The President’s Wife explores the life of Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, the second wife of President Woodrow Wilson. A socialite widow content with travel and friendships, Edith’s life changes dramatically when she marries Woodrow and becomes First Lady. Despite her discomfort, she rises to the challenges, dealing with press scrutiny and World War I. Edith soon becomes indispensable, replacing distracting staff, discussing policy with Woodrow, and encrypting top-secret messages. Her role expands further when she joins Woodrow in France for the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. The author highlights the turbulent last months of Woodrow’s administration. After his debilitating stroke, Edith shields him from the press, […]
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Neutrality During the Civil War
When the Jessamine Grows is a captivating historical novel set in rural Nash County, North Carolina, during the Civil War. Joetta McBride, a determined woman, runs a small farm with her husband, Ennis, and their two sons. Unlike many of her neighbors, Joetta remains neutral about the war. Her father-in-law, Rudean, a fervent Confederate supporter, influences Henry to join the Confederate army. Joetta insists Ennis go after him, leaving her to manage the farm with her younger son, Robert, and Rudean. As weeks pass without news from Ennis or Henry, Joetta provides food and shelter to soldiers from both sides, earning the ire of the townsfolk and the Home Guard. Branded […]
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Vietnam’s Forgotten Warriors
The Women is an exceptional historical saga that left me deeply affected. As a long-time fan of Hannah’s work, I’ve found each of her novels grimmer than the last, and The Women is no exception. It brilliantly but painfully portrays the life of Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a young nurse who serves in the Vietnam War. Hannah’s historical detail about the war, protests, music, and cultural tidbits transport readers back to the turbulent 1960s and 70s. The vivid settings and descriptions of the horrors of war are so powerful that you can almost feel the oppressive heat and humidity of Vietnam and hear the screams of those waiting in triage. The […]
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Broken Lives
The Two Lives of Sara is a dramatic novel set in 1960s Memphis, Tennessee. The story follows Sara King, a young, unwed mother fleeing her troubled past in Chicago with her newborn baby and haunting secrets. She finds refuge at The Scarlet Poplar, a boardinghouse owned by the kind and formidable Mama Sugar. Sara discovers a new sense of community. Mama Sugar and the diverse group of boarders offer her and her son Lebanon friendship and support. Among them is Jonas Coulter, an elementary school English teacher. As their romance blossoms, Sara becomes increasingly involved in the civil rights movement. Despite the warmth of her new life, Sara’s past and […]
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A Love Story Dimmed by Nazi Brutality
Sarah Freethy’s debut novel intertwines the haunting past of Nazi Germany with a daughter’s quest for truth. 1920s: Bettina, a free-spirited German avant-garde artist, meets and falls in love with Max Ehrlich, a Jewish Austrian student. The rise of the Nazis shatters their dream of escaping Germany. Max is deported to Dachau, where his skill in creating exquisite figures at the Allach porcelain factory helps him survive. Desperate to protect their unborn child, Bettina marries a rising Nazi SS officer. 1993: Clara, who grew up not knowing her father, sets out to discover his identity after her mother’s death. Bettina left behind a single clue—a rare porcelain Viking figurine. Clara’s journey uncovers […]
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A Heart-Wrenching Tale of Love and Defiance
We Must Not Think of Ourselves is a moving story set in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. The novel follows Adam Paskow, an English teacher and childless widower, confined to the ghetto along with 450,000 others. Forced to leave his spacious flat, Adam now shares a cramped apartment with two other families, works in a soup kitchen, and teaches English to children in a bombed-out movie theater. Adam’s life takes a turn when Emanuel Ringelblum recruits him to join a secret group of archivists documenting their experiences. Through interviews with his students and fellow residents, Adam records their lives, dreams, fears, and survival strategies. One of these interviews […]
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A Mother’s Quest to Find Her Children.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Eleanor Shearer’s debut novel, River Sing Me Home, begins on the Providence sugar plantation in Barbados in 1834. The master announces the end of slavery, but the slaves must work as apprentices for another six years. Rachel, born on the plantation, escapes in the dead of night to find her five children, sold away years ago. Her dangerous journey takes her from Barbados through the dense forests of British Guiana across the sea to Trinidad. Along the way, she receives help from former tobacco harvesters and runaway slaves. In Bridgetown, Rachel reunites with her mute daughter, Mary Grace. They travel with a seaman named […]
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A Daunting, Yet Rewarding WWII Epic
I’ve had an advance reader copy of For Malice and Mercy for a couple of years but procrastinated because of its length (575 pages). I finally read it and am glad I did. The novel tells the story of Karl and Marta Meyer, who immigrated to America from Germany for the freedom to practice their Mormon religion. But when America enters WWII, the FBI arrests the Meyers as spies. After stripping them of their citizenship, rights, and livelihood, the US government sends them to a German/Japanese internment camp, and then eventually deports them to war-torn Germany. Their son Hank joins the US Army Air Corps, and after being shot down, […]
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A High-Octane Thriller of Betrayal and Suspense
Jack and Gabe are the best in the business at breaking into buildings and hacking security systems. As top penetration specialists, they get hired by high-profile companies to test their security vulnerabilities. But after a routine assignment goes terribly wrong, Jack returns home to a nightmare—someone brutally murdered Gabe, and the police suspect her of doing it. Determined to clear her name, Jack goes on the run to find the killer. She uncovers a connection between Gabe’s death and a dangerous zero-day exploit, a vulnerability in a popular app that could be worth millions to the wrong people. Jack must stay one step ahead of the authorities and the killers. […]
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Russian Women’s Family Saga
This debut novel spans three generations of Russian women, from the 1917 revolution to the final days of the Soviet Union, with an enduring love story at its core. It starts with a young girl living happily in Moscow with her sister, father, and eccentric mother, who collects porcelain dolls and tells fairy tales. One summer night changes everything, leaving only the girl and her mother. A decade later, Rosie, studying at Oxford with an English name and a loving fiancé, seeks to understand and bury her past. When her mother dies, Rosie returns to Russia with her mother’s folklore and a single key. She uncovers a devastating family history […]
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