I am a history major and I never knew that much about World War ll and how much of a part Lady Clementine Churchill played in it! This book has all the parts she played from her point of view! I loved this book and it is one that everyone should read. I did not know about the rift between the Churchills and President Roosevelt and the part the Russians played in this rift. Nor the fact that Eleanor Roosevelt did not share her husband's dislike of the Churchills nor the strain that Roosevelt put on the relationship between the two countries. This is the story of Mrs. Churchill's personal relationship with her husband, the British government, and her part in World War ll--one I found very interesting and I think you will, too. I highly recommend reading this book!

I found this book excellent reading. I have always enjoyed the history behind the Hope Diamond and Mr. Cartier and wondered about the truth behind the diamond's history being a jeweler's daughter! Is it really possible to have bad luck just owning a particular "rock"?? The story in this book is about that possibility! The characters are well portrayed and interesting: a young "modern" woman and her family-mother, father, and sister. The young Russian jeweler working for Mr. Cartier! It was a good, well written story!

Three brothers, a mean father, a loving mother--put them all in a pot and cook! What do you get? A great story! This book is Jane Harper's third story that takes place in the "Outback" of Australia and it is one that keeps changing the further you read. The oldest brother is at his parents ranch with his teenage son because the middle brother has been found out in the far outback dead and his car is found a number of miles away from where he died. The youngest brother is just there! Also at the ranch is the middle brother's wife and two daughters and and the grandmother. You are told that the grandfather who is also dead was a mean son-of-a-gun to his three sons. The question is how did the middle son get to where he was found and why did he leave his car with supplies of food and water in the car and "walk" to where he was found?? Read "The Lost Son" and you will find all the answers! A fantastically good read!

This is a short book, only 179 pages, and it is Kent Haruf's last book before he passed away and, of course, it takes place in Holt, Colorado. I think this is the best of his books,, although they are all good! It is a story about two senior people who have been "sort of friend" for many years. She knew his wife, but they were not close friends. Both his wife and her husband have passed away. This is a story that will make you happy and sad! It is undoubtedly one of the best stories I have ever read! It is a story about two people who "find" each other; there is happiness and sadness! Read it you will like it!!!!! It is the perfect story!!

This is a short book, only 179 pages, and it is Kent Haruf's last book before he passed away and, of course, it takes place in Holt, Colorado. I think this is the best of his books,, although they are all good! It is a story about two senior people who have been "sort of friend" for many years. She knew his wife, but they were not close friends. Both his wife and her husband have passed away. This is a story that will make you happy and sad! It is undoubtedly one of the best stories I have ever read! It is a story about two people who "find" each other; there is happiness and sadness! Read it you will like it! It is the perfect story!

I loved this book about witches and I usually do not! It involved so much early American history which made it so interesting. Actually, it is about a murder that took place in 1989 of three women, thought to be "Goddesses" or witches, all related to the five women who were killed as "witches" in early Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The story takes place in Salem and involves three women, one who has a young daughter at the time of the murders in 1989. Fast forward to present day. The young daughter has grown up and comes back to Salem to find out about the murders. The Sheriff in present day Salem has never believed that the woman who people said committed the murders, and is still living in Salem, was the person who actually did commit the murders. This is the story about how the Sheriff and the daughter find the murderer(s?). It is suspenseful and an intriguing story whose roots go back into history and is well worth the some 400 pages of the novel!

This is not the type of book I usually read, but after the first two pages I could not put it down! I finished the book in two days; it was a sweet, sad story. Ivan has been an inmate in a children's hospital in Russia all of his life because he was born with only nubs for feet, one arm with three fingers; he has no recollection of a mother or father; he survives in a wheelchair; and he is very smart! He is a Class A snoop! And then Polina arrives!! She has cancer, but they form an unstoppable duo! It is at once a beautiful and sad story, but immensely worth reading and I found myself cheering them on. You will, too! Don't put down the book until you are finished!!!!

A beautiful story about a wine village in Provence, France from the WWll era to the present. The author uses an interesting method to advance the time---each chapter is about different time period and a different group of villagers or family. All of the characters know each other; they have not always been close friends or good friends. But...........by the time you finish the book, you have the whole story of this wine village and the people who live there or of the people who have left the village and then moved back later. It is a very unique story of a village and its people and a very worthy story.

