The Forgotten Names by Mario Escobar is a deeply moving historical novel based on true events. It follows Valérie Portheret, a law student in 1992 France, as she stumbles upon a list of 108 Jewish children who were hidden under false names to escape the Nazi regime during WWII. Valérie’s discovery propels her on a 25-year quest to uncover their real identities and reunite them with their lost heritage. Escobar weaves together two timelines, capturing the heartbreaking choices Jewish parents faced in 1942 and Valérie’s relentless pursuit to bring their stories to light. The novel dives into the acts of bravery and sacrifice made by ordinary people—clergy, civilians, and members […]
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A High-Octane Battle Between Good and Evil
Dark Angel, the second entry in Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson’s Shepherds series, delivers a gripping and intense military thriller with a unique faith-based twist. Former Navy SEAL Jedidiah Johnson is back, now training with the Shepherds, an elite organization of warriors tasked with confronting spiritual threats. But the challenge of stepping into his role as the rookie leader of a new team is just the beginning. Jed’s visions of an imminent overseas attack force him into action, and what follows is a pulse-pounding mission that blurs the line between the seen and the unseen. Andrews and Wilson skillfully weave together elements of counterterrorism, faith, and supernatural warfare, creating a […]
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The Soaring Journey of Bessie Coleman
Carole Hopson’s debut novel takes readers on a breathtaking journey through the life of Bessie Coleman, a pioneering aviatrix who pursued freedom in the skies when such aspirations were daunting for a Black woman. Set in early 20th-century America, this riveting tale spans from Texas cotton fields to the heights of European skies, exploring themes of perseverance and identity. Hopson’s vivid storytelling brings to life young Bessie’s first glimpse of an airplane, sparking her relentless drive to fly. Despite societal norms and racial barriers, Bessie’s determination leads her from Chicago’s segregated streets to France’s flight schools. The depth of Hopson’s research enriches the story, particularly through Bessie’s relationships with supporters […]
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An Engrossing Book about Family Secrets and Sicilian Mysteries
Author Jo Piazza weaves a captivating multigenerational mystery, inspired by her own family, that spans over a century and two powerful women. Sara Marsala, reeling from the collapse of her business and marriage, finds an unexpected lifeline in her great-aunt Rosie’s passing. Armed with a plane ticket to Sicily, and a deed to family land, she sets off on the adventure of a lifetime. There she discovers a shocking family secret. Contrary to family lore, Sara’s great-grandmother Serafina didn’t die of illness—she was murdered. As Sara traces Serafina’s story through the picturesque yet perilous Italian countryside, she uncovers more than just her family’s roots. Serafina was a strong-willed woman who […]
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A Gripping 1960s Courtroom Drama
A Calamity of Souls transports readers to 1968 Virginia, where Black Vietnam veteran Jerome Washington is on trial for the murder of his white employers, Leslie and Anne Randolph. Jerome, caught at the scene covered in blood, is immediately arrested. Jack Lee, a white defense lawyer with no experience in murder trials, reluctantly takes on Jerome’s case. Out of his depth, Jack partners with Desiree DuBose, a Black attorney from the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund. Together, they fight to save Jerome from the electric chair, navigating a flawed legal system entrenched in racism. Baldacci draws from his own experiences as a former attorney and his childhood in 1960s Virginia to […]
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A Novel About Sacrificial Love and the Fight Against Evil
4.5 rounded up to 5 stars. In our world, many people don’t believe evil exists. Our job as Christians is to rescue those in bondage by demonstrating the light of Christ. Yet those of us who stand in the light grow weary when darkness constantly threatens to take us down. In The Record Keeper, Charles Martin delivers a deep exploration of good versus evil. Murphy Shepherd, a man haunted by his past, dedicates his life to rescuing victims of human trafficking. Working with his mentor Bones, Murphy has spent years taking down pedophiles and freeing victims of sex-trafficking in a relentless pursuit of justice. But when Bones goes missing, Murphy […]
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A Melancholy Story of Isolation Amid the Scottish Clearances
Clear presents a reflective, melancholy story set in the 1840s during the final stages of the Scottish Clearances. John, a destitute Scottish minister, takes on a job to evict Ivar, the sole inhabitant of a remote island, for much-needed money. Despite his wife Mary’s objections, John travels to the island, where he meets with an accident that sets the stage for an unexpected connection with Ivar. The narrative alternates between the perspectives of John, Mary, and Ivar. As the two men, who do not share a common language, learn to communicate and build a fragile bond, the story touches on themes of solitude, survival, and the human spirit’s resilience in […]
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A Haunting Tale of Friendship and Betrayal in the McCarthy Era
The Briar Club is a haunting historical mystery set in an all-female boardinghouse in Washington, D.C., during the turbulent McCarthy era. The novel opens in November 1954 with a shocking act of violence at Briarwood House, leaving a dead body and a community in turmoil. As the police arrive and the residents await questioning, the narrative rewinds to explore the years leading up to the tragedy. In 1950, Briarwood House residents keep to themselves until the mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic room. Her arrival sparks unlikely friendships among them: Fliss, a harried new mother; Nora, a police officer’s daughter entangled with a gangster; Bea, a former pro […]
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A Tale of Mystery and History in the Winding Stair Mountains
Lisa Wingate’s latest novel, Shelterwood, weaves an interesting dual narrative set in the Winding Stair Mountains of Oklahoma, exploring the dark legacy of missing children across a century. In 1990, the remains of three young girls are uncovered in the newly created Horsethief Trail National Park, thrusting park ranger Valerie Boren-Odell, a grieving widow, into a mystery. Despite her boss’s reluctance to investigate, Valerie is determined to uncover the truth, aided by Choctaw tribal police officer Curtis Enhoe. Their investigation soon deepens with the discovery of a teenage boy’s disappearance and an unidentified man’s corpse, linking past and present tragedies. Parallel to this, the story flashes back to 1909, when […]
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From Soccer Mom to Prison Inmate
“The Many Lives of Mama Love is a heartbreaking and tender journey from shame to redemption, despite a system that makes it almost impossible for us to move beyond the worst thing we have ever done.”—Lara Love Hardin, The Many Lives of Mama Love. Soccer mom Lara Love Hardin had a seemingly perfect life until the police knocked on the door of her million-dollar home. Behind her suburban facade, she was funding a heroin addiction by stealing her neighbors’ credit cards. Hardin’s memoir, The Many Lives of Mama Love, blends despair and comedy as she recounts her journey. “I carefully pick through the bottom-of-purse debris until I find some small […]
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