This historical novel begins in 1917 with WWI in the trenches where a young American soldier, Nick, is painting a mural on the walls. A French woman hands his a bundle - a baby boy swaddled in a blanket, and 2 small paintings of the countryside with a blue figure- with a note "His name is Laurent." As the soldier holds the child, he realizes that he can't carry him through the war, so he leaves him near a well in the center of the village and evades the encroaching Germans.

Forward to 1974 when we meet Jenny, an intelligent young woman who dropped out of college, and is now working at IHOP as a waitress. She has a dream of going to Capri and meeting a boyfriend there while he work on his thesis on the poet Pablo Neruda. When she learns of a job as a companion to an elderly man (Nick) who wants to go to France and Italy, she interviews for the job and the two set off on an adventure to find the child (now around 60 yrs old) and the artist who left him with Nick along with the paintings.

This book kept my interest throughout and provided a quick trip to both France and Italy. The characters were memorable, well drawn, realistic, ordinary people with hopes and dreams. Yes, they had regrets, but they also were determined to pursue their mission to the end.

I thought the ending was poignant- a little sad, and a little hopeful - and it wrapped up the novel beautifully.

I received an ARC from Bookbrowse and the publisher and the opinions expressed here are entirely my own. I will be recommending this book to my book groups because there is a lot to discuss in it.

This powerful book takes place primarily within 2 settings - one in California in 1938, the other in Austria in around the same time.

The first part of the book is about Roseann, who is orphaned at 16 yo when her parents and younger brother are killed in a tragic accident. The owners of the vineyard where her father worked take her in and have her serve as their maid and assistant cook, to give her life skills. When she gets pregnant, the wife has her sent to an institution for the feeble minded, psychotic and otherwise dysfunctional individuals. Here, her Synthesia (the sensory experience of seeing colors and shapes when hearing words or music) is explored. She has the baby, a little girl, but is not permitted to bond with the child, and is involuntarily sterilized soon afterwards.

The last half of the book takes place at the same time, where Helene, the sister of the vineyard owner, who has lived in Europe for 20 yrs, working as a nanny in England, France and Austria. She becomes attached to the children that she tends and when one child, with minor disabilities is taken from the home and placed in an institution where she suddenly dies from Pneumonia, Helene is forced to find other employment. She eventually returns to California.

The ending was predictable, but fortunately, poignant and happy.
The author thoroughly researched Eugenics and it's effects here and in Nazi controlled countries, and brought together the two parallel stories beautifully. I had heard of Eugenics, although did not imagine the extent of it's use in the USA well before the Nazis used it (legalized in California from 1909 -1979 where 20,000 people were sterilized).

I received a complimentary paperback copy from Bookbrowse and am participating in their current book discussion - and there is a lot to discuss about this book, which I highly recommend.

This book started out with a college dropout coming to live with an elderly woman as her caretaker.

Tanner (the college dropout) only ever wanted to play soccer. However, her dream was shattered when she fell off a porch and broke her leg in several places. She lost her college scholarship, harbored resentment toward her best friend (for inviting her to the party where the accident happened), and toward herself (for the results of her actions). On top of these issues, her mother kicked her out of the house. While at Louise's, she lays around all day in sweats and plays video games.
Louise (an 84 yr old woman) recovering from a hip fracture, who has a secret which Tanner discovers, and which causes them to take off for California to find George. As they cross the country, they discover themselves and each other. This book has the bones of a fun adventure but I thought that it was a little overdone. There was a lot of extraneous information/background which I didn't feel added to the story. Also, there were too many improbable situations and coincidences in the story which just didn't ring true.

This is a very light read - it could have been a lot of fun, but the multiple improbable situations did me in.

