Tag Archive for: historical fiction

Reviews: THE AIR RAID BOOK CLUB & MRS. PORTER CALLING

August 14, 2023/12 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday! I hope everyone is doing well. We’re still settling into a new year of school here so I’m posting a little later in the day than I usually do. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on two new historical fiction releases that I requested for review this summer. Both are new-to-me authors that I’ve been wanting to try so I’m excited to have finally had the chance to read them both.

The Air Raid Book Club Goodreads

Author: Annie Lyons

Publication Date: July 11, 2023

Publisher: William Morrow

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I’m always drawn to WWII historical fiction anyway, but I especially couldn’t resist Annie Lyons’ latest novel when I saw that it centered on a book shop and book club. Filled with both heartbreak and hope, The Air Raid Book Club was a brilliant read that I devoured in just a couple of sittings.

Set in London in 1938, the story follows Gertie Bingham. For years, Gertie ran Bingham Books with her beloved husband, Harry. When Harry unexpectedly passes away, Gertie starts to feel out of sorts in the shop, too many memories of Harry surround her. Lost in her grief, Gertie thinks about selling the shop and retiring. She puts those plans on hold, however, when she learns that Jewish children are being evacuated from Germany. Gertie agrees to take in a 15-year-old Jewish girl named Hedy Fischer.

Although they get off to a slightly rocky start, Gertie and Hedy soon become friends and a great comfort to one another. Gertie opens up to Hedy about how much she misses Harry, while Hedy is able to share her fears about the fate of the rest of her family who were unable to be evacuated from Germany. Hedy helps Gertie in the book shop and when the air raids start to increase, they create a shelter in the shop and invite everyone nearby to come to their shelter when the air raid sirens blare. They start a new book club while in the shelter so that they can pass the time and distract themselves from the danger by discussing books.

I adored everything about this book. The relationship between Gertie and Hedy was just so moving and beautiful. I adore a good found family story and the bond between these two truly warmed my heart. In addition to those beautiful found family moments, there was also so much wonderful bookish content. I thoroughly enjoyed those air raid book club meetings and loved how lively and thoughtful their discussions always were as well as the idea that books could provide these weary Londoners with an escape, however so brief, from the terrors of war. The entire cast of characters was wonderful and the writing was beautiful.

I highly recommend The Air Raid Book Club to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, books about books, found families, and especially to anyone who enjoys stories that explore how to move forward after experiencing loss and grief. 5 STARS

Mrs. Porter Calling (The Emmy Lake Chronicles, #3) Goodreads

Author: AJ Pearce

Publication Date: August 8, 2023

Publisher: Scribner

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Mrs. Porter Calling is the third installment in The Emmy Lake Chronicles series by A.J. Pearce. Set in London during WWII, this series follows aspiring journalist, Emmy Lake, as she seeks to do her part for the war effort.

In Mrs. Porter Calling, Emmy is now in charge of writing “Yours Cheerfully” a popular advice column in Women’s Friend magazine. With each column, Emmy seeks to help her readers cope with the increasing challenges they have all faced because of the war. In fact, much of the magazine is dedicated to helping the average Londoner get by. The readers love that everyone at the magazine is so devoted to their well being, and therefore Woman’s Friend is wildly successful even in such trying times. That is, until Mrs. Porter arrives on the scene.

I have to say that I struggled a little with this book. First, I didn’t realize this was the third book in a series when I requested it, totally my fault for not paying attention, but that meant I didn’t have all the background on Emmy, her husband Charles, and the rest of her friends and coworkers. I was still easily able to follow along and get the gist of all their personalities and relationships and I enjoyed all of the series regulars, especially Emmy and her best friend Bunty, who are both just so plucky and fierce, but I felt like I would have connected even more with them if I had read the first two books.

