Reviews by Helen M. (Petaluma, CA)

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The Half Wives
The Half Wives
by Stacia Pelletier
The Half Wives (1/5/2017)
This is an interesting story but felt sluggish to me. And it is an odd story of a man with a legal wife and a mistress he loves dearly. That the story centers on the grave site of his deceased son seems odd but it is 1897. The child, Blue is charming and well developed …more
A Good Family
A Good Family
by Erik Fassnacht
So insightful (5/10/2015)
A Good Family, as you would suppose, is all about one particular family. It"s strong point, and a very strong point, is how each person in that family is presented, evolves. This book has all the ups and downs, ins and outs, of family life. Nerds, PTSD, fidelity and …more
Letters to the Lost
Letters to the Lost
by Iona Grey
Not Just Another Love Story (3/8/2015)
When I saw the format, letters from WWII, I was wary but interested. I love WWII stories. And who doesn't like a good love story, but this was so much more. Letters to the Lost travels in time, 1943-2011. The many interesting characters are very well developed. They all …more
The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell
The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell
by William Klaber
Rebellion (12/10/2014)
Very good books of a historical fiction bent open windows to certain times and places. The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell lets us enter a time and place I had not before experienced. It was a fascinating read. Unbelievable courage displayed by so many characters. …more
That Summer
That Summer
by Lauren Willig
Convergence (4/15/2014)
Lauren Willig's That Summer is a good read. Since I am an artist, it encouraged me to research the Pre-Raphaelite movement of the time period of the novel, 1848-1850. The novel goes between this time period and modern-day England. It travels between the two very gracefully …more
City of the Sun
City of the Sun
by Juliana Maio
City of the Sun (1/2/2014)
It would be difficult for me to recommend this book generally. Who might enjoy it are people who love historical fiction about both WWII and the middle east. The city of the Sun is Cairo, the time is 1941. The players I found confusing. Many religious factions and many …more
The Last Enchantments
The Last Enchantments
by Charles Finch
Fell Short (11/15/2013)
I thought the book only average because it seems to be more of a remembrance of a time gone by than a compelling novel. The descriptions of Oxford are done so well that one can picture being there but the characters seem so self-absorbed. I could not find the heart of the …more
Through the Evil Days
Through the Evil Days: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery
by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Julia nails it..... (9/5/2013)
I have read each and every book in this series. In my humble opinion, this one is by far the best. It takes place in about a week in the freezing blizzards of the mid-west. It opens with a tense situation and Julia adds more tensions until she has several stories developing. …more
The Mouse-Proof Kitchen
The Mouse-Proof Kitchen
by Saira Shah
Just a Little Messy (6/24/2013)
I would certainly recommend The Mouse Proof Kitchen. It is a story of life and how messy it can get, how human we are. It is also a story of profound love and all the challenges that love may face. And it is a story of families. Guarantees there are not! Set in a village in …more
The Last Girl
The Last Girl: A Maeve Kerrigan Novel
by Jane Casey
Too Much (5/1/2013)
I would not recommend this book. My title reflects my feelings.......too much. Too much bickering, too many disjointed happenings. When all is resolved, one wonders if the loose ends were even addressed much less resolved. The book is described as unpredictable and it is, …more
Walk Me Home
Walk Me Home
by Catherine Ryan Hyde
A Journey of Discovery (4/8/2013)
This book was read in one weekend. I did not really expect to like it and the truth is I loved it. Walk Me Home is full of wonderful character development and they are lively and interesting people. They make you laugh and cry. We learn about Naive American reservations, we …more
Bone River
Bone River
by Megan Chance
Unfolding (11/20/2012)
Bone River is a very well constructed historical novel which I found fascinating. The author left me wanting to know more about life in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1800's. Life was very hard for Leonie Russell and her family. The unfolding of truth which is central to …more
Beneath the Shadows
Beneath the Shadows
by Sara Foster
Gothic for sure (5/10/2012)
Although the novel starts slowly, it develpes as one turns pages and ends up with more than one twist. Dark, spooky.......what better place than the moors of England. The snowy weather enhances each scene. The characters are well-developed as they spend the novel skirting …more
Paris in Love
Paris in Love: A Memoir
by Eloisa James
What's missing? (3/9/2012)
I was so looking forward to a memoir about a year in Paris but this book fell short for me. I found the method of very short posts that Eloisa wrote in distracting and more often left me wanting for more. Sometimes it was appropriate but more often it felt disjointed. On …more
A Good American
A Good American: A Novel
by Alex George
Generations (12/23/2011)
Alex George told a very ambitious tale and he told it well. We are all immigrants and can relate to so many things that his fictional family, the Meisenheimers, experience. The book is full of love, and tolerance, justices and injustices. It also contains a surprise or two. …more
A Trick of the Light
A Trick of the Light: Armand Gamache Series #7
by Louise Penny
On the mark again (7/10/2011)
For the latest Louise Penny, I resolved to read very slowly, to savour each word. I am so glad I did. The characters keep developing, the mystery solved, the tension set for the next book. It all unfolded beautifully and made me glad. The strongest part seems obvious. …more
Original Sin
Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure
by Beth Mcmullen
Unbelieveable (2/10/2011)
I hung in there and read the whole book but for me it was just unbelievable. Lucy and Sally are way too far apart. She has a husband and child and is a spy? Each character could evolve into a great subject for a book but I just could not grasp that they worked together. So, …more
The Girl in the Green Raincoat
The Girl in the Green Raincoat: A Novel
by Laura Lippman
Novellas can be difficult (11/1/2010)
This was my first Laura Lippman and I will read more. "The Girl in the Green Raincoat" develops very nicely with clearly drawn characters. They were my favorite part. Tess, the main character, was a stretch at times, especially at the unveiling of the "mystery". For me, …more
Man in the Woods
Man in the Woods
by Scott Spencer
A Way With Words (7/12/2010)
Scott Spencer has a way with words. He includes some remarkable descriptive passages in this novel of one man's journey and the effects this journey has on the people in his life. It is like a tapestry with just a few flaws. I never understood the daughter, Ruby. And as …more
The Map of True Places
The Map of True Places
by Brunonia Barry
Amazing Journey (4/9/2010)
I read The Map of True Places in only a few days. It is an easy read with great descriptions of modern day Salem and a masterfully created sense of wonder and power concerning the sea. The story is maybe a little too complicated so the weaving of it does not always hold …more
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