Working through grief is the premise upon which this book opens with four of the most unlikely characters expected to meld successfully into a cohesive support group. Just as I was thinking I could predict where this story was going, the bombshell lands and blows all my predictions out of the water. The characters draw you in as the book proceeds and brings you to a satisfying ending. This book surprises with its twists and turns, a really fun read, time well spent!

I was rather disappointed in the book, The Fertile Earth by Ruthvika Rao. While I am interested in novels that highlight class differences and political upheaval across decades, I thought this book did not develop the characters deeply enough to make them believable to me. I did enjoy the picturesque settings in this book that really brought the locations to life and added to this reader's appreciation of the character's surroundings. However, I found a considerable effort was required in understanding regional vocabulary used frequently enough to interrupt the flow of a passage. Overall, I was not a fan of this book.

The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson is a standout! I loved this book. It is based on a tragic event in 1928,at a dance hall in Missouri. This book is a page turner, surprising you with clever twists and a bombshell you won't see coming. It's pacing was good and the characters had a depth that kept you caring and interested in them to the last page. Particularly, I really enjoyed the main character Daisy, who, as a teenager, despite a sad and neglectful upbringing, makes a choice to resist feeling sorry for herself or indulge in self destructive behavior. Instead she follows a path that sparks her interest and goes ahead and takes a daring risk to see where it may lead. I see this as a pivotal part of the book and loved it. In my opinion, too many characters we read about suffer difficulties and then proceed to a downward spiral. This book was a like a breath of fresh air, depicting the resilience of people who journey through tragedy only to discover anew, the role of forgiveness and the meaning of community. It's a must-read!

This book is a poignant story about the treatment of the Dakota people through generations of heartbreaking internal trauma and the systematic effort to strip native Americans of their cultural heritage through the use of colonizers' Indian schools. The book is cleverly organized as it spans three generations of women who narrate the story including the dolls they carry as comforting, wisdom characters. While the trauma can be difficult to imagine, the message of this book shines a light on the destructive results of early American ignorance and intolerance of native American culture. The redeeming feature here is the resilience of those who come to understand this history and work to thrive in spite of it. A good read on an important historical topic, containing enduring lessons applicable to current events!

Pieces of Blue is a book that will capture your heart and entertain you throughout. It opens with a widow and her three children relocating to Hawaii to start a new life. Their first task is to open up a run-down motel and make a go of their new life. The characters in this book are believable. The pacing of events was particularly pleasing to me as the story moved on without, in my opinion, belaboring the point. I especially appreciated the inclusion of Hawaiian history and mythology. This book has many relatable features to families with school-age children and the many challenges that arise while raising them. It contains many unexpected twists and turns, guaranteed to keep you reading to the end. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Honor, the title of Thrity Umrigar's latest novel, serves as a cutting edge amid the twisting, perilous circumstances of two women in India. This is another well developed, thought provoking read. Like her other titles, her characters touch readers' hearts, provoking emotions of love, anger, and compassion. Cultural demands figure strongly in this drama, challenging the characters to examine fundamental meanings of womanhood, selfhood and freedom. This is a book that shines a bright light upon a dark reality we all need to know about. It is a book you will find it hard to put down. Don't miss this one!

An intriguing story with gothic features, this novel is set in a Catholic boarding school by the sea, operated by nuns. The story builds up to the mysterious disappearance of a young student and the school Art teacher. This happening is being investigated years later by a persistent journalist.
This book contains beautiful descriptions that bring the reader to experience the setting almost first hand. It's atmospheric feel will attract you to the location, but the progression of the story seemed a bit slow at times. I felt the character development was thin making it hard for me to be invested in what happens to them. I found myself wanting to witness demonstrations of what the characters were made of rather than being told about them. This being said, the twist at the end provides a surprising conclusion. This book's target audience may be better served as YA given the age of most characters and the subject matter explored. Overall an entertaining read.

A Girl Is a Body of Water is a beautifully written book that sketches the story of a girl in 1970's Uganda struggling to discover who she is amid the overbearing clutches of a patriarchal society. Early in the book you come to care for Kirabo, our main character, rooting for her as she navigates the myriad influences of time and place. Storytelling exerts a powerful influence upon the characters in this book, whether that be for better or for worse. Rich in its depiction of Ugandan culture in the 70's, you become immersed in its wisdom and deceit. If the intricacies of cultures beyond the western world interest you, you may enjoy this book. Given the vast differences between western and Ugandan culture, this story convincingly shows how much our human needs and desires transcend time and culture.

While the story line is steeped in intrigue, clever in its twisty design, I found this was not enough to offset the choppy pacing of the book. It was work to read this book, which contains too many descriptions at inopportune moments and restatements of things you already know about a character's past or about how they feel. To this reader it felt like filler being placed randomly throughout, filler that is wholly unnecessary to the progress of the story. I also thought the lack of development of the main character's husband was odd. He was shadowy at best. Overall a rather disappointing read.

In a nutshell, Susan Meissner does it again! I cannot be more enthusiastic about this book. Author of As Bright As Heaven, Meissner creates instantly likeable characters again. Who cannot root for an aging woman looking to connect to her past in one meaningful act while fighting off the continual advance of forgetfulness. Indeed, Meissner's characters embody a sincerity and clarity that makes them come alive to the reader and memorable long after the book is read. Impeccably researched historical fiction that speaks to the events of today, this book is truly a must-read.

Having returned home physically intact after WWI, Daniel Pitt, his brother and war cronies face the inevitable struggle to live meaningful lives amid the delicacy and propriety of ordinary English life. Set in Kent and Ceylon, the ravages of war blunt their vision as we are given entre into their struggle and that of the lives of those they love. The author's writing style is interesting, short chapters that at times can feel like vignettes encircling the main character's plot line. He occasionally uses a writing strategy reminiscent of Julie Otsuka in The Buddha in the Attic, where he names, in short phrases, multiple experiences of an event allowing the reader to understand various points of view. I liked the book for its intensity below the surface and humanly flawed characters. A very enjoyable read!