Growing up in the 50s I had little awareness that my country was going nuts and that people's lives were being turned inside out and ruined. That families were being torn apart. That American citizens were being persecuted for the political beliefs, or their ethnicity, by the country that I was being taught was the Greatest country EVER.
Sarah Jane Stratford, in her new novel "Red Letter Days", takes the reader on a journey to our nation's past with a charming and disturbing story of Americans being destroyed by their own government. A story about Americans having to flee the country, unable to work at home, and unable to freely associate with others the government might deem "un-American". Ms. Stratford makes the past come alive and allows the reader to experience the joys, pains and sorrows of average American people who are treated as pariahs by the government, which was heading a national meltdown over dreaded Communism.
I strongly recommend "Red Letter Days" and hope everyone who reads it takes it to heart.

So you're basically ambling through life, no direction really, when an old friend appears out of the blue and makes you an offer...your friend tosses a life altering request your way and all you have to do is say yes...please, please,please. There's just one little, tiny, infinitesimal, catch...all you have to do is watch over your friend's step children for awhile...children who just happen to spontaneously combust whenever they get excited!
This book is touching, humorous ( not laugh out loud funny), and thought provoking. I really got drawn into the story and rooted for everyone involved. I'm sure most readers will enjoy it as much as I did. A really good read.

My Lovely Wife is a great lesson in the Law of Unintended Consequences. I mean, you take a middle class couple with two adolescent kids who have added an odd extracurricular activity to their family dynamic and you have a recipe for an exciting and gripping and very surprising result. It definitely pays to pay close attention to the story and stick to it til the mind-blowing end. Samantha Downing has really given us a tale that we will find enthralling and exciting and breathless. Read this book and prepare for a great experience

From the very first sentence I was pulled into a tense and exciting thriller, reminiscent of Le Carre. What a white knuckle adventure, set in today's Arab turmoil. A tale of romance. Of intrigue. Of betrayal. The Cairo Affair is something to be savored. Take your time reading it, because you will not want it to end.

This is a fascinating trip back to a place most Americans never knew existed. Oh, we heard all about The War, the protests, the turmoil that was Vietnam before most of us could find it on a map. What a joy it was to be educated in the culture of the land and that period of time, before the U.S was so deeply involved that it seemed our world went nuts. I highly recommend "The Headmaster's Wager". I think those with an appreciation for history, and that people ARE history, will truly enjoy this excellent novel