I erroneously thought I was going to immerse myself in a paranormal thriller of some sort, only to find myself presented with a book that seemed to have a dual purpose.

As the story began, I found myself encountering interesting characters and was anticipating a compelling storyline. However, as the book went on, it felt as if I was being drawn into an advertisement for a new age healing practice. Each time I began a chapter where I was able to renew my interest in the characters, it seemed that another chapter appeared on this new age approach which felt as if the writers were attempting to seduce the reader into adopting their personal philosophical perspective. As a professional counselor, I often used some of these techniques (such as meditation) with clients. However, any ethical practitioner knows that you are not ready to change the lives of others after one or two nights in the woods listening to the instruction of one individual. In her defense, Bea ("the witch") tried to express that sentiment to the main character, Lexi, but with little success.

All in all, I felt the book could have been more compelling had it had one direction, instead of adding the new age infomercial to the mix. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

It is always a pleasure to write when the reader is excited about a book, and it is hard to know what to say when the book does not meet expectations. Generally speaking, novels relating to WW I or WW II capture my attention. However, in this novel, I was never quite pulled into the story. The plot line always seemed implausible, and the characters did not appear to be fully-developed. Although I usually am not distracted by timelines that move back and forth, I found this timeline confusing. I have read Ms. Hood's books in the past and have given them much higher rankings. This time, however, I felt the book fell short of what I had hoped for. It must always be recognized that in any review, it may be the book or it may be the reader that generates the final perception of what was written, Perhaps other readers may find a book they love. Sadly, this book didn't work for me. As always, I am grateful to BookBrowse for the opportunity to preview a book and offer an opinion.

If you relish reading atmospheric tales near the Bayou, and if you love hearing the voice of a thoughtful and precocious child, you will enjoy reading Margaret Verble's latest novel, Stealing.

Kit Crockett, a child of Cherokee origins, develops a warm friendship with a female neighbor after the death of Kit's mother. The actions of a second neighbor, a snoop and troublemaker, result in a devastating event which further changes Kit's life. After being emotionally abused by local do-gooders, Kit endures further trauma at the hands of the administrator of the institution she is sent to by the court.

Kit is a resilient and resourceful soul, and you will root for her all the way. The main story of the initial trauma in the neighborhood will capture you and keep you reading.

Less satisfying is the story of Kit's time in institutional care. The book's chapters often weave back and forth in the telling of the two stories, and the transitions sometimes feel awkward. I also believe the description of the book found on the cover likely over-emphasizes the importance the book will place on the plight of Indian children in institutions during the last century. In reading this description, I assumed much more would be done to describe the tragedy these children endured as well as the eventual resolution of the situation. However, the book's outcome doesn't seem to do ample justice to the telling of this black mark on America's child welfare system. For these reasons, the book I wanted to rate 5, will have to settle for a 4. I would, however, highly recommend the book to other readers.

Harper fans who have missed Investigator Aaron Falk in her last few books will be happy to herald his return in Exiles.

Harper once again takes us to the bushland of Australia, and while not quite as atmospheric as many of her previous volumes, she still manages to invite the reader in with her descriptive prose which paints vivid pictures of the town and its surroundings.

Though Falk is not acting in his official capacity, he still manages to discover a mystery that begs for his attention. In this volume, Harper is able to reveal the human side of Falk through his relationships with the large cast of characters. Though the pace of this novel is slower than some of her earlier works, Harper uses the time to build to a surprising conclusion.

I thought this was Harper at her best. Her readers, old and new, will need to set aside some dedicated reading hours because this is a book they won't want to put down. Hopefully, Falk and company will be brought back again in future efforts.

Andrea Yaryura Clark's historical novel shines light on the story of Argentina's "Desaparecidos," those who were forcibly "disappeared" under the period of government terrorism known as the "Dirty War." The era only lasted from 1976 to 1983, but it left a trail of broken families and sadness that may never be mended.

Paloma, a child of the Argentine aristocracy, though raised in the United States, returns to her country of origin for a family visit. This visit takes her on a journey with heartbreaking revelations that threaten the life she has known. Told in the framework of intertwined stories taking place two decades apart, the voices of Paloma and her family will capture the imagination of readers and will encourage them to seek out additional information about this sad and shameful period in Argentina's history.