I received an ARC from Bookbrowse and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a creative novel based on a historical event. I thought that Marie Benedict offered some insight into the making of Agatha Christie as a mystery writer and creative murder methods.
She had little experience with men and when she met Archibald Christie, she fell in love immediately. The story of their marriage unfolded in the book interspersed with her disappearance of 11 days.
Agatha Christie developed her writing skills from working in a pharmacy as a volunteer during WWI, and started writing after a challenge by her older sister Madge - to construct a mystery no reader could solve.. Her style became one where the entire premise of the book rested on an unexpected twist and an unreliable narrator. And it served her well. Every Agatha Christie mystery that I've read brings in a new surprise - a twist - and well developed characters that keep me guessing - who did it?
I think that Marie Benedict did well to bring an unexpected twist to the story of her disappearance and I loved the ending - perfect for a story about Agatha Christie.
Thank you to Bookbrowse and Sourcebooks Landmark for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book introduced me to Bohemian Paris in the 1920s that I knew .very little about. The Paris Bookseller was mostly a historical biography of Sylvia Beach, and her relationship with Adrienne Monnier. The 2 women were among the many avantgarde of Paris and the continent who flaunted the conventions and morality of the era.
The women established an English language bookstore along with author talks, and provided a meeting space for American and English speaking expats to enjoy each other's company.
I was surprised at the number of authors mentioned who crossed the threshold of Shakespeare & Co - Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, and I found their participation in the bookstore activities interesting. I knew that there was some controversy about Ulysses, but this book brought out the controversy and conflicts surrounding its publication. The stories of these famous people (and the publication of Ulysses) were for me, the most interesting parts of the book.
I felt that the book was too long and the relationship between the two women developed quickly, but I just didn't care about them. I was bored with the dinner parties and the affectation that Sylvia especially displayed, and the details of their relationship and its development. I guess that it just wasn't my favorite type of book.
I received an advance review copy of this book from Bookbrowse and the publisher for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I just love the way Jane Harper develops a plot, adds tension and suspense, and brings out important themes of friendship and community. The book begins with a mysterious disappearance of a baby's mother, Kim. Her sneaker is found near a reservoir but there is no sign of Kim.
The small community setting serves as a background to this mystery and another - an unsolved hit and run 6 yrs earlier, Harper develops a tight plot with multiple characters each with a distinct voice and personality. She expertly wove the 2 mysteries together, which kept me guessing - but the resolution (which came out of the subtle clues) made perfect sense and afforded me a satisfying conclusion.
Thanks to Bookbrowse for an ARC- I really enjoyed reading about Aaron Falk and Greg Raco again (both characters from The Dry), and reading of their excellent work.

What a creative novel based on a historical event! I thought that Marie Benedict offered some insight into the making of Agatha Christie as a mystery writer and her creative murder methods.
Agatha had little experience with men and when she met Archibald Christie, fell in love immediately. The story of their marriage unfolded in the book interspersed with her disappearance of 11 days.
Agatha Christie developed her writing skills from working in a pharmacy as a volunteer during WWI, and started writing after a challenge by her older sister Madge - to construct a mystery no reader could solve.. Her style became one where the entire premise of the book rested on an unexpected twist and an unreliable narrator. And it served her well. Every Agatha Christie mystery that I've read brings in a new surprise - a twist - and well developed characters that keep me guessing - who did it!?
I think that Marie Benedict did well to bring an unexpected twist to the story of her disappearance and I loved the ending - perfect for a story about Agatha Christie.
Thank you to Bookbrowse and Sourcebooks Landmark for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I read the first chapter of this book and had to put it down - I didn't care to read about the rise of the drug cartels in Mexico, the violence that they produce, and the poor downtrodden Mexicans who are making their way to the US. Then I read the blurbs on the back of the book and thought that there must be more to this book than I am anticipating.

This book pulled together a story of maternal love, self preservation, and hope in a compelling narrative with multifaceted characters who found the courage and companionship to survive and unimaginable journey. The author defines these migrants as having the dreams of living in a faraway country that doesn't want them - the same as most migrants throughout time. I'm sure we all have looked at the problems at our southern border with some resistance to allowing them to enter our country.

