Another winner from Dolan Perkins-Valdez. A beautiful mix of historical fiction in a place in the USA I had never heard tales like this of. The power of family and the history families share was a wonderful bonus to her words.This book gave a powerful celebration of the success some former enslaved men and women worked for and triumphed with. A moving novel.

At first, my conservative self thought the relationships between the girls in the story, or the love of rock climbing, would not appeal to me. Wrong! The old girlfriend who knew too much about Finn's past to give up made me nervous, and the story was put together to keep me reading quickly to keep her in check. As if reading more quickly would solve any problems! A good novel, with nothing to ever make me think it wasn't well written. There is a surprise, yet I wished I had considered that as part of the plot myself.

I absolutely loved this book. I have promised to buy a copy for my dad's birthday (he will be 93!), and have suggested he create a Very Long Life story as Isaac did. I so appreciated the structure of the story as much as the story itself. It will be enthusiastically suggested to our library patrons, and I expect they will also promote its readership. Thank you for the wonderful ARC!

I am reluctant to say that I did not have a good opinion on this book. The description sounded very interesting, but I could not develop an interest in the story as it unfolded. I started to want the cleaner to stop some of her cleaning practices, to start being more in touch with other people, and not to be the person she was. It is one of the very few books I ever gave up reading.

What a powerfully written story. Three generations of women, and the powerful relationships they share—sometimes strong and sometimes less.
The oldest starts the story in Vietnam, and then moves their future to Florida, where they grow through the years, in a home to the side of a banyan tree. The mother daughter relationships are so powerful, so real—sometimes so beautifully woven and other times so devastatingly fragile—that the book's power was a vital force. Love, racism, trust, abuse, strength, and weakness are threads that weave into the lives of these three women, in a compelling narrative.
A first class read, meriting a second read as a book club choice. The title and camo colors on the cover almost made me pass this read by. Glad I didn't. It was worth every page! Thank you for allowing the advance read!

This treat of a book is full of unexpected occurrences that lead to unexpected results—and it is charmingly told. A reminder that people are often more valuable and influential to others than first perceived comes through, as well as a willingness to accept the reality of the unguaranteed odds of identifying a right choice. I loved the mother-daughter exchanges in the last chapters, and the great connections made between the travelers.
This book was good on so many fronts. Thank you for sharing!

This was a first class read! It read quickly, and unfolded beautifully and believably. It had surprises rather than predictability, and it is a book I can recommend to any age. A story about an unhappy 21 year old and an unhealthy 84 year old worked! I predict this will be popular, passed from one reader to the next.

A historic novel told from an unexpected narrator's view. Jack Kennedy's best school friend, Lem, tells the story of his introduction to Jackie Bouvier by JFK, and the unusual "courtship" years of the early 1950s he guides Jackie through at Jack's request.

It's a fascinating look of the preliminary years of Jack and Jackie's acquaintance up through their wedding. Lem proves to be as good a friend to Jackie as he is to Jack. He helps the relationship continue, in many ways far better than Jack. It isn't the fairy tale arrangement I would have expected--I only knew them as a married couple, and had never thought about what their earlier years had been.

Both the Kennedy family and the Auchincloss family are introduced in a way that often surprised this reader. Their home lives, the conversations they have, the expectations for their child's spouse they harbor, and their acceptance of the relationship are unusual.

The story will make for an interesting discussion, as the early years of their relationship are certainly not what I ever would have imagined. I am very glad I was chosen for a preview read. I encourage you enjoy this quick tale.

A beautifully written tale alternating between the time of the shipwreck and the time of a museum exhibit being curated and opening about the wreck in the present day. There is loss being dealt with by the characters in past and present and there is the thrill of discovery as the artifacts and the facts of the wreck come up from the depths of the ocean. There is attention to the class distinctions in our country, as a house slave becomes the means of survival for her owner’s baby, and the researchers cannot identify her or other blacks by much more than first names on the manifest of the voyage. There is all of this and so much more. A strong, captivating historical novel.