First of all, I never read this kind of book; they are usually very sad and the main character always dies! But for some reason I clicked on this book; it arrived a few days ago and I have not put it down until last night when I finished it! To me that says a lot about this book!!! It is good!!! This is a sad story, but it is not a sad book. It is a story of a Irish family in Ireland with 5 children. The youngest daughter has breast cancer; this is the 3rd time it has returned. She, Rabbit, is in a hospice hospital and is dying surrounded by all her friends and family and the book is the last 9 days of her life. Her Ma and Da are doing what most parents would be doing at this point in their lives--trying to find some treatment that will save their daughter's life. This is all I am going to say; it is a beautiful story. I dare you to put it down once you start reading it!!!

Having just been to China this spring and loving mysteries, this was a most excellent book for me and I hope you will like it, too. I am also a history buff and this is full of that! This story takes place in a very distant province of China, probably southwest China. After a year of travel to other provinces, the Emperor of China is coming to this far off province and the Governor of the province is throwing a big festival for the Emperor. However, several days before the Emperor arrives, a Jesuit priest is murdered with poison. The Governor wants to cover this up, but his Cousin is visiting the province (and who has also been exiled by this Emperor) will not let him do that and insists that he can find the person who murdered the priest before the Emperor arrives. The story is about how the Cousin proceeds to do this successfully and how he saves the Emperor's life. The characters of this book are well set up and it is a question right up to the end who is the murderer. I loved the descriptions of the city, the lands outside of the city, and building the festival for the Emperor and the political problems that all of this involves for the Governor and the Cousin. There was one other character that I liked because "she" was a very smart and wily woman----Lady Chen, the consort of the Governor. All in all, a well-told story and a glimpse at ancient China.

An excellent biography of a young man fascinated with speed. Eddy was born in Columbus, Ohio of German-Swiss immigrants, left school by the 8th grade to support his family after his father died. His fascination with cars and speed brought him his first jobs, which he, with perseverance and luck turned into a car racing career. At the beginning of WWl, he was on his way to England to look at racing cars and almost did not get into England because of his German last name. However, he managed to talk his way into England, looked at the racing cars, and became enamored with flying. He went back to the US and tried talking his racing buddies into becoming pilots. Only one thing was wrong--you had to have a college degree! He did managed to get into the Army and finally got to France as General Pershings "driver." The book is divided into four parts: Racing, Flying, Fighting, and Immortality--the rest of the story!! Each section tells a story of a congenial, lucky young man who manages to set waymarks for the US in car racing, flying, dog-fighting with his mechanical understanding of speed and the power go FAST! But, please more pictures!!!

This is a well-written, accurate history of Augusta Caesar (as he became known) and his wife Livia Drusilla. I did a some research on my own and the novel is a truthful telling of this period of Rome's history as told from Livia's viewpoint. I chose this book because I am a historian and very interested in ancient history and I am also a woman's rights activist.......and Livia is certainly one! I think the author did a fine job in developing the characters in the story, telling the love story of the two main characters and the history of the period. The story of Marc Antony and Cleopatra was a side story and also accurately told, although I did not know that Caesar Augustus's sister was married to Marc Antony prior to the Cleopatra episode and in the end divorced Antony, another first for women. I truly enjoyed this book and read it in 2 1/2 days. I would highly recommend it!

I loved Nancy Horan's first book, "Loving Frank!" And this new one is almost better! It is the story of Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife, Fanny Osbourne. She is a divorcee and 12 years older than Louis, an unusual mix for the late 1800s! She is a strong personality and it comes through in this story, but she is a person so full of love and both Louis and she are very "needy" of love. Louis has been ill off and on most of his life, illnesses that have taken him near death many times! Fanny helps him through these times. He writes during all of this. It is just a magical story and one that I would highly recommend to one and all!

This book scared me from the very beginning! At first I could not read it for very long; I would have to stop reading until I got the courage to go a little further. Then I could not put it down! The author has a very good understanding of the psychology behind being kidnapped and held captive. It gave me some idea of what the three girls in Ohio went through when they were held captive for so long. It is terrifying! And the terror is felt all the way through this book. It is not for the faint of heart unless you want to learn what it is like and how the the kidnapped girls react and then you understand!!! A fascinating, terror-filled read, but oh so good!!