Remembering the decades-long searches by the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo who fought to uncover what had happened to their missing children and grandchildren also made me reflect upon the bond between parent and child and how it can never be broken, even when it cannot be fulfilled. Lovers of historical fiction will devour this book in one or two sittings. Hope to read more by Ms. Clark in the future.

Thrity Umrigar is one of the most eloquent of all storytellers. In this book, she draws us into the lives of two women whose story depicts the state of today's India with its conflicts between tradition and modernism, castes, religious beliefs, and the role of women in Indian culture. Smita, an Indian by birth who has lived in the US since she was a teenager, returns to India on a work assignment that forces her to reflect upon her cultural past and present through her connection to Meena, an Indian woman caught up in the throes of caste and religious conflict played out in the rural villages that have been her home. The book describes many difficult scenes of violence toward women through Meena's story. While it is painful to read these scenes, Umrigar also allows the reader to look into the windows of goodness in the hearts of people who attempt to make change in this world of sadness. Honor is a book worthy of your time, and you will carry the characters in your heart long into the future. Definitely a five star book!

This beautifully written story by Kristin Harmel was complex. At times it seems almost like a fairy tale as the story unfolds about the main character, Yona, and how she entered into the mysteries of the forest. At other times, I was taken back to the stories of Jean Auel in the Clan of the Cave Bear as characters learned to understand the gifts the forest could give. And though this was another story about WWII, this book does not focus on life and death in the camps. Instead, Harmel reminds us of other brave souls who vanished into the European forests, linking their survival to the trust they placed in others, and to how the will to survive creates extraordinary strength and perseverance. The characters were so powerful that it will be a long time before I forget them. If the book has a failing, I would say that some events are contrived in a way that they are not believable. However, the strength in the story lies in its ability to wrap you in the arms of the trees in the forest, and to once again remind us of the extraordinary bravery exemplified by those who fought to escape the violence of the Nazi regime. Thank you for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

The title and description of this book appealed to me. Who wouldn't like a great read about two ten-year-old kids who set out on the river to escape the consequences of a crime they are believed to have committed? Perhaps some stories like this will hit the target. For me, this tale was a miss.

It was hard to get to know the characters well enough to really engage with them because it was difficult to decide whose story was being told. I sensed there were too many main characters, and their stories were only partially told.

While I am normally taken by any book that depicts the resilience of children, the number of encounters to test the boys' mettle, along with the severity of the encounters, left me shaking my head in disbelief.

The flow of the writing left me wishing for more complexity, and I wanted the voices of the characters to be true to who they were instead of speaking in so many cliches.

I appreciated the opportunity to review this book, and I hope others find the magic in it that I am sure the writer was trying to convey.

If you are looking for a great way to spend a Covid day, grab a glass of wine, your lounge chair, and Sarah Penner's book, The Lost Apothecary. This novel will carry you on a journey across centuries, and unlike many stories with a similar timeline, it does so seamlessly.

The characters are interesting and you won't be able to rest until you learn their fates. Nella, the apothecary; Eliza, her twelve (going on thirty) accidental assistant; and Caroline, an Ohioan on a terribly disrupted wedding anniversary trip to England, cross paths when Caroline discovers an artifact from the apothecary shop which has washed up on the banks of the Thames. Caroline's curiosity leads her on an historical adventure to solve the mysteries which emanated from the apothecary shop, and perhaps some secrets from her own life, as well.

Thanks for this wonderful volume. Looking forward to more books from Sarah Penner.

This book was hard for me to assess. I began with positive feelings as the story of the mother and daughter unfolded. Their stay in the barn will vividly remain with me. However, the remainder of the book left me feeling disjointed and perplexed. Even though I continue to tell myself that this feeling actually shows that the writer has conveyed the plight of the mother and child and their difficult and disjointed story to me, it was not the type of book that kept me on edge to the end. The simplistic sentence structure left me wishing for more, and I felt total disappointment to have the story jump to its conclusion with so many missing parts. I will just say that this writer and I were not on the same track, and as much as I wanted to love the book, I couldn't get there.

