Reviews by Lynne B. (South Lake Tahoe, CA)

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The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes
The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes
by Chanel Cleeton
Cleeton's Newest Historical Mystery Is a Ten (2/20/2025)
Having read and reviewed several of Chanel Cleeton's novels, I find The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes is the best yet. I was drawn in to the strong and defiant women characters immediately. With the history of Cuban life brought in with the setting it was also a chance to …more
Fagin the Thief
Fagin the Thief: A Novel
by Allison Epstein
Fagin the Thief (12/30/2024)
If you loved James by Percival Everett, then you will definitely want to read this book, Fagin the Thief. This is another famous classic retold from the point of view of a different character.

This novel is based on Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. You may remember Fagin and …more
Happy Land
Happy Land
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (11/25/2024)
I have enjoyed Ms. Perkins-Valdez's historical fiction books since she began writing. Each one has enlightened us on a time in black history with excellent research to provide historic details and exhilarating characters that are unforgettable. Her newest book Happy Land is …more
Harlem Rhapsody
Harlem Rhapsody
by Victoria Christopher Murray
Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray (9/30/2024)
Ms. Murray has done excellent research in discovering and enhancing the story of Jessie Fauset's eight years as the literary editor of a magazine called The Crisis which was sponsored by the NAACP. Ms. Fauset was also a well known novelist and educator during the 1920s and 3 …more
Follow the Stars Home
Follow the Stars Home
by Diane C. McPhail
Follow the Stars Home by Diane McPhail (5/30/2024)
This is the story of the first steamboat to travel down the Mississippi River in 1811. Lydia is the main character and you will quickly grow to love her as a strong and courageous woman. She wants to support her husband Nicholas who engineered the construction of this …more
The House on Biscayne Bay
The House on Biscayne Bay
by Chanel Cleeton
Historical Mystery Gem (1/16/2024)
Chanel Cleeton does an excellent job of using early Florida history as a background to a suspenseful mystery. You are immediately drawn into the lives of both Anna and Carmen and follow them through dual timelines, Anna during the 20s and Carmen during the 40s. We are also …more
Daughters of Shandong
Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung
Excellent Debut Historical Fiction- Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung (11/12/2023)
This debut novel is a champion work of historical fiction. Based on true events in Eve Chung's family background the story of the Mao takeover of mainland China comes to life through Ms. Chung's writing. This is a period of history that is important for all to know the …more
The Lost English Girl
The Lost English Girl
by Julia Kelly
World War II Historical Fiction at its Best (2/14/2023)
This story covers so many themes; family, friendship, motherhood, religious differences, all within the scope of World War II England. Viv is an enduring character that you will grow to care for immediately. She has to make so many difficult decisions as a young mother as …more
Sisters of the Lost Nation
Sisters of the Lost Nation
by Nick Medina
Sisters of the Lost Nation (11/10/2022)
The characters of Amanda Horn and her sister Grace honor the memories of all the lost Native women over history. This is a coming-of-age story of a teen Native woman living on a fictional reservation in Louisiana. As with many reservations, there is a contrast between the …more
The Last Russian Doll
The Last Russian Doll
by Kristen Loesch
Everything You Want in Good Historical Fiction (10/12/2022)
The Last Russian Doll will take you through the history of the Russian Revolution and into late 20th century Russia with well defined, believable and enthralling characters. You will meet also a modern day woman of Russian descent who is looking for information on her …more
Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden
Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden: Two Sisters Separated by China's Civil War
by Zhuqing Li
Two Sisters of China (5/8/2022)
This enthralling story of two sisters Jun and Hong reads like a novel but is a true story of the Chen family over 40 years of Chinese history. The author Zhuqing Li relates the events in the lives of primarily her two aunts and the disastrous turn their lives take during …more
Only Child
Only Child
by Rhiannon Navin
Only Child: A Heartgrabbing, Emotionally Searing Tale (1/30/2018)
Only Child is a truly heartbreaking and difficult to read story. With news in recent years of school shootings this book brings a tragedy like this very much to life again. Told through the eyes of a 6 year old survivor, we are drawn into the total sadness and disbelief of …more
Mothers of Sparta
Mothers of Sparta: A Memoir in Pieces
by Dawn Davies
Life is Never What You Expect! (10/7/2017)
This is the first book I have read that both wrenches your gut with heartbreak and makes you laugh out loud at the humor at the same time. Dawn Davies reveals her life in graphic detail, all her most intimate thoughts on childbirth, divorce, raising a blended family and a …more
Love and Other Consolation Prizes
Love and Other Consolation Prizes: A Novel
by Jamie Ford
My Favorite Kind of Read-Love and Other Consolation Prizes (7/17/2017)
This is my favorite kind of read! If you love great characters, a bit of a mystery, family saga, historical settings and all based on factual events then this is a book for you. Jamie Ford has done exceptional research in presenting the story of a mixed race Chinese …more
Mercies in Disguise
Mercies in Disguise: A Story of Hope, a Family's Genetic Destiny, and the Science That Rescued Them
by Gina Kolata
Facing the Fight of Your Life Against Genetic Destiny (11/23/2016)
This book is an absolutely fascinating story of a family that struggles to discover what is happening to them when they realize that each generation has faced a dreadful neurological disease that defies diagnosis. The symptoms are a combination of Parkinson's and Alzheimer' …more
The Tea Planter's Wife
The Tea Planter's Wife
by Dinah Jefferies
Top Notch Historical Fiction (7/21/2016)
The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies is an excellent example of the best in historical fiction. Ms. Jefferies has carefully researched the tea plantation life in Ceylon from 1925 to 1934 and brings to life the dreams and struggles of the tea plantation owner and …more
Miss Jane
Miss Jane
by Brad Watson
Surprising Treasure of a Read (4/26/2016)
Miss Jane by Brad Watson is a surprising treasure of a read. This was a totally unexpected story with beautiful writing. So much more than a tale of a girl born with a rare deformity, it is the story of the struggle of one family in the 20s and 30s in rural Mississippi. …more
The Sound of Gravel
The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir
by Ruth Wariner
Truth is Stranger Than Fiction (12/9/2015)
Truth is stranger than fiction in the story of Ruth Wariner. You can't help but be caught up in this very emotional account of the life of a young girl growing up as part of a polygamist doomsday cult. The ups and downs of the life of Ruth, her mother and siblings will …more
When the Moon Is Low
When the Moon Is Low: A Novel
by Nadia Hashimi
An Emotional Tale of an Afghan Refugee Family (8/28/2015)
After reading Nadia Hashimi's first book, The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, I knew I was hooked on this author. Now she has brought us another story from Afghanistan that may be even more emotionally wrenching than her first. This story of an Afghani family suffering through …more
Whispering Shadows
Whispering Shadows
by Jan-Philipp Sendker
Jan-Philipp Sendker Provides Another Wonderful Read (1/20/2015)
Jan-Philipp Sendker has done it again. He has written another sure bestseller with Whispering Shadows. His ability to take you deep into the heart of his characters shines through in this novel. This story explores the meaning of love and trust as well as the weight of …more
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