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Reviews by Ruth O. (Downingtown, PA)

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The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes
The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes
by Chanel Cleeton
History and Mystery (2/13/2025)
This book is fascinating look at Cuban history via a mystery that intertwines different time periods via the lives of Eva (early 1900s), Pilar (1960s) and Margo (present day). It is a story of love lost and found, betrayals and loyalties, set amid the search for a rare book …more
The Secret History of the Rape Kit
The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story
by Pagan Kennedy
Exhilarating and Sad (11/14/2024)
Did you ever think about how the rape kit came to be? I had heard about rape kits, but never thought about the process or their effect on solving and preventing more rapes. This was a very interesting story of the woman, Marty Goddard, who created it even though it had the …more
The Cleaner
The Cleaner: A Novel
by Brandi Wells
A Very Unsatisfying Book (2/19/2024)
‘The Cleaner’ is written in first person by an unnamed person who cleans office spaces at night. No one is named in the book except for an initial or a made-up name such ‘The Intern’ or ‘Yarn Guy’. She (I THINK the writer is a ‘she’) feels she is intimately involved in the …more
The Little Italian Hotel
The Little Italian Hotel: A Novel
by Phaedra Patrick
A Charming Beach Read (4/17/2023)
The Little Italian Hotel is a charming book very suitable for a beach read. The main character, Ginny, is a radio advice expert who comes to a crossroads in her own marriage. She solicits 4 listeners to accompany her on a trip to Italy, which was originally supposed to be a …more
The Nazi Conspiracy
The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill
by Brad Meltzer, Josh Mensch
The Nazi Conspiracy (12/17/2022)
Which Nazi conspiracy might that be? Apparently, there were a lot of Nazi conspiracies, some of which are revealed in this very interesting book. The subtitle reveals that the main topic of the book is the secret plot to kill Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill at their first …more
American Princess
American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt
by Stephanie Marie Thornton
Great novel about an American icon (11/26/2018)
'American Princess' is the novelization of the life of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt and his first wife (who died 2 days after Alice’s birth). I knew very little about Alice, although I had heard of her. This book was very informative …more
Red, White, Blue
Red, White, Blue
by Lea Carpenter
Not a thriller at all........ (7/27/2018)
Red, White, Blue by Lea Carpenter was advertised as a thriller. I didn't find this book lived up to the description. I struggled through it as I agreed to review, but it jumped back and forth between character viewpoints and time without clearly defining who and when, so I …more
The Shore
The Shore: A Novel
by Sara Taylor
Odd and disjointed (7/29/2015)
'The Shore' was not what I expected from reading the synopsis. It was a non-linear read about several generations of related folks in a section of the Delmarva peninsula. The story jumped around a lot in time and was confusing at first, although I did finally fall into it's …more
Blue Stars
Blue Stars
by Emily Gray Tedrowe
Emotional read (12/22/2014)
I was very conflicted about this book at the beginning as it seemed to be anti-military, which is not what I expected from the description. As the story unfolded, two themes became apparent and not necessarily anti-military. One theme demonstrated a total lack of …more
That Summer
That Summer
by Lauren Willig
Mostly satisfying read. (4/22/2014)
That Summer by Lauren Willig was an enjoyable, quick read. It is actually two stories in one: present-day heroine inherits an old house in England and must unravel a mystery. Meanwhile, the second story is about the mystery which takes place in the mid-1800s. Portraits and …more
The Deepest Secret
The Deepest Secret
by Carla Buckley
Dark and Deep Secrets (1/2/2014)
A child has a rare genetic condition and must be protected from ultraviolet rays. This is the underlying fabric of this story about a seemingly normal family in a quiet, friendly neighborhood. However, to paraphrase a sentence in the book: 'All the ways in which they've …more
Fever
Fever
by Mary Beth Keane
Typhoid Mary (3/16/2013)
Typhoid Mary! Germ-woman! Mary Mallon was called these things and more in the early 20th century. This novel was a fictionalized account of the life of the first known 'healthy carrier' of typhoid in an era of rapidly advancing science. Mary was a cook who infected numerous …more
The House Girl
The House Girl
by Tara Conklin
Historical search for the truth (11/11/2012)
'The House Girl' takes place in two time periods, 2004 and 1852, and explores a legal case for reparations for slavery. The book took several chapters to really catch my interest as it laid out the foundation of the story. As the story progressed, however, my curiosity …more
Until the Next Time
Until the Next Time: A Novel
by Kevin Fox
Fantasy and Reincarnation Elements (2/20/2012)
This book began with an interesting premise, with a young man receiving his late uncle’s diary for his 21st birthday—and the young man (Sean Michael) did not even know the uncle had ever existed! The rest of the book details Sean’s search for his uncle’s history. The …more
The Kitchen Daughter
The Kitchen Daughter: A Novel
by Jael McHenry
Interesting view of Asperger's Syndrome (4/19/2011)
‘The Kitchen Daughter’ explores the world of a young woman who most likely has Asperger’s syndrome, which is on the autism spectrum, and how she emotionally reacts after her parents suddenly pass away. It is evident from the first pages that her personality is unlike that …more
Agent X
Agent X: A Novel
by Noah Boyd
Fast-paced thriller! (12/6/2010)
‘Agent X’ was a fast-paced thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. This was the second book in a series, and I would have had a slightly easier read if I knew more of the backstory, but it was ok as a stand-alone book. The action never stopped—I’d think it was over with the …more
An Eagle Named Freedom
An Eagle Named Freedom: My True Story of a Remarkable Friendship
by Jeff Guidry
Explores the animal-human bond (5/3/2010)
‘An Eagle Named Freedom’ is an inspirational book about animal-human spiritual connections. Jeff Guidry, the author, volunteers at a wildlife rehabilitation center and becomes close to a young, injured eagle which cannot be released into the wild. His bond with the eagle …more
The Things That Keep Us Here
The Things That Keep Us Here: A Novel
by Carla Buckley
Good read but with questions............... (10/28/2009)
The Things That Keep Us Here was a very enjoyable novel that kept me engrossed cover to cover. This is an apocalyptic book where life-as-we-know-it is turned upside down during a flu pandemic, and one family’s experiences are developed. The information in it is very timely …more
The Last Bridge
The Last Bridge
by Teri Coyne
Quick but not easy read (5/28/2009)
The book opens with a suicide and a short note: ‘He isn’t who you think he is’, written to the victim’s adult daughter. The rest of the book is the daughter’s present-day actions with flashbacks to her haunted youth, as she searches for who ‘he’ is. Along the way we learn …more
The Music Teacher
The Music Teacher
by Barbara Hall
Too much angst (10/15/2008)
Music is a theme that runs through this book, appropriate for ‘The Music Teacher’! It’s about music, but not about music. The heroine has a lot of personal issues that intertwine with the music. The book had a bit too much angst for my taste, and the writing was in choppy …more
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