The Boxcar Librarian brings a fresh twist to Depression-era fiction with a little-known slice of American history: a converted train car library rolling through rural Montana. We follow three strong-willed women—Millie, Alice, and Colette—across decades, each carrying secrets and stories worth telling. Millie’s job with the Federal Writers’ Project starts as damage control but quickly turns into a mystery involving sabotage, lost trust, and one vanished librarian. Back in time, Alice dreams up the boxcar library. And Colette? She’s tough, haunted, and on a path that’s anything but straight. The shifting timelines and rotating points of view can get a bit choppy, especially in shorter chapters. I wouldn’t have minded […]
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The Woman Who Helped Save a Nation
Becoming Madam Secretary is a terrific historical novel that brings to life the legacy of Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in a US Cabinet. Dray captures Frances’s journey from her early days in New York City to her pivotal role in helping the nation navigate the Great Depression. Arriving in New York at the turn of the century, Frances is determined to make a difference. She immerses herself in social work, tackling the harsh realities of Hell’s Kitchen, where the poor often lived in vermin-infested tenements. Her passion for reform drives her to fight tirelessly for better living and working conditions, marking the beginning of a career that […]
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The Saints of Swallow Hill – Book Review
So here’s why I read so much historical fiction… I learn stuff! How else would a woman from the plains of Minnesota find out about the turpentine camps of the American South during the Great Depression? Before I read The Saints of Swallow Hill, I didn’t know how turpentine was made or why North Carolina is called the Tar Heel State. Now I do, and I had the pleasure of following some fascinating characters along the way. Rae Lynn Cobb and her husband, Warren, run a small turpentine farm together during the Great Depression. Though the work is hard and often dangerous, Rae Lynn, who spent her childhood in an […]
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