My grandparents who came from Europe at the turn of the last century, were not wealthy, they were unskilled, they didn't speak English, but they too came to pursue a dream of a better life...like Lydia and Luca.

The author puts a face to the sea of humanity crossing into the US, but she also puts heart and soul into the characters...and each of them carries some story of suffering. Yes, they have problems, yes, they have anguish, and yes there is some violence, but the story also has many heartwarming, and enlightening moments and is written so that you are carried along the journey with the characters.
I highly recommend this book for a discussion group. I guarantee that you will never look at the migrant problem the same again.

Thank you BookBrowse and Flatiron Books for an ARC of American Dirt. It has changed me forever.

This story of African immigrants to Europe paints a very human picture of immigration. The author shows a deep understanding of people, their families and their desire for freedom, safety,opportunities for a better life. At the same time, he shows the reader the sacrifices that they must make in order to cross borders, the trust they display by paying smugglers to get out, the importance of religion.
The African immigrants, like the Central American immigrants to the US, have a different color of skin and another language from the founders and majority of the citizens of their new countries.
I was not captivated by this story at the beginning, but by the 2nd story, I began to see the light. I was shocked by the ending of the first chapter - but later realized that he was just too different (alien) to ever integrate into his new community. The character states, "Even in Berlin, I miss Berlin" which emphasizes how alienated he feels even in his "adopted" home.
Each character has a reason for leaving their homeland, each has a story to tell and we are richer for reading them.

This story of a woman finding answers to a lifelong question approached the idea in a unique manner. When 70 year old Georgianna decides to return to the Wisconsin camp where her life changed forever, and take along her family, only one child was looking forward to the trip.
The book explores many issues including racism, loss, grief, and parent-child relationships. I liked the book but didn't feel there was much tension in it, and the modern day mystery was not resolved - just accepted without any repercussions.
The murder from the past was also solved for Georgie, and I hope the author intended to show some resolution in the way she presented it. I liked the way that the author developed the story but found some of the situations unrealistic, and the characters a a little too stereotypical. One family relationship was not revealed until too near the end and it seemed contrived to me. That child had issues which were glossed over and I felt could have been incorporated into the story better.
I want to thank BookBrowse and W.W.Norton for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review

There were many aspects of this book that I just loved. The characters were well developed, interesting, and their were explained. I loved the setting and contrasts between Siena in 1347 and today - well researched with focal points of the buildings. Especially the Duomo and Campo. The time travel was a little awkward, although Beatrice did hope that she could return to the time she wanted. The love story was wonderful and kept my interest.
I would recommend this to any of my book groups as presents all the elements necessary for discussion - plot, characters, themes, setting - great debut novel.

I loved this book and the way the author developed the character of Christine Olsen - the focus of a painting by Andrew Wyeth.
Christine suffered from a debilitating illness as a young child which affected her ability to walk. She attended a one room school and was easily the brightest child in the school. Her teacher encouraged her to continue in school to become a teacher, but Christine's father denied her the opportunity and replaced her education opportunities with a difficult life in the family home which lacked indoor plumbing, central heat, a telephone, electricity.
Christine did not want anyone's pity and her perseverance in meeting the challenges of daily life were inspiring and sadly detailed.
The author clearly depicted Christine's character development and her eventual bitterness that ensued. At one point where she had 4 summers of "love", it seemed that she would be able to be free of the burdens of her life but that was not meant to be, and she continued with her daily life and its challenges.
I highly recommend this book for all ages for discussion.

I liked the organization of the book and the way the story progressed in a series of vignettes. Fortunately, the author didn't switch back and forth between the main characters but devoted 2 chapters to each main character and presented them in a way to move the story along. I almost stopped reading though after the middle of the book because it seemed that everyone had an unhappy circumstance. There were a few characters who I felt did not add to the story and also some issues that were presented but never resolved.
I think that the author described the characters and the villages adequately although subtly. Overall, the characters were interesting, but I would have preferred a little more plot and cohesiveness to the book.

