Reviews by Barbara Z. (Cherry Hill, NJ)

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Love and Other Consolation Prizes
Love and Other Consolation Prizes: A Novel
by Jamie Ford
And the Winner is .... (7/18/2017)
Jamie Ford's new novel. A wonderful blend of historical fiction, unlikely friendship, coming of age, romance and a smidgeon of mystery. The story toggles between 1909-1911 and 1962, using the Alaska Yukon Pacific (AYP) of 1909 and Century 21 Expo of 1962 as bookends to the …more
Manderley Forever
Manderley Forever
by Tatiana de Rosnay
Dame Daphne (1/17/2017)
I requested to review "Manderley Forever" because I have read two of Tatiana de Rosnay's books, but I have never read any du Maurier books, but was aware that several were NY Times bestsellers and movies. I was not aware that one of du Maurier's short stories was the basis …more
Karolina's Twins
Karolina's Twins
by Ronald H. Balson
Twins (8/3/2016)
Karolina's Twins doesn't have the opening chapter hook that would not let me put down Once We Brothers. This story is told from the prospective of Lena Scheinman, a fictional character.
Once a again, Ron Balson writes a historical fiction novel with a gripping backstory and …more
Lady Cop Makes Trouble
Lady Cop Makes Trouble: Girl Waits with Gun #2
by Amy Stewart
Kopp Sisters (6/4/2016)
The sequel to Girl Waits with Gun is equally enjoyable and clever. Lots of plucky descriptions. A lot of period research is evident in both these novels. Throughout the book there are references to women's employment options and rights in 1915-1916. I was struck by how much …more
The Forgetting Time
The Forgetting Time
by Sharon Guskin
Live in the moment (12/28/2015)
Excellent debut novel and an engaging read. I'm not a fan of the main topic of the book - reincarnation. But, the story felt like a suspense novel for most of the book and kept my interest.

Those who loved Kate Atkinson's " Life after Life" will probably enjoy this book …more
Girl Waits with Gun
Girl Waits with Gun
by Amy Stewart
Girl Waits (8/5/2015)
This book grabbed me from the start even though I put the book aside and restarted several times, I knew I wanted to wait until I had time to savor. I loved the story. I love the cover, and want to frame it. You can judge this book by the cover. Not only did the cover draw …more
The Wild Girl
The Wild Girl
by Kate Forsyth
Once Upon a Time (4/19/2015)
Once upon a time ... a Wild girl and a Grimm boy, and an Ogre (Napoleon) shaped the history of early 19th century Europe. The book melded early 19th century German (Hessian) life with historical events and folklore. I found myself looking up the Grimm's, Wild's Napoleon, …more
A Reunion of Ghosts
A Reunion of Ghosts
by Judith C. Mitchell
Clever Amazing Book (4/9/2015)
A Reunion of Ghosts is a novel of wordplay, dark comedy (tragedy, gloom, morbidity) and absurdity mixed with historical fiction. What a zany combination!

A series of coincidences prompts three sisters: Vee, Lady and Delph, the 4th generation of the Alter family, and the …more
The Last Flight of Poxl West
The Last Flight of Poxl West
by Daniel Torday
Tale of two eras (2/1/2015)
I was intrigued by the premise of a WWII story about a Jewish RAF pilot, but concerned about WWII fatigue. This book is really two coming of age stories, each written in distinct styles. I admit bias toward the 1980s portion due to the Boston metro setting. I found reading …more
The Nightingale
The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
Women in WWII (10/4/2014)
I've never read a Kristin Hannah book, but a few are on my 'want to read' list.
It was easy to read 100 or more pages of this book in an evening. I've read many WWII books. This story about two non-Jewish sisters surviving occupied France was interesting. The book builds …more
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair: A Novel
by Joel Dicker
Up all night (6/20/2014)
I couldn't put this book down! Yes, there are stereotypes, humor, satire, and creepiness. But there is a certain genius to the book as a whole package - including the cover, the layout (chapter numbers in descending rather than ascending order), the book within a book, and …more
Once We Were Brothers
Once We Were Brothers
by Ronald H. Balson
Once We Were Brothers (9/10/2013)
The self published version of the book was recommended to me earlier this year, and I didn't really want to read another Holocaust book. Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. The opening premise of a Nazi possibly hiding in America as a Jew was a new …more
A Dual Inheritance
A Dual Inheritance
by Joanna Hershon
A Dual Inheritance (3/24/2013)
I found this book too long and too cerebral for my tastes. Although this book was long, it was somehow comforting and nostalgic. The beginning of the book reminded me of "Rich Boy".
I struggled with the author's writing style - dialogue interrupted with long descriptions of …more
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