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Reviews by Alyce T. (San Antonio, TX)

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The Waters: A Novel
by Bonnie Jo Campbell

Outstanding Book (12/25/2023)

Bonnie Jo Campbell has produced a masterpiece. I feel that The Waters will become a classic. The author's style of writing resembles Ernest Hemingway. The detail is engrossing not bogging. The story plot about a family on an island in Michigan that allows no men involves you in all aspects. Hermine "Herself" is a strong woman who has raised 3 daughters while being the healer for the adjoining town. Primrose, Maryrose and Rose Thorn are all loveable in different ways. I wish there was a higher rating than a 5. When I finished The Waters, I went to Chapter 1 and reread the first 50 pages again. It is a family you do not want to leave and a book that you do not want to end.

The Montevideo Brief: A Thomas Grey Novel
by J. H. Gelernter

A Tall Ship Adventure (4/20/2023)

The Montevideo Brief is a beautiful history of the days of pirates and privateers. It was a fun book to read as you followed Grey on his journey. Covering the United States, England, France and Spain and their involvement in intelligence gatherings, ship seizures and interactions on the high seas shapes outcome of today's world. The treasures of Spanish explorers being transported by ship caravan is the prize to establish country allegiances in peace and war. I would like to read more books by J.H. Gelernter.

In the Time of Our History
by Susanne Pari

Must Read (9/14/2022)

I love this book. It is a page turner and I read it in 1 1/2 days. Susanne Pari writes an interesting story of the Johani family that fled Iran after the fall of the Shah. Mitra, a 1st generation American, comes alive in these pages. Her relationship with traditions of Iran and the US culture are similar to age old generation problems. You can relate to all of the individuals in the family. I hope that author writes a sequel as I would like to learn more of their lives.

On a Night of a Thousand Stars
by Andrea Yaryura Clark

On a Night of a Thousand Stars (2/21/2022)

I read this book in slightly over one day. I could not put it down. Andrea Clark does a fantastic task of telling the story of a daughter going back 20 years to discover how her family fit into the Argentina Dirty War of the 1970s. The author smoothly covers transitioning between the 1970s and 1990s. She describes the gaps in the history of both decades while covering the love stories in both periods. You finish the book with a desire to visit Argentina.

The Paris Bookseller
by Kerri Maher

Old Friends (11/11/2021)

Reading "the Paris Bookseller" is like attending a High School or College Reunion. It is so much fun meeting and greeting old friends. As the characters come into the store, Shakespeare and Company owned by the famous Sylvia Beach, we "know" them as well as relatives coming home for a family reunion. it is a joy to learn of the interactions and friendships of the famous authors of the 20th Century. We experience their gathering together for support and to escape the bans and prohibitions in the early 1900s.

James Joyce's "Ulysses " is the focal point of this true story and how the community saved it. Kerri Maher's delightful book will be entertaining for both old and new readers. and will create lively discussions for book Clubs..

Honor
by Thrity Umrigar

Honor by Thrity Umrigar (9/27/2021)

At first I was reluctant to read this book thinking I was familiar with honor killings from the many newspaper and magazine articles that I have read. Thrity allows us to experience all the emotions and feelings of Meena Mustafer beyond a newspaper report in this book. She takes us into the families and every day lives of all those that are affected. All of the characters are well developed and we see them as people not statistics. An underlying theme is the relationship of Smita and Mohan. Asif, Smita's father, adds insights. This is an ideal book for book club readers for lively discussions. I enjoyed this page turner from beginning to the end and will look forward to reading any future book by Thrity Umrigar.

The Lost Apothecary: A Novel
by Sarah Penner

The Lost Apothecary (9/9/2020)

One of the things that I really liked about The Lost Apothecary was that it was about ordinary people. Most historical novels I have read are the lives of royalty. Sarah Penner did a lot of research in everyday life in the 1790's. Women faced the same mistreatment then as they do today. Nella's approach to helping fellow sufferers was through the Apothecary where she had learned medicine from her mother. Caroline comes to London in present day escaping a cheating husband on their wedding anniversary. She finds a bottle which leads her to research the ancient apothecary and it's proprietor. It was an interesting page turner with twists and turns between the 2 centuries and into the lives of Nella and Caroline. I hope Sarah writes another book.

The Big Finish
by Brooke Fossey

The Big Finish (10/8/2019)

This was the most delightful book I have read in ages. I smiled and laughed all the way through this easy and quick read. Brooke Fossey covers the light side of assisted living along with the normal concerns of the residents preparing for their end days. So many clever and colorful words by Duffy and his love for Alice and concerns for his roommate's grand daughter, Josie, made it a real page turner. Unexpected adventures add to the story. I hope Brooke Fossey writes another book.

American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt
by Stephanie Marie Thornton

American Princess (11/13/2018)

The only thing I knew about Alice Roosevelt was the song "Sweet Little Alice Blue Gown" supposedly written for her. Stephanie Thornton made Alice come alive. I was able to experience her antics, joys, political power, hurts, and pain. I laughed. I cried. The book was well written and researched. Interesting anecdotes were included about celebrities, world leaders and political leaders familiar to us all. Of course Alice couldn't live forever and the book ended when she did. I was sorry to close the book.

