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Reviews by Mary Jane D. (Arlington Heights, IL)

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At the Wolf's Table
At the Wolf's Table
by Rosella Postorino
Slow Read (10/21/2018)
I was anticipating an interesting and compelling book about women who were recruited to be taste testers for Hitler. I have read many books about Germany during WW2 but nothing on this topic. I was disappointed in this one.The lack of character development made it hard for …more
Fly Girls
Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History
by Keith O'Brien
Go Girls! (6/12/2018)
Fly Girls is an excellent read and I highly recommend it. I knew a little about Amelia Earhart but never heard of any of the other brave and hard working women who also achieved notoriety at the time (1920's and 30's) for their accomplishments.I like Keith O'Brien's style …more
The Chalk Man
The Chalk Man
by C. J. Tudor
Page Turner (12/5/2017)
C.J. Tudor's first thriller The Chalk Man is a great read and hard to put down. From the first page to the last there are twists and turns and secrets revealed to help unravel unfortunate occurrences and a gruesome murder. The characters are slowly developed both as …more
The Twelve-Mile Straight
The Twelve-Mile Straight: A Novel
by Eleanor Henderson
Great read (5/3/2017)
I loved The Twelve- Mile Straight and would highly recommend it. The writing is excellent, character development is full, and the plot is intriguing. It is rather long but I found myself constantly picking it up to find out what happened next. When I thought I had it …more
The Stars Are Fire
The Stars Are Fire
by Anita Shreve
An Easy Read (2/26/2017)
Anita Shreve is a good storyteller who develops her characters well. I found myself very sympathetic to Grace and her mother Marjorie.
The story is set in the time frame of my parents and myself as a child so I related to many details. The terrible fire is a documented event …more
The Second Mrs. Hockaday
The Second Mrs. Hockaday
by Susan Rivers
A Mystery Solved (12/13/2016)
I very much enjoyed the slow solving of the mystery as to why Placidia Hockaday was accused of a horrendous crime. Little by little details are revealed about the life of the young Southern belle who marries a man she hardly knows and is unprepared for the responsibilities …more
Les Parisiennes
Les Parisiennes: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved, and Died Under Nazi Occupation
by Anne Sebba
Interesting Read (7/17/2016)
Les Parisiennes is an extremely well researched and detailed nonfiction account of the trials and tribulations of many different women who experienced the Nazi Occupation of Paris during WW2 and the aftermath.

I found it hard to get into because of the large number of …more
The Six
The Six: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters
by Laura Thompson
Difficult Read (6/7/2016)
I am sorry to say I cannot give The Six a positive review. Although I did not know much about the Mitford sisters I thought I would enjoy it because I am a big fan of Downton Abbey and according to author Laura Thompson the Mitfords represented " a variant strain of Downton …more
The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins
The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins
by Antonia Hodgson
Good Historical Mystery (1/11/2016)
I very much liked this historical mystery. I had read The Devil in the Marshalsea and was anxious to read more adventures of Thomas Hawkins. The book was carefully researched and offers a realistic view of many aspects of life in the days of King George and Queen Caroline. …more
Fallen Land
Fallen Land
by Taylor Brown
A Long Journey (11/15/2015)
Fallen Land tells of the trials and tribulations of a long journey by two young lovers and their faithful and strong horse. They become victims of circumstances and face many tests of their physical and mental toughness. The story is engaging but I found some parts were …more
The Shore
The Shore: A Novel
by Sara Taylor
Good first novel by Sara Taylor (6/4/2015)
The Shore was a good but bit confusing first novel of a young writer. The interconnected stories tell the tale of the characters and personal lives of those who lived on a small island near Virginia. The time frame is very ambitious covering the 1800's all the way to 2143. …more
The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell
The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell
by William Klaber
Not What I Expected (12/15/2014)
I chose to read this book because I like historical fiction of the period. I didn't realize it was about a gay lady struggling with her acceptance of her sexual orientation. It is not the subject matter I would normally read about.The best part was the Author's Afterward …more
Juliet's Nurse
Juliet's Nurse
by Lois Leveen
Good Read (7/8/2014)
Juliet's Nurse is a good commentary on life in Verona during trying times and the development of Angelica, Juliet's wet nurse. The book is well researched and historically accurate. I found myself revisiting the story of Romeo and Juliet to refresh my mind about the details …more
The Devil in the Marshalsea
The Devil in the Marshalsea
by Antonia Hodgson
The Devil in the Marshalsea (3/15/2014)
This is a very well researched depiction of an infamous London debtor's prison in 1727. A lot of intrigue and action is packed into a few days in the life of Tom Hawkins. The story continuously evolves and characters are introduced and then slowly developed. There are some …more
House of Bathory
House of Bathory
by Linda Lafferty
House of Bathory (1/1/2014)
This is an excellent book for those interested in the legend of Dracula. The story is based on the historical record of the Bathory family from the 1600's in Slovakia and brought cleverly to present times. The characters are well developed and memorable. The castle setting …more
The Spirit Keeper
The Spirit Keeper
by K. B. Laugheed
The Spirit Keeper (9/22/2013)
I seldom read historical fiction from this place and time period so was looking forward to a good adventure story with interesting details. I was disappointed somewhat. While it certainly tells about a great adventure for Katie, Syawa, and Hector I felt the characters were …more
The Scavenger's Daughters
The Scavenger's Daughters: Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters, Book One
by Kay Bratt
Excellent, fast read (7/13/2013)
I would highly recommend The Scavenger's Daughters as a quick easy read that kept me engaged. The writing is clean and crisp and the glossary at the end with the meaning of the Chinese words is helpful. The descriptions of the girls and the goings on in the town made it …more
The Sisterhood
The Sisterhood
by Helen Bryan
An epic historical read (6/1/2013)
The Sisterhood covers a long time period alternating between present and past. I enjoyed the historical parts and the interesting characters that were developed. Just as I thought it was bogging down a bit a new character or situation would be introduced. I was a little …more
A Murder at Rosamund's Gate
A Murder at Rosamund's Gate: A Lucy Campion Mystery
by Susanna Calkins
Life in 17th Century England (3/24/2013)
I chose to read Murder at Rosamund's Gate because I like historical fiction. I don't normally read mysteries but the murder mystery made it all the more intriguing. The descriptions of daily life in 17th Century England, Newgate Prison, the court proceedings, horrendous …more
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