Sisterhood, Sacrifice, and the High Cost of Chasing a Dream

⭐⭐⭐ Spectacular Things follows sisters Mia and Cricket Lowe, well known in their small Maine town as the daughters of a gifted single mother and as rising soccer royalty. From an early age, their paths feel set: Mia becomes the responsible, academically driven caretaker, while Cricket pours her talent and energy into the single-minded pursuit of soccer stardom. The novel traces the many sacrifices required to keep that dream alive—unfulfilled ambitions, family tragedy, and the quiet pressure placed on the sibling who is expected to hold everything together. Dorey-Stein is at her best when exploring grief, loyalty, and how love can slide into obligation without anyone quite noticing. I’m a soccer […]

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Ice-Cold Justice: Unraveling Mysteries with Martha Ballard in The Frozen River

Ariel Lawhon’s The Frozen River plunges readers into the harsh winters of 1789 Hallowell, Maine, with a historical mystery that’s as chilling as the Kennebec River. At the heart of this riveting tale is Martha Ballard, a 54-year-old midwife and healer with connections that stretch from Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, to Mary Hobart, one of America’s pioneering female physicians. When Martha is called to examine a man found frozen in the river, she uncovers signs of foul play. The deceased, Joshua Burgess, appears to have been beaten and hanged prior to his icy entombment. Adding layers to the mystery, Martha recalls her earlier documentation of […]

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Fellowship Point

  Celebrated children’s book author, eighty-year-old spinster, Agnes Lee, has left an indelible mark on the literary world. But her goal to secure her legacy and protect the majestic coastline of Maine’s Fellowship Point really drives her. Now that the next generation is determined to sell the land to a developer, Agnes is adamant about protecting this bird sanctuary by creating a land trust, especially after her third breast cancer diagnosis. However, her path is fraught with obstacles, not the least of which is convincing shareholders to dissolve a generations-old partnership. And to make matters worse, one of those shareholders is her best friend, Polly Wister. Agnes and Polly are […]

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