I had a hard time accepting the life Del is living at the start of the book, or her decision to tear down the home herself, so I almost put the book down. The character connections were surprising and brought me back to the story. It was great to see how unexpected social connections can benefit someone who is so alone, surprising to imagine anyone moving in with Del when there was any other choice available, and amazing to think that Del, who had so little, was always ready to share what she had with others. The breakdown of the house helped to rebuild Del's life, and that is what made this a good read.

I was graduating from high school when Take My Hand takes place. I knew about Roe vs. Wade—but had no idea about the sterilizations of thousands of women. To read about a young nurse who recognized the inappropriate tubal ligations that her young patients are subjected to, and the court case that resulted from her protest of the practice, was a gripping narrative. Based on historical figures, the unfolding of events for the nurse, her coworkers, her patients, and their family make for a great, revealing read. Our history is not always our finest.

A novel that finds a ten year old girl, Rae, deciding to deal with life on her own. I applauded the things she did for herself—getting to school, cleaning the house, doing the shopping, and walking her dog. I enjoyed the connection she made with her hoarder neighbor, an older woman, while she was discouraging every attempt by the young boy down the road to be friends. I cheered for her successes, yet I didn't want her to be in survivor mode. I didn't know when she would be discovered, or when her life would fall apart. I had to keep reading, hoping for the best. A captivating read!

Marie Benedict and Victoria Murray have provided a compelling tale of JP Morgan's personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene. Benedict's novels have all won my admiration, but I commend her for working on this with Murray.
The story flows from Belle, whose most difficult task is to always appear as something she is not. It was a compelling read, beautifully crafted by the authors, who made sure her image and her reality both came through for the reader.
Belle was an incredible woman, doing a magnificent job of building an extensive private collection at Morgan's behest. Morgan demanded her devotion to his library, but often to him as well. Her success was all the more magnificent in that she was female, single, raised in a poor family while working with the richest in society, and hiding a secret--her race. Her failure to comport herself in a manner acceptable to Morgan would have cost her position. Discovery of her secret in any of her social interactions would also have consequences. Belle's vibrant personality sometimes made those steps a challenge.
Belle managed to become one of the most admired women of her time, all the while having to play the part that kept her employed and successful. I would nervously turn pages when I was afraid she had made a mistake she might not survive, and happily turn pages when I was cheering her progress.
A magnificent read!

I was happy to volunteer to review this book, as I had loved the author's Carnegie's Maid and enjoyed Lady Clementine. I was captivated by The Mystery of Mrs. Christie. I was completely unaware of the episode in her life that this story was based on, and loved Marie Benedict's telling of the way it might have been. The two voices alternating in the novel were well done, and held a bit of surprise for me in the second part. My detective skills were not ahead of the author's! It was a quick read, a compelling read, and one I am happy to recommend to my book club and fellow readers.

This book was enjoyable for many reasons. The division of the story into East and West, with the chapter headings becoming more and more telling as the story progresses, made for a fascinating telling of the back story to the publication of Dr. Zhivago. The addition of the west chapters is a bonus that I never expected and thought added a good deal to this story.The book stands alone beautifully, but it spurs the urge to re-read Boris Pasternak's novel and/or view the movie. I believe this well crafted novel will appeal especially to those who have a memory of Dr. Zhivago. I will definitely be recommending it to my book club.

American Princess was a delight to read, from beginning to end. I loved the stories of the Roosevelt family dynamics, of the difficulties Alice had in making good friends, and of the sad relationship she had with her husband. This book was good enough to read twice, which I intend to do. It would be a wonderful choice for book club--a good story with good historical background and believable characterizations.

This book was a pleasure to read, from beginning to end. The story filled me in on a part of the Kennedy family that I had no knowledge of, and that I found fascinating to immerse myself in. I enjoyed Kick Kennedy as a person, and suffered for her wish to remain true to herself and her family, even when her heart wanted something completely at odds with her upbringing. It will be easy to recommend this title to my friends and to discuss at book club. I look forward to seeing more by new author Kerri Maher.