The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation
by Anna Malaika Tubbs
Needs More Heart Less Info (11/17/2020)
I loved the opening story the author told of the night she discovered that she was to become a black mother to her son. It was heartfelt, relatable, and so human. I only wish that tone had continued throughout the book.
This book read like a very good, well researched doctoral dissertation. It would make a great supplemental text for a class on race relations or women's studies. I just was disappointed that given its current format it will probably not be read by a more general audience. The readers who could most benefit from learning about these three remarkable women will probably never read this book in its entirety. That saddens me.
The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel
by Jeanne Mackin
More Than A Story, A Work Of Art (2/18/2019)
The three primary issues in this delightful book are fashion, politics and love. The author does a brilliant job of mixing the three onto a beautiful canvas. The stories about the inner workings of high Parisian fashion pre World War II are fascinating. The two main characters are stand ins for the two conflicting political philosophies. Coco for sympathizing with fascist ideas in her use of classic colors, structure, discipline and perfect lines in her creations. Scape is communist leaning, symbolized by her bold colors, over the top embellishments and rule changing designs. All characters are searching for love to protect themselves from the terror of being alone in these turbulent political times. A fun read that gives the reader a lot to think about beyond the surface story.
American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt
by Stephanie Marie Thornton
A Fun, Educational Read (11/11/2018)
I would not expect this book to win any major awards for literary style or originality. I was not inclined to reread sentences or passages for the sheer beauty of the words. This book was just a very interesting, entertaining story about an American Presidential daughter. It was a delightful, well researched romp through the twentieth century populated by familiar political characters. Alice Roosevelt was a witness, and sometimes a participant to major historical events, yet the details of her life were largely unknown to this reader. My interest in reading her life story never waned. A thoroughly fascinating read that I recommend to all, particularly to fans of good historical fiction.
The Summer Wives
by Beatriz Williams
THE Summer Book (4/13/2018)
I enjoy all of Beatriz Williams' books and this one is my favorite. The uniqueness of this story is not the plotline but rather the time- bending fashion in which it is told. Reminiscent of the hit TV show "This is Us", rather than learning events in a linear manner the reader follows a spiral timeframe circling around, going deeper and deeper in our understanding of the characters.
The setting is a tiny island in Long Island Sound and the tension between the woking class year round residents and the upper class summer people. The time period is presented as June 1930, 1951, 1969; July 1930, 1951, 1969; and finally August 1930, 1951, 1969. A clever style in which to write a very interesting story. I highly recommend it for summer reading.
The Children
by Ann Leary
A Tender Family Story (5/1/2016)
When I reviewed Ann Leary's previous novel, The Good House, for BookBrowse in 2012, I gave it high marks. I enjoyed this book even more. Charlotte Maynard's voice was clear, poignant, humorous and brilliant. This novel, although set in rural northern Connecticut, was reminiscent of Ellen Gilchrist's southern novels. And that is quite a compliment.
Leary's characters are strong and well developed. This reader wishes she lived next door to them on that idyllic lake, even if that means being on the lookout for Mr. Clean.
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