A fast paced historical fiction novel that keeps the reader turning pages until the end. The reader follows the Ang women as they flee from their home in Shandong, China to Taiwan during the Chinese Communist Party's overthrow of the Nationalist Party. A story of the power of resourcefulness, resilience, and love prevailing over cultural beliefs, poverty and cruelty. The best historical fiction I've read this year.

Well developed characters as well as excellent descriptions of the settings allow the reader to be transported to the Roaring twenties. It is a wonderful story of perseverance and the belief in a dream at a time when career choices for women were limited. Historical fiction fans are sure to love this book!!

In 1954 Chinese-American teenager Victor Chin is diagnosed with leprosy (Hansen's disease). Victor lives with his father and brother in New York City where his father owns a laundry. His mother remains in China caring for elderly relatives. It is decided that Victor will go to a federal institute in Carville, Louisiana for treatment of his disease due to the stigma, fears, and costs of leprosy treatment.
During his stay in Carville, Victor finds friends, a first love, and discovers his talent as pianist as well as receiving treatment for his illness.
The reader learns about the Carville Institute and treatment of Hansen's disease as well as insights into immigration, family dynamics and teenage angst. Well developed characters and a subject I was not familiar with made the book an enjoyable and interesting read.

This is a story of loss, hope, love and redemption. Lindsey Hill and her three children move to Hawai'i after purchasing a rundown hotel following the death of Paul Hill in a surfing accident. The characters are likable and real as they adapt to their new life on an island and deal with their grief over losing their loved one. The author keeps the reader engaged in the story with compelling twists and turns of the plot. However I felt the mother's new relationship and the children's ability to move on at the end of the book needed further development to be believable. Overall the novel was an enjoyable read.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found the story engaging from beginning to end. It would make a great book club choice as there is much in the book to discuss.
The author takes the reader on a trip to Jordan with American born Amani and her Jordanian born American father Gabe. The author immerses the reader in the culture and landscapes of Jordan as well as introducing the reader to family inter-dynamics and political mechanisms. Seldom does a book transport a reader so clearly to another country very different than our own. Fascinating!

A novel exploring an obsessive professor/mentor relationship and the competitive world of academia set around the subject of classical mythology was initially difficult for me to get into as my knowledge of the Latin classics is limited and at times the authors details became tedious. However the author's modern day retelling of Apollo and Daphne myth was an interesting way to explore the complex relationships within the novel and I became more invested in the story as I continued reading.

The reader is given a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the privileged and wealthy. We meet Gloria Vanderbilt's twin sister Thelma who becomes the mistress to Edward Prince of Wales as well as their social climbing mother who is always pushing her daughters to marry well. We see women far more engaged in their social lives then prepared for the role of mother. The book provides insight into Edward's personality as well as the type of king he would have become had he not married Wallis Simpson and abdicated his title. After reading this story I felt the right Windsor man ascended to the throne. As Fitzgerald once said "Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me."

The reader embarks on a journey through 70 years of Vietnam's turbulent political history. The story is about four generations of the Tran family and told through the eyes of a grandmother and her granddaughter. The reader follows the Tran family through times of wealth, poverty, famine, political unrest and war. The words are beautifully written with the promise of hope for the future, the strength of family ties and the power of forgiveness guiding the story. A great book for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, would like to learn more about Vietnam or is in a book club!

The author gives readers a behind the scenes view of Winston and Clementine Churchill’s life together providing a look into how this “power” couple worked together navigating the fate of their country during two wars. The author shares their successes and failures with the reader as well as ambitious Clementine’s struggles to balance running a household, being a mother and standing beside her husband to serve her country. I was surprised to learn that Lady Clementine was responsible for involving woman in the war effort. The fast paced book kept my interest as I felt my admiration for Mrs Churchill grow.