I enjoyed reading The Stolen Child by Ann Hood. As I live very close to the RI border and went to school in RI,it was fun to read the many references made to sites/landmarks in and around the Providence area. As the book progressed I found the major characters to be interesting and believable, They were real people who changed throughout the course of the story. While some of the occurrences in the book seemed a bit disjointed, the story itself was intriguing and somewhat different than other post war tales. I was most impressed, by far, with Hood's imagination creating of The Museum of Tears! This concept is truly exceptional/appealing with limitless possibilities!

Stealing tells the compelling story of a young Cherokee girl, Kit, who is indeed very wise beyond her years. The author's use of Kit as the narrator is powerful! The many truisms that she voices along her journey are rich in insight and often enlighten the reader. She faces the numerous tragic occurrences in her life with guts, patience and determination. The book is a winner and so is Kit!

Metropolis is a winner! As a past resident of Boston for many years, I had fun revisiting all the familiar places and locales described throughout the book. More importantly, I fully enjoyed the vast array of characters presented and their ability to form meaningful bonds with one another within an otherwise random and impersonal environment. It is a unique story that is well told. My interest in the characters and what happens to them was sparked from the start. There are also a couple of interesting twists that make the mystery that more satisfying.

As a seasoned lover of memoirs I eagerly awaited the arrival of Blind Man's Bluff by James Tate Hill. After reading the short recap provided by First Impressions, Mr. Hill's story seemed honest, intriguing and insightful. And it truly was all of these things!! The machinations the author goes through on a daily basis to avoid detection of his blindness, while at times humorous, are always quite incredible and exhausting! One can only imagine how he felt at the end of his long day. This book is an important story on individual and societal acceptance of disability. And while at times I found the writing a bit tedious/detailed I remained engaged throughout was quite curious to see how Mr. Hill's story ended.

In my opinion Palace of the Drowned fell a little flat compared to Christine Mangan's first novel Tangerine. (This thought ironically mirrors the plot line of Palace of the Drowned.) And yet, while I didn't like it as much there were definite elements in it that kept my interest throughout. These include descriptions of Venice in the 60's, the haunting/eerie tone of the story as well as the build up of tension that instills in the reader a keen desire to find out how it resolves. I am glad to have read it!

Overall I found Black Widows to be a good read. Polygamy is an interesting subject matter and I enjoyed reading about it from the perspectives of three very different sister-wives. That format worked well! I also enjoyed the sometimes humorous interactions between the wives. It reminded me somewhat of The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall which also portrayed a very compassionate and at times funny look at the characters.
However make no mistake about it, Black Widows is a mystery. I found the length of the book somewhat tedious but the surprise ending certainly makes up for that. This book will appeal to mystery fans!