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Reviews by Donna W. (Lansing, NY)

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Our Lady of the Prairie
Our Lady of the Prairie
by Thisbe Nissen
Main protagonists were sympathetic and real, however... (11/14/2017)
I was hooked by the first third of the story; no segue to part two, and found this section to be almost textbook for the time (WWII)... However, it all came together during the last section.

Having said that, I found myself wanting to walk away after part two. Up to that …more
Seven Days of Us
Seven Days of Us: A Novel
by Francesca Hornak
Everyone has secrets... (5/22/2017)
From beginning to end, this book was a joy to read, not too predictable and with twists and turns and a bit of humor thrown in.
A flawed family is forced to be together under unusual circumstances, adding to the intrigue of each character...
Hard to put down, would highly …more
The Stars Are Fire
The Stars Are Fire
by Anita Shreve
Easy read, rather formulaic... (2/23/2017)
This is a book I would classify as a "beach read". While holding my interest throughout the story, the characters and general plot were rather predictable, and somewhat disappointing. I was hoping that there would be an unusual or mystery twist, however that never happened.

…more
A Piece of the World
A Piece of the World: A Novel
by Christina Baker Kline
One of the best that I've read... (12/20/2016)
The words and emotions are powerful and characters are brought to life, so intensely in this beautifully written historical fiction of the main protagonist, Christina and her family.

The story is fraught with both humor and sadness, as we struggle along with Christina …more
The Tea Planter's Wife
The Tea Planter's Wife
by Dinah Jefferies
Romantic novel with an element of mystery... (7/13/2016)
This was for me, a quick read, and most definitely a "chic book", with some intrigue thrown in.

While touching on some historical elements to make it believable, the ending was somewhat unrealistic and not necessarily plausible given that it was the main focus of the main …more
Shelter
Shelter
by Jung Yun
Skeletons in the closet... (1/14/2016)
Well written and hard to put down. Great character development through the melding of an Americanized son with his traditional, Korean parents.

The family tragedy brings a great many forces to a head, and brings to life all of the myriad of flaws of this family.

Family …more
Broken Promise
Broken Promise: A Thriller
by Linwood Barclay
Somewhat gripping, however..... (7/14/2015)
While embracing this genre of "who-done-its", this one left me lukewarm. Although I'll always persevere to the end, it's more a matter of the quest, and in this case this rings true.

Too many characters and too many distractions for its own good, making it a trifle tedious …more
The Art of Baking Blind
The Art of Baking Blind
by Sarah Vaughan
The Art of Brits Baking Blind (3/11/2015)
I found that this book just couldn't fly in the U.S. I didn't find that I could appreciate the complexity of the baking challenges due to the fact that I didn't know what many of the food items were.

I thought I'd find the topic appealing, when in fact it just left me …more
The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell
The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell
by William Klaber
Pluses and minuses....... (1/11/2015)
The first two thirds of the story were very slow-moving and somewhat tedious. While the last third gives us a deeper understanding into the true feelings of Lucy, the person, she doesn't really seem very likable, just a pathetic character. From my perspective, the …more
Five
Five
by Ursula Archer
Classic whodunnit with a contemporary twist..... (10/15/2014)
This was a page-turning journey into the life of a serial killer. The suspects were intricately woven into characters who kept you guessing throughout their mysterious and erratic behaviors.

Beatrice was sort of an irritating character, oftentimes impulsive and not so …more
The House We Grew Up In
The House We Grew Up In
by Lisa Jewell
Family dysfunction at it's best and worst...... (3/15/2014)
I was tempted, after about one hundred pages to walk away from the book and not finish it. The characters seemed flat and uninteresting, as if there wasn't a compelling reason to get to know them any better.

I persevered and then realized that I wanted to find out more...... …more
The Homecoming of Samuel Lake
The Homecoming of Samuel Lake: A Novel
by Jenny Wingfield
Southern Gothic re-visited ... (7/8/2011)
The Homecoming of SL is reminiscent of the true, Southern Gothic style. Although it starts out a little on the slow side, the author eventually weaves the real chain of events into a good versus evil theme, demanding that the characters reveal their true feelings, however …more
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