Many stories have been, and will be told about Holocaust experiences and survival after. Esther Safran Foer begins her memoir by explaining the experience of memory. She delves into the effect memory has on someone who longs to know her past, but can't quite access it because stories can't be told. The tales may be too painful, too buried, or never even seemed available because those who could tell the stories were wiped out and their ability to produce memories snuffed out like a candle.

Esther takes us on a remarkable journey to retrieve that past. She introduces us to her amazing mother and sons, and allows us to experience her feelings as she returns to Ukraine to seek out those who may still tell stories about her family that will help mend the quilt's missing pieces.

This is a wonderful memoir that will be cherished by those who value family stories and the need to carry those tales on to future generations. Though the book is not long, it offers much food for thought for book groups, as well as for personal reflection on the true value of the history and importance of our own family recollections.

Readers would do well to also incorporate works by Foer's sons on their reading "to do" lists. I am sure Esther will not mind the plug for her talented brood.

Ms. Rose has done a masterful job of research, and her book reflects her work. However, for me, it was hard to decipher what I was reading - - -was it a research thesis, or a research thesis with a bit of historical fiction woven through, or ??? Though the title would indicate the book would be primarily about the D-Day Girls, I never felt I really got to know them, as the main characters often felt peripheral to the story. I am sure others might read this and feel differently, but I could not become lost in the story as I hoped from the initial descriptions of the book.

Susan Meissner once again demonstrates why she is one of our finest creators of historical fiction with her beautifully crafted The Last Year of the War.

Told by Elise, now 80 and beset by "Agnes," her anthropomorphized title for Alzheimer's Disease, this narrator relates her tale from childhood to present during her quest to reconnect with her long-lost friend, Mariko. She allows us to peer into the life-changing events of her family's internment during WWII, and their repatriation to Germany. The parallels to present day immigration issues are unmistakable, and caused me to reflect upon the current plight of the Dreamers.

Meissner's talents include, but aren't limited to, her ability to make you actually feel you are on site with her characters. Perhaps they should be re-named CAREacters because when you encounter them, you will take them into your heart. Warning: when you begin this volume, ensure your next day or two are unencumbered. It is guaranteed you will not want to stop reading once you begin Meissner's tale of tragedy, hope, and reconciliation.

I have long been a fan of Dubus' novel House of Sand and Fog. I am reminded of that story by this volume because, once again, Dubus is skillfully able to create a story which is thrown into a downward spiraling vortex. A single act propels Danny into this vortex, and the reader is unable to predict whether he will fall farther, or be lifted up. Anger from his daughter, Susie, with whom he has had no relationship for forty years, along with the rage of his former mother-in-law beat down on his efforts to find forgiveness. Time is not on his side as he makes a final effort. Will Susie understand?

This book is well-written, but sometimes difficult to follow. Less of the "novel in the novel" would have been preferred by this reader, and thus made me choose the four rating, rather than a five. Dubus' language is often dark and visceral, and a reader will find it difficult not to experience the depth of the pain of the characters. You won't leave this book without a lingering sense of the consequences of the act, the need for forgiveness, and the burden of hatred and rage.

As for me, I will be awaiting the author's next novel.

In the Acknowledgements section of this beautifully constructed story, the author, Daniel Mooney, gives tribute to Luke Bitmead. The writer claims not to have met Bitmead, but that had they met, the two might have been friends. He follows with a sentence: Stand up and Fight. It leaves me to believe that the story may be based on this unmet person's struggles and that the writer prays for the real person's ability to have courage and tackle his demons. I found myself having the same wish for Denis Murphy, the main character in this beautifully constructed novel.

Mooney gives an excellent account of the way guilt and tragedy can effectively make a mind become unglued when the hope for atonement seems out-of-reach. For Denis, the aftermath of such a tragic event allows him to make way for the presence of voices which control his life and prevent him from finding his own self and his own voice. The first few chapters of Denis' story are slow as the reader must become acquainted with the voices and their personas. However, as time goes on, the reader will find himself/herself glued to the storyline and quietly shouting, "Stand up and fight." Not just a great read, this book also gives an authentic picture of one of the possible outcomes of a person dealing with PTSD.

