This book captured and kept my interest from the very beginning. I liked Susan Rivers' method of writing the story of Placidia, the second Mrs. Hockaday, from multiple points of view by using letters and diary entries written by the different characters. Although it was …more revealed almost in the beginning that Placidia had been imprisoned while her husband was away fighting in the Civil War, you didn't know what crime she had committed. The author dropped just enough hints to keep you reading, but not so many to give away Placidia's secret until it was revealed at the end of the novel.

I highly recommend this debut novel for any readers interested in historical fiction. Book clubs could have lively discussions about the resourcefulness and resilience of Placidia, a teenage bride who was left on her own to raise her young stepson Charles, manage the farm and the slaves, and cope with the raiders while her husband was away in the war. (less)

As a newcomer to the fantasy genre, I really didn't know what to expect in The Return of the Witch, the sequel to The Witch's Daughter. But after a few pages, I was familiar with the main characters and their current problems. Author Paula Brackston's excellent descriptive …more writing enabled me to visualize the various locales as the characters time stepped through the centuries. I especially appreciated her details of the rituals of witchcraft and shamanism as practiced in various parts of the world as well as the accurate depiction of the historical events which played such an important role in the plot.

I would recommend this novel to book clubs for discussion of the well-developed characters and the many aspects of witchcraft. I found this suspenseful fantasy quite enjoyable and an excellent introduction to a genre which was new to me. (less)

I was immediately drawn into the troubled story of Kyung and Gillian who were struggling financially but refused to ask for help from his wealthy parents Jin and Mae. When Kyung was confronted with the kitchen disposal clogged with gunky grease but didn't know how to fix it, …more I thought that situation was symbolic of his life—he had stuffed too much of his painful childhood inside but never cleared it away and didn't know how to fix it. The family secrets of Jin and Mae and Kyung were hidden behind the façade of the parents' wealthy suburban lifestyle that later unraveled to reveal a shameful past.

The book is so well-written that I couldn't put it down. I would recommend this book for a book group discussion of hidden family secrets which have profound life-long effects on each person. Although author Jung Yum has written about a Korean family, abuse is a universal problem that is found among many families around the world, regardless of their occupation, education, or income. But the resolution of the unraveled past comes from the author's unique perspective. (less)

Sally Hepworth's new novel The Things We Keep tells the story of the heart-breaking illness of Alzheimer's and dementia which has afflicted a young woman and a young man. The author poignantly describes how the patients' families and friends suffer as they witness the …more mental deterioration of their loved ones as the disease progresses. Hepworth writes with compassion and understanding of the impact of this cruel disease on all who know and love the patients.

Hepworth ambitiously weaves together the heart-wrenching stories of her characters who by chance or choice live or work at Rosalind House, a small residential assisted living facility. At times, I thought that the plot seemed too complicated with the story of the cook and her young daughter vying for my attention and detracting me from the plight of the Alzheimer's and dementia patients. Nevertheless, the power of love in saving memories pulsed throughout the novel, gripping my attention to the very end. (less)