Cruel Beautiful World
by Caroline Leavitt

Cruel Beautiful World (7/31/2017)

This best seller will be coming out in paperback in early August. It would be a great read for a book club. Caroline Leavitt develops her characters so you can sympathize with each of them. Love in various types and stages are the underlying theme of the page turner. Lucy,16 years old, runs away with her school teacher to another state. Though she believes her action will have little effect on her family everyone's life is turned upside down. There are unexpected twists in the plot which will have you reading late into the night.

The Scribe of Siena
by Melodie Winawer

The Scribe of Siena (5/15/2017)

Dr. Melodie Winawer can add accomplished author to her impressive list of degrees and achievements. Melodie has displayed a knack for putting the reader into the thick of the plot. We were carried along from the 21st Century to the 14th century effortlessly as the love story of Beatrice and Gabriele developed. The research of Italian history and language added to our enjoyment.

Hopefully Winawer will follow up with another novel.

The Tea Planter's Wife
by Dinah Jefferies

The Tea Planter's Wife (7/26/2016)

For summer reading, it was OK. As an International Best Seller, I was disappointed. The plot was thin and had no mystery. Dinah Jefferies's characters also seemed to lack depth and feelings. Perhaps that is just the cool English stereotype reserve and I did not get it. I expected to learn more about tea cultivation and the country of Ceylon (today's Sri Lanka).

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
by Phaedra Patrick

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper (3/21/2016)

This book was correctly named. Arthur Pepper discover something curious about his wife who has been dead for a year. This charming man takes us on an adventure to solve the mystery of his wife's past. As the tale unfolds each question solved gives a clue to solving the next question. It was an enjoyable book with believable but odd characters.

When the Moon Is Low: A Novel
by Nadia Hashimi

When the Moon is Low (8/14/2015)

Nadia Hashimi has successfully transformed the reader into an undocumented refugee. The reader is a family member traveling through alien countries with different cultures meeting good and evil people along the way. One constantly finds oneself debating what is the best course of action in each situation. The characters are well developed and you feel personally involved with their decisions. The descriptions of the countries and the cultures are vivid and you easily relate to them.It is a hard book to put down and moves fluidly.

Circling the Sun: A Novel
by Paula McLain

Circling the Sun (5/11/2015)

Having read and enjoyed "The Paris Wife", I was anxious to read Paula McLain's book on Beryl Markham. It did not disappoint! McLain captured Beryl the woman who interacted with her peers, family and royalty in foreign lands as we can hardly imagine. The trip was exciting. We were there through all the record setting exploits and achievements and day to day life of a remarkable woman.

Lusitania: Triumph, Tragedy, and the End of the Edwardian Age
by Greg King, Penny Wilson

Lusitania (2/9/2015)

This is a scholarly work by Greg King and Penny Wilson who have done a marvelous job of telling us about this famous ship. They did an in depth study on the passengers who were aboard including what their lives were like before the sailing, how they spent their days on sea. and what transpired after the tragedy.
Their descriptions of the rooms, salons and public rooms give the reader an insight into sailing on a luxury liner. We feel like we were there enjoying the pampering, activities and lavish meals. After the sinking we also experience the waterlogged struggles.

Hopefully this book will clear up a lot of misconceptions and myths concerning the event. We are privy to the analyzing and finger pointer that goes along with a tragedy. Safety lessons are to learned here. I enjoyed reading every page.

The Devil in the Marshalsea
by Antonia Hodgson

The Devil in the Marshalsea (3/18/2014)

On of my father's favorite expressions was "you're driving me to the poor house". Naturally I was drawn to read this book to discover what Antonio Hodgson had to say about a debtor's prison. She portrayed life there so well I felt like I was experiencing the sentence myself. The characters were vivid. The research that went into this historical fiction work was awesome. I had no idea how the class system and life worked in a prison like Marshalsea including politics and religion. It was a page turner in the truest sense. The plot was well developed and moved in and out of situations smoothly. I hope that Antonio Hodgson is working on another historical fiction novel. I loved and hated the people I met in this one.

The Cairo Affair
by Olen Steinhauer

The Cairo Affair (12/23/2013)

This was my first book by Olen Steinhauer. It won't be my last. I read it from cover to cover in 2 days. The twists and turns of the book keep you wondering and turning the pages. One can't help but mentally debate how much of this story could actually happen and just how plausible is it.

Children of the Jacaranda Tree
by Sahar Delijani

Children Of the Jacaranda Tree (2/22/2013)

This book to me was a collection of loosely joined short stories. The characters did not come alive . I did not feel like I really got to know anyone. The other problem that I had reading it was what seemed to be awkward descriptions throughout the book. On the plus side, Delijani proytrayed the times well. It was very informative and the stories needed to be told. I do feel a lot of sympathy for her and her family and friends from whom these were drawn. It would cause a lot of discussions in book clubs. Yes, I would recommend it. I really liked the last chapter. That was when I started feeling involved.

Calling Me Home
by Julie Kibler

Calling Me Home (12/13/2012)

This was a very enjoyable book to read by first time author,Julie Kibler. It's not a page turner but it keeps your interest so that you do want to keep reading. The story is mainly about 2 women- very opposite at first glance. Dorrie is a young black woman and Isabelle is an elderly white woman. They embark on a journey which turns out to be not only from A to B but a journey of their lives. They confide in each other along the way and tell each of their past. It's a hard book to talk about without revealing the plot. It is a very believable character study of two women of different backgrounds who find they are very much alike besides being good friends. You'll enjoy the book and want to read more by Julie Kibler.

Reviews by Alyce T. (San Antonio, TX)

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