Harper comes back with a mystery just as engrossing as her first volume, The Dry. But if you read the earlier book, you'll have to make a mental shift as the weatherman has pulled a veil over the dry, arid heat permeating the first story, and now Harper places you in a cold, damp, and creepy zone. The competing story lines of corporate fraud and lost campers are not difficult to follow, and meeting up with Aaron Falk once more should be a pleasant experience for those who enjoyed The Dry. Thumbs up, and a loud call out to Harper for more, more, more.

If you enjoy the complexities of assembling a challenging jigsaw puzzle, you will likely savor this wonderful story where the pieces elude you from time-to-time, but gently fall into place as the picture finally reveals itself.

This fictionalized tale was reminiscent of the autobiographical writings of Augusten Burroughs in "Running With Scissors." Boyne's protagonist assembles nearly as many unconventional relatives, friends and acquaintances along the way as did Burroughs. Boyne escorts you through a variety of emotions that sometimes meet head on as you ask yourself, "Why, when this is sad or poignant, am I also laughing aloud?"

The book challenges the reader by ending certain sections with the same quality as season-ending cliff hangers on old television series. As you move to the end of a chapter, an event takes place, but all the pieces aren't there. These pieces show themselves in chapters beyond and I found myself having to re-read certain parts to make sure I understood how it all fit together. Fortunately for the reader, the pieces finally fall into place, and by the conclusion of nearly 600 pages, you'll see the whole.

Boyne has an amazing capacity for capturing the spirit of his characters, particularly as they age through the decades of time. I invite you all to meet Cyril and those he loves, and to enjoy a novel that you'll remember far into the future. Don't let the length put you off. You may need short breaks as you go. The journey's end is worth the time it takes to travel.

What would you do if you knew that a genetically-transmitted, debilitating neuromuscular disease was lurking in your family AND you had the opportunity to undergo testing to discover if the gene resided inside you? And if you learned that you carried the gene, what accommodations would you make to your life in preparation for what lies in your future? Kolata tells the story of an endearing family who faced the consequences of such decisions. Unlike the fictionalized O'Briens (Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova), the Baxley family members are real and will touch your heart. This short volume lays bare what we face in the medical world where we can now learn whether some diseases are likely to touch us because of our genes and not because of our lifestyle. Do you want to know whether you have the probability of developing Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, or Huntington's, and if you find out, what are the consequences that might occur? Loss of insurance, loss of job, a change in your attitude as to how you want to live your life - what do we want to know, and how can we determine if we should know our status, even if the test is easily accessible?

This book won't answer all those questions, but it should be a discussion starter for all of us as we face the expanding ability of medicine to answer questions that may be better unasked. This book will stimulate your thinking and will make you grieve for the family members who must face uncertainty (and certainty) in their futures. You won't be the same once you've come to know the Baxleys.

Don't ever assume that the presence of a deformed body indicates that the soul within doesn't have a story to be told.

I read this book within two days after receiving it, but it has taken me a long time to put my thoughts to paper. Can a story be tragic and funny, hopeful amid despair, and loving where only disrespect seems to pave the halls of the Belarus Hospital? Those are just some of the contradictions that the reader may feel when trying to make sense of the life of Ivan Isaenko. The writer skillfully conveys the dismal conditions of the institutions where care was provided for the children born after Chernobyl. Hidden away and lacking the nurturing necessary for emotional survival, most children such as Ivan were more likely to falter rather than thrive. The contradiction that was most difficult to understand was, in such a dreadful place, lacking stimulation and nurturing, how could anyone grow with curiosity and intelligence, and a passion for reading such as Ivan displayed?

This is a worthwhile read, but not a book for those who are squeamish or who are seeking a feel good book. It is worthwhile because it affirms that everyone DESERVES to be treated with respect and care, and that no one should be judged by physical appearance alone.

The writer grabbed my attention within the first few pages with her story about the grandparent who decided "to just go upstairs to die." Just as I settled in for an anticipated great read, I found myself confronted by a group of unlikeable family members and other characters who neither captured my interest nor my sympathies. It felt like this was a family who would have been blest to have given birth to a resident psychiatrist. After struggling through the middle of the book which seemed full of trite conversation, there was a point where a pending confrontation/mystery arises, and I hoped it would save the book for me. It didn't. The outcome was predictable and disappointing. While some have suggested this is a good beach read, I would offer that there are many other great reads available this summer.