Reviews by Wendy F. (Kalamazoo, MI)

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Happy Land
Happy Land
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Lovely historical fiction (11/17/2024)
A tale of family, land ownership, and freedom. Learning the history of this intentional community shows the perseverance of a people. The love and heartbreak we can feel within our families is shown throughout this book. It gives hope through history.
Harlem Rhapsody
Harlem Rhapsody
by Victoria Christopher Murray
Beautiful prose (9/22/2024)
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the life of Jessie Redmon Fauset. I was not aware of her or her amazing impact on the Harlem Renaissance. Her wisdom and groundbreaking work led to so many great works of literature including her own. It was also eye opening to get a …more
The Waters
The Waters: A Novel
by Bonnie Jo Campbell
The Waters (12/15/2023)
The Waters is full of rich characters and secrets. We meet a family of women healers who need their own healing. While we watch Dorothy, Donkey, grow up and learn so much about her family and life itself, the mysteries of the Waters unfold. Many times I felt like I was …more
All You Have to Do Is Call
All You Have to Do Is Call
by Kerri Maher
A cautionary tale (6/18/2023)
This is a beautiful story of the brave women who risked everything to protect a woman's right to choose before Roe v. Wade was passed. I spent most of my life not having to worry about my choices should I be faced with an unwanted pregnancy. This is the land before that …more
Paper Names
Paper Names: A Novel
by Susie Luo
Paper Names (3/20/2023)
A touching story of an immigrant family in search of the "American Dream". At each step they face racism, otherism, and difficulty. Characters are well developed and you see the strengths and weaknesses that they each encounter along the way. Parents who are just trying to …more
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
by Colleen Oakley
Nice little escape (10/25/2022)
A cute caper with a young woman and her mysterious charge. Who knew that Louise would prove to be such a handful? It was fun to watch the relationship grow.
River Sing Me Home
River Sing Me Home
by Eleanor Shearer
A story that must be told (9/24/2022)
River Sing Me Home is a triumph of tragedy and hope. Joining Rachel's journey to find the family that she lost over many years of slavery was sometimes difficult but always with a glimmer of anticipation that she would be reunited with her loved ones. Eleanor Shearer's …more
Take My Hand
Take My Hand
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Heartwrenching (9/21/2021)
Take my hand is a heartwrenching and beautiful story of horrible medical experiments being performed on your black girls. Civil is a kind and caring nurse who discovers this atrocity and fights to shine a light on these acts. It's so sad to know that though this was based …more
New York, My Village
New York, My Village: A Novel
by Uwem Akpan
Disappointed (9/6/2021)
I started out really enjoying this book and the odd adventures of Ekong but about midway through the book I was struggling.
Morningside Heights
Morningside Heights: A Novel
by Joshua Henkin
Great read (4/6/2021)
Really enjoyed this story of a blended family and the unfortunate things they suffer through over the years. The characters are developed quite well and it reads beautifully. Pru is faced with a difficult diagnosis for Spence and this novel shows how she deals with it with …more
The Personal Librarian
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
The Personal Librarian (2/16/2021)
What a lovely story of hidden history! I loved learning about Belle and the writing was excellent. I have read many of Marie Benedict's novels and enjoyed them all. This time she teamed up with Victoria Christopher Murray to tell the story of Belle de Costa Greene, J.P. …more
Stories from Suffragette City
Stories from Suffragette City
by M.J. Rose, Fiona Davis
Needed something more (11/2/2020)
Some of the stories were good however some dragged. I liked the concept but it fell short for me. I felt it could have covered more about the planning of the march.
And They Called It Camelot
And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
by Stephanie Marie Thornton
America's Queen (12/25/2019)
Loved this book. Stephanie Marie Thornton is able to look into the souls of her characters to truly convey their hearts. We all know the story of Jacqueline Kennedy but this one brings her closer to us. Her strength and grace are incomparable. It helped a country and a …more
Lady Clementine
Lady Clementine
by Marie Benedict
Bravo to Clemmie!! (12/1/2019)
I knew very little about Clementine Churchill before reading this book. Now I just want to learn more. She was a formidable woman who truly was the strength behind one of the most powerful men in the world at the time. It hearkens back to the relationship between Eleanor …more
Never Have I Ever
Never Have I Ever
by Joshilyn Jackson
Suspenseful read (4/20/2019)
Joshilyn Jackson's Never Have I Ever is a great read. The suspenseful story of what happens when a new neighbor presents herself and seems to know everyone's secrets. But Roux has some secrets of her own. I really enjoyed the way that each character's mysteries were …more
American Princess
American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt
by Stephanie Marie Thornton
Loved it! (11/24/2018)
I loved this book! Reading the accounts of the historical Alice Roosevelt Longworth was truly a pleasure. Alice had a complicated relationship with her father Theodore which is reminiscent of many of us. Scandals abound in a time where these things were kept under wraps. …more
The Kennedy Debutante
The Kennedy Debutante
by Kerri Maher
Actually a 3.5 (7/3/2018)
While I enjoyed reading the story of Kick Kennedy and her whirlwind times and romance, I wish the author would have given us a little more depth and history. I have read a lot of Kennedy history but had not really seen much about Kick. It was good to hear her story.
Vox
Vox
by Christina Dalcher
Vox - WOW! (6/3/2018)
With shades of Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's tale lingering around the verbiage, Vox is an easier read than Atwood's tome. But many of the same themes are threaded throughout this book. With our current administration and Congress attempting to take away women's rights on a …more
Only Child
Only Child
by Rhiannon Navin
Only Child (1/24/2018)
Only Child is the story of an all-too-common event - a school shooting - as told from the perspective of a six-year-old student. Zach brings us through the moment that the shooter enters the school on through the mixture of emotions that a young child goes through when …more
Other People's Houses
Other People's Houses
by Abbi Waxman
Other People's Houses (12/21/2017)
I loved this book. Right book at the right time. One couple's marital issues affect the whole neighborhood in one way or another. This is a story of friendship, marriage, and community. The writing reminded me of Liane Moriarty. We all know people who resemble the …more
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