel
by Sena Jeter Naslund
Get me out of here! (10/10/2010)
Sena Jeter Naslund's latest effort is a dreadful book: the plot is pretentious; most of the characters are unbearable. The author, in her elaborate scheme, promises wonders, but what she delivers is meager.

The character of Adam was especially maddening. It was sheer torture …more
The Map of True Places
The Map of True Places
by Brunonia Barry
An Exquisite Map (5/27/2010)
Brunonia Barry's "The Map of True Places" is a wondrous, magical story combining folk legends, psychotherapy, and American literature. Setting her tale in the same locale as her "The Lace Maker" (and occasionally alluding to characters from that same book), Barry makes the …more
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