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Reviews by Nancy L. (Staunton, VA)

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The Devoted
by Blair Hurley
The Journey (5/17/2018)
In "The Devoted" by Blair Hurley, the main character, Nicole, is on a difficult journey. Although she takes us along on the physical journey from Boston to Colorado and then on to New York City, the real journey for Nicole is the struggle to find her way out of anmore
Other People's Houses
by Abbi Waxman
Ordinary People (12/4/2017)
"Other People's Houses" by Abbi Waxman reads like a morality play. One of the major characters, Frances, despite her frumpy appearance, is cast as the saint. She is all wise and all giving and seems to be the glue that holds the neighborhood together. Claire and Charlie aremore
Mothers of Sparta: A Memoir in Pieces
by Dawn Davies
Pieces of a Life (9/8/2017)
"Mothers of Sparta A Memoir in Pieces" by Dawn Davies is a remarkable work. Davies is a tough woman with a tender underside who paints a picture of her life through a series of self portraits, or essays. The early essays portray a great love and appreciation for the naturalmore
The Resurrection of Joan Ashby
by Cherise Wolas
A Story Within a Story (5/25/2017)
"The Resurrection of Joan Ashby" by Cherise Wolas is amazing. It follows the life of acclaimed young writer, Joan Ashby as she falls in love, marries, and raises two sons, all the while struggling to find a space in her busy life for her writing, the lifeblood of hermore
The Book of Summer
by Michelle Gable
Summer Secrets (3/6/2017)
"The Book of Summer" by Michelle Gable is the story of three generations of women and their lives in and around their summer home on Nantucket Island. But it's not quite as simple as that sounds. This novel is filled from beginning to end with secrets and surprises. Themore
Extraordinary Adventures
by Daniel Wallace
Coming of Age (2/3/2017)
The main character of "Extraordinary Adventures" is Edsel Bronfman and I loved this man! In our present day world of electronics and fast paced dating apps, Bronfman is a throwback, as his name Edsel implies, to a simpler time. At thirty four, Bronfman hasn't had a datemore
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
by Kathleen Rooney
A Walk Down Memory Lane (9/17/2016)
The book, "Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk" by Kathleen Rooney takes place on New Year's Eve, 1984, and follows octogenarian Lillian Boxfish as she takes a walk around New York City, musing about her long and storied life. In effect, the novel is a love letter to "her" city.more
North of Crazy: A Memoir
by Neltje
True North (5/26/2016)
This memoir of Neltje Doubleday, a member of a totally dysfunctional high society family found me wishing for more while I was also wishing for less. The journey of this very accomplished woman to find her "true north" away from the demands of family and society wasmore
The Railwayman's Wife
by Ashley Hay
Memory and Loss (2/3/2016)
This lyrical post World War II novel, set on the coast of Australia, is a feast for the senses. We feel the steady pounding of the waves against the shore and the roaring beat as each train passes. We taste the salt on new bride Anil Lachlan's skin as she exits the oceanmore
The Language of Secrets
by Ausma Zehanat Khan
Page Turner (10/30/2015)
"The Language of Secrets" by Ausma Zehanat Khan was a fascinating read for me. I learned much about Muslim culture, although not in a didactic way. The Muslim poetry, especially, was a lyrical way to appreciate the traditions of this religion. Khan was able to seamlesslymore
The Good Neighbor
by Amy Sue Nathan
A Neighbor in Need (8/8/2015)
When I began reading Amy Sue Nathan's "The Good Neighbor", I had just finished reading a string of heavy literary fiction. My first impression was that this was clearly lightweight. But as I continued, I realized that there was a hidden depth to this story and it rang true.more
Circling the Sun: A Novel
by Paula McLain
Out of Africa (5/14/2015)
Paula McLain has done it again, crafting a dynamic fictional account of an historical woman. From the very beginning of Beryl Markham's story of her childhood years in Africa, I was hooked. I cared about her life and could easily envision the wonderful hills and grasslandsmore
Three Many Cooks: One Mom, Two Daughters: Their Shared Stories of Food, Faith & Family
by Pam Anderson, Maggy Keet & Sharon Damelio
Three Many Essays (2/13/2015)
There is much about this book that is appealing. Told in a series of essay, we learn about this mother, her two daughters, and their extended families. These women are smart, funny, and are the kind of women one might want as a friend. They discuss their relationships withmore
The Last Good Paradise
by Tatjana Soli
Paradise Found (11/4/2014)
Who among us doesn't dream of running away to a deserted island, leaving behind our problems, big and small? When Ann, an intelligent attorney, and her husband Richard, a talented chef, run away from their financial woes to the South Pacific, they encounter a cast ofmore
The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
The Nightingale Sings (9/16/2014)
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is easily the best book I have read in a very long time. Hannah crafts a character driven story about two sisters: Isabelle Rossignol and Vian Rossignol Mauriac, young women who live both in Paris as well as in a small country town inmore
Mating for Life
by Marissa Stapley
Mating for Life (3/17/2014)
Mating for Life by Marissa Stanley has a lot going for it. We follow three sisters and their mother as they navigate their way through broken marriages, short-lived flings, and new loves. Early on, I became attached to these women and, at times, they felt like my friends. Imore
Glitter and Glue: A Memoir
by Kelly Corrigan
Glitter and Glue (12/12/2013)
"Glitter and Glue" by Kelly Corrigan caught me by surprise. As I began reading it, I thought it would be a travelogue/memoir: two twenty something women off to discover Australia, complete with Ayres Rock, coastal surfing, and snorkeling. Although there was a bit of that,more
Soy Sauce for Beginners
by Kirstin Chen
Authenticity (10/4/2013)
"Soy Sauce for Beginners" by Kirstin Chen is, at its root, a story about authenticity. Gretchen Lin, the main character, is on a journey to discover who she really is. Is she the San Francisco resident studying for an advanced degree in music who is fleeing a marriage gonemore
Once We Were Brothers
by Ronald H. Balson
A Story to Remember (8/7/2013)
Wow! On a scale of 1 to 5, "Once We Were Brothers" is a 10 and I have been unable to put it down. Ronald Balson has created a deftly written story centered around an elderly Chicago man who is a concentration camp from Poland. He is determined to right a sixty year oldmore
The Mouse-Proof Kitchen
by Saira Shah
Split Personality (6/24/2013)
"The Mouse-Proof Kitchen" by Saira Shah is a book with a split personality. On the one hand is a gripping story of how the birth of a severely disabled child affects a marriage as well as family relations and personal friendships. The other hand holds a very different story.more
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