I really wanted to like this book since it was compared to The Night Circus and Like Water for Elephants...but I think it fell short of both of these books. My main problem with this book was with Simon who, while the main character in the present day story, lacked much depth in the novel. I found myself wanting to read the historical story more than the present day one and I did like the way the author tied the events of the past with the present day.
I felt there were a few loose ends - Churchwary, H Peabody, Mde Ryzhkova....and the way that Alice and Simon got together. There were too many contrived situations that I didn't think moved the story along, but bogged it down.
While I do not usually care for mystical/fantastic/paranormal stories, I thought that these devices moved the story along. I think the editing should have been a little tighter to integrate the many elements of the story into a more cohesive/concise whole.

The characters were interesting and well developed and I liked the tension of Her. I thought that the friendship was unlikely -the main women really have very little in common - and the reason for the stalking did not seem to be something that Nina need to obsess about for 20 yrs. However, my main dislike was the retelling of the story and I don't think it added to the plot; this made it take too long to get to the heart of the story. The climax thus became weak - actually I'm not sure where it came from.

I enjoyed most of this book although the changing viewpoints made Part IV a little difficult to follow. I didn't especially like the characters (which is not to say that I didn't like the book) but was intrigued by their changing roles throughout the book and I could empathize with many of them.
I would say my knowledge of the various governments and coups in the Middle East is perfunctory at best, and as a result, I may have missed some of the importance of the activities in the book, but I got the story along with the layered identities and multiple betrayals inherent in any spy novel. The author used the exotic locations of Eastern Europe, Egypt and Libya for backdrops to his story, and added current (2011) political events to enhance the intrigue to the book.
I was disappointed in the ambiguous ending and would have liked more closure especially for Sophie. John was dropped after page 228, then showed up again on page 407 without anything in between. And I still don't know the significance of the boy on the bridge who threw the statue of Lenin in the river or why Sophie kept thinking about it - it really didn't add much to move the story along.

I enjoyed the mental mechanics of this book and trying to determine who did it. The characters were for the most part well drawn, the story was engaging, and the ending a surprise. I did not care for the constant similes in the beginning of the book. It bothered me that so many crimes occurred in a little place- with one stop light - and the DA was so busy!

Close my eyes will probably be this year's Gone Girl because it is a psychological thriller but not as dark. It took me a while to get into the book, and I thought Gen was whiny and a little obsessive about the loss of the child 8 yrs previously. Art was too intense for me and I felt he pressed the IVF issue rather than letting Gen accept it. There were a lot of twists in the story and when I thought that I had it figured out, realized that there was more info to be had which changed my ideas. The diary writing and thought processing seemed too mature for the child to write. It was intriguing, painfully sad, and a little contrived but it had all the elements of a good story and will certainly appeal to a wide range of book groups.

The prologue grabbed my attention and I looked forward to unraveling the mystery of Lila's disappearance. The characters were well developed, the plot a little thin, the setting and the rhythm of the neighborhood were beautifully described (although not aesthetically beautiful). So what did I miss? In the prologue, Lenu tells us that she will relate every memory that she has about Lila but the story falls short by 40 years and by the end, the reader has no more knowledge of why Lila disappeared than her son Rino has at the beginning. The book was difficult to get through with little dialogue and many characters (thank goodness for the Character Index at the beginning), but the colorful description of life in Italy in the 50's kept me going (being a true Italophile). However, I felt cheated because the book was not a stand alone novel and one must rad the next 2 books in the trilogy to find out the reason for the prologue issues.

I thought this book would be a fast and exciting study of a sociopathic female. Although the premise of face reading is a little out dated, just like the yoga retreat for sex, the "psychological thriller" aspect kept me going back to the book. For me, however, the aura of mystery presented in the beginning never got off the ground and the characters never really came to life. The story lacked momentum - while there were some background details, the reactions of the characters felt disconnected and most were never explained. By the end of the book, I still had a lot of questions, and it felt like the author had to hurry to finish the story so he introduced a bunch of possible endings to let the reader come to his/her own conclusions.