This is historical mystery focused on the life of a real midwife in post revolutionary America. While respected by women, a midwife was not respected by the medical community in early America and although she has the role of giving testimony on mortalities, when she gives her opinion that a recent death is a murder she conflicts with the powers that want to rule an accidental drowning. I loved the setting of this book- in Maine's winter- and the writer makes you feel "chilled' at every turn. The mystery of the death unfolds among side stories of other discriminations against women and powerful men controlling the community. Evil lurks, but our heroine will not give up on her quest for the truth! If you enjoyed books like Lady Tan's Circle of Women you will enjoy seeing the role of a courageous midwife in early America.

This is a great read! I only heard about it through word of mouth. It has quirky women characters, an adventure, a mystery (does the gold beetle exist?), and lots of drama. Obstacles are thrown at two somewhat naive women who risk all to pursue their dreams halfway around the world. An unlikely friendship evolves after a rough start and that is the true beauty of this story. Add the Britishness of it all and you have a book that's cozy as tea!

This book was a "slow burn"- I loved the complexity of the voice. Owen is a struggling, aspiring writer but "stuck" in poverty. He takes a groundskeeping job at a fictional college in Kentucky where was born. He meets Alma, a published author who has a "visiting writer" position at the college. They fall in love but struggle with "class differences" and overwhelming bouts of insecurity about their futures and prospects.
This book was timely for me as I had a teaching job with a college in Kentucky (remotely) but knew very little about the state. This book gave me a glimpse into the diverse culture and history of the state.
If you liked Normal People, you will like this book!

I was attracted to this novel because it was WWI story; there are so many WWII novels so I was happy to find something on WWI...But beware, the descriptions of war, death and mutilation are quite shocking and disturbing...I almost put the book aside, but what compelled me to stay with it was the intriguing mystery which drew me in.

Amy is in search of her fiancé, listed as "missing" on the battlefields of France. She made a promise to him and she is a determined woman who doesn't give up easily, in spite of British soldiers and brass who try to thwart her at every turn.

This is a book that some will find too gruesome to read but I stuck with it and I'm glad. I so admire the heroine's determination to head to "ground zero" and not budge until she got answers. What she discovers and how it all unravels is a very well structured mystery that pulls together nicely at the end.

This book brought to mind a "A Very Long Engagement";(1993) another WW! novel (and movie) with a missing fiancé. They both are good reads for those who like historical fiction interwoven with a love story that sheds much light on those "missing in action."

The first thing I thought when I saw this book title is: what’s an H Mart? The H Mart, it turns out is a Korean grocery chain and food looms large in this memoir by a young author who is of mixed race (Korean Mother/ American Father). The author‘s mother is desperate to instill Korean food and recipes into her daughter’s American life but hits a brick wall with her “American” teenager.
But fast forward and the mother /daughter bond grows as the daughter enters young adulthood and the mother is diagnosed with a life-changing illness. The daughter becomes the caretaker and tries desperately to repeat the Korean recipes her Mom treasures. (The father is definitely on the sidelines in this memoir).
I haven’t read a memoir in a long time- and glad I got to read this one. My only criticism is that the author did not describe the foods more so that we could visualize the many dishes that she incorporates into the book: how about a couple of Korean recipes that Americans could take on? Or a glossary with food descriptions would help. But don’t let this deter you from a devastating, but hopeful look at a mother-daughter relationship caught up in cross-cultural tension.