Reviews by Barbara K. (Brooklyn, NY)

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The Volunteer
The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz
by Jack Fairweather
Astounding Bravery (4/28/2019)
This detailed, well written book, highlights the fortitude & bravery of Witold Pilecki, a Polish resistance fighter. His mission is to get captured & go into Auschwitz so that he could gather information & report his findings. How he goes about doing this & …more
The Last Collection
The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel
by Jeanne Mackin
Beautifully Written! (3/12/2019)
It is rare for me to begin a book and find that the rich language keeps me intrigued from beginning to end but Jeanne Mackin has accomplished this in The Last Collection. Her beautiful use of language transported me Paris, introduced me to the world of Paris,and above all …more
At the Wolf's Table
At the Wolf's Table
by Rosella Postorino
Disappointed (11/4/2018)
This is a well written book that unleashes a topic about Hitler's Nazi regime that was new to me ... taking young girls and forcing them to eat food that was prepared for Hitler and testing it to see if it contained poison. They were chosen to do this ; they weren't …more
Meet Me at the Museum
Meet Me at the Museum
by Anne Youngson
A worthwhile read! (4/18/2018)
This beautifully written, thoughtful book introduces the reader to Tina, an English woman who lives on a farm and to Kristin, a Danish museum curator who become 'pen pals' by chance. Her first letter was sent to the former curator but read by Kristin, the present one, who …more
Eternal Life
Eternal Life
by Dara Horn
Eternal Life (11/13/2017)
Although it is well written, I couldn't 'bond' with Rachel, the main character who apparently cannot die. She raises a family, grows old, then at some point returns as an 18 year old and again forms a family. Also, the book is advertised as hilarious but I saw none of this …more
Extraordinary Adventures
Extraordinary Adventures
by Daniel Wallace
Read This Book! (2/16/2017)
For quite a while I have been yearning for a REALLY good book to immerse myself in. This beautifully written tale,written by Daniel Wallace, featuring Edsel Bronfman, is it!

Extraordinary Adventures is a sad, yet hopeful story illustrating that is is never too late to see …more
Manderley Forever
Manderley Forever
by Tatiana de Rosnay
Manderley Forever - A Biography/Novel Hybrid (12/13/2016)
Daphne Du Maurier is one of my favorite authors so the idea of reading her biography was exciting to me. However, Tatiana De Rosnay's book, while well written & thus enjoyable, reads more like a novel than a true biography. Apparently, Du Maurier wrote detailed journals …more
The Tea Planter's Wife
The Tea Planter's Wife
by Dinah Jefferies
The Tea Planter's Wife (7/17/2016)
As I began to read The Tea Planter's Wife, I was transported to another time & place, Ceylon, now Sri Lanka , 1913-1934. The author's detailed language created pictures of the place, the characters, the tea factory, a woman's world in the early 1900s, even race …more
If I Forget You
If I Forget You
by Thomas Christopher Greene
Expected more (4/10/2016)
This well written love story would make an excellent TV movie. It is fast paced and pleasant & would also make for light reading on a rainy day. However, the plot and characters aren't unusual thus my giving this book only 3 stars.
The Alaskan Laundry
The Alaskan Laundry
by Brendan Jones
Growing Up Ain't Easy (2/12/2016)
The detailed descriptions of Alaska and the Pacific/Alaskan fishing industry are background to the story of a young Philadelphia girls' adjustment to a new life. Tara leaves a pain filled life in Philly only to find struggles to overcome in her new environment, However, she …more
The Language of Secrets
The Language of Secrets
by Ausma Zehanat Khan
The Language of Secrets (11/4/2015)
This well written detective/ police procedural is packed with intrigue, interesting characters and descriptions of Muslim life & traditions in the backdrop of Toronto, Canada ; it held my interest until the end. Interspersed within the narrative are political facts, …more
The Devil in Jerusalem
The Devil in Jerusalem
by Naomi Ragen
A Cautionary Tale (7/5/2015)
While the details are Judaic and the backdrop is mostly in Israel, Naomi Ragen describes with superb accuracy, insight and in frightening detail how a cult leader can ensnare followers into the fold. She shows the slow progression of once bright, educated, 'normal' people …more
Fishbowl
Fishbowl: A Novel
by Bradley Somer
A Must Read (5/4/2015)
Fishbowl is a beautifully written, unique tale filled with peculiar,odd, quirky characters who are tenants of the Seville on Roxy apartment house. While each occupant leads a secret life behind their closed doors, they can be any one of us, e.g lonely, scared, self absorbed, …more
He Wanted the Moon
He Wanted the Moon: The Madness and Medical Genius of Dr. Perry Baird, and His Daughter's Quest to Know Him
by Mimi Baird with Eve Claxton
Shades of Cuckoo's Nest (2/12/2015)
Mimi Baird had faint memories of her father and talks of how his disappearance from her life at the age of 6, affected her. When his hand written memoir was unearthed from a briefcase kept by a family member, she was 56. The result was this book, He Wanted the Moon.
This …more
The Last Flight of Poxl West
The Last Flight of Poxl West
by Daniel Torday
Beautifully Written (1/4/2015)
This is a tale of loss, lies, betrayal, of trying to cope with life's difficulties, and trying to make sense of what life is 'dishing out' while making one's way into adulthood. It is told from the point of view of 2 young men growing up in different eras: a Czech Jewish …more
A Kim Jong-Il Production
A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power
by Paul Fischer
Freedom is a Constant Vigil (12/5/2014)
This well written book reads like a work of fiction because, to me, it seems so unbelievable. What makes it so compelling is that this unlikely tale is true! Kim Jong-il, the leader of North Korea, a movie buff, used cinema to shape the minds of the Korean people & used …more
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: The Untold Story
by Barbara Leaming
Camelot? Maybe not. (11/6/2014)
Having grown up in the Kennedy 'Camelot' era, I fell under its spell. Over the years, however, as information was leaked to the public, Jackie & John fell from their pedestals & their real personas became revealed. After the president's death, I still admired Jackie …more
The Golem of Hollywood
The Golem of Hollywood
by Jonathan & Jesse Kellerman
The Golem of Hollywood ... and beyond! (10/20/2014)
This strange but compelling tale kept me guessing until the end. It haunts me still! I recommend it!
The Book of Strange New Things
The Book of Strange New Things: A Novel
by Michel Faber
A Book of Strange New Things (9/10/2014)
While I am not usually a fan of science fiction, this compelling story held my attention. It was well written and the characters, both human & alien, as well as the planet, felt real.
Living among the aliens, Peter, our main character, is now the 'odd man out', the alien. …more
A Paris Apartment
A Paris Apartment
by Michelle Gable
A Mystery in Paris (3/15/2014)
I never thought that I would enjoy reading a novel about furniture but A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable has proven me wrong.It is also the story of two women. April Vogt is a New York furniture appraiser sent to Paris to evaluate the contents in an apartment once owned …more
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