My biggest struggle though was actually Mrs. Porter. Mrs. Porter is a narcissistic socialite who inherits the magazine. She doesn’t like anything sad or that relates to the war and so she comes in like a wrecking ball, dismantling everything good about the magazine and turning it into a ridiculous vanity project, without care or concern for what the readers want. Now I love a good villain – it’s fun to have a character that you love to hate. The problem with Mrs. Porter is that I didn’t love to hate her. I just hated her and wanted to skip over the scenes she appeared in. She was just too predictable and one dimensional. I wanted her to do something that would surprise me and she unfortunately never did.

That said, what saved the book for me was Emmy and her fellow staff members. They are appalled by Mrs. Porter and make it their mission to save their beloved magazine. I loved watching this crew hatch schemes to try to undermine Mrs. Porter. Those scenes were a lot of fun to read and I found myself cheering them on all the way. I also really enjoyed watching Emmy’s domestic life. Since her husband is away at war and several of her friends are struggling, they all decide to move in together to save on expenses and share their rations. When tragedy strikes, they all come together as a family and it was just beautiful to witness.

Even though I had some issues, I still enjoyed Mrs. Porter Calling and would definitely recommend it to historical fiction fans. I would say to read the first two books in the series before you do though for the best overall reading experience. 3.5 STARS

Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah

July 26, 2023/26 Comments/by Suzanne

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about. It is a meme that I have loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah. Kristin Hannah is one of my all time favorite authors and I will read absolutely everything she writes. The 1960’s is also one of my favorite time periods to read about so I can’t wait to see her bring it to life.

THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah

Publication Date: February 6, 2024

by St. Martin’s Press

Goodreads:

The missing. The forgotten. The brave… The women.

From master storyteller Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds, comes the story of a turbulent, transformative era in America: the 1960s. The Women is that rarest of novels—at once an intimate portrait of a woman coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided by war and broken by politics, of a generation both fueled by dreams and lost on the battlefield.

“Women can be heroes, too.”

When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different choice for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed and politically divided America.

The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on the story of all women who put themselves in harm’s way to help others. Women whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has all too often been forgotten. A novel of searing insight and lyric beauty, The Women is a profoundly emotional, richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose extraordinary idealism and courage under fire define a generation.

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Historical Fiction Reviews: THE PARIS DAUGHTER & THE SPECTACULAR

July 6, 2023/12 Comments/by Suzanne

The Paris Daughter Goodreads

Author: Kristin Harmel

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

Publisher: Gallery Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Every time I think Kristin Harmel can’t possibly top her last book, she proves me wrong and she has done it yet again with her latest WWII historical fiction novel, The Paris Daughter.

The story follows Juliette and Elise, two American women who are living on the outskirts of Paris in the late 1930s. Elise and Juliette are both pregnant at the same time, and when they meet, they immediately bond as expectant mothers and become great friends, each woman giving birth to a little girl. Juliette and her husband own a quiet but popular bookshop, while Elise is a sculptor and her husband is a famous painter. While they know war is lurking just beyond their country’s borders, neither Elise nor Juliette can fathom that their lives will soon be irrevocably changed, until the unthinkable happens and the Germans invade. When the Germans suspect that Elise’s husband is part of the French resistance, Elise knows she must flee or be captured as well and she leaves her young daughter in Juliette’s care, thinking she’ll be safer there than on the run with her. After Elise flees, however, tragedy strikes the little bookshop and when Elise finally returns at the end of the war, all she returns to find is a pile of rubble.

The Paris Daughter is told in alternating chapters from the viewpoints of each mother. We follow them both through the war, get inside their heads as they both have to make seemingly impossible choices, and how they find a way to move forward after unfathomable loss. Both of their journeys are often heartbreaking, but I admired the strength and resilience each displayed. As a mom myself, I kept trying to put myself in their shoes and wondered if I would have the strength to make the hard choices they made.

The Paris Daughter is of course a well researched WWII historical fiction novel, but at its heart, it’s also a beautifully written, heartwrenching yet inspirational story about love and friendship, resilience and strength, and ultimately about the lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her children. This is the fifth novel of Kristin Harmel’s I’ve read and it might be my favorite yet, although I also very highly recommend The Book of Lost Names and The Forest of Vanishing Stars. 5 STARS

The Spectacular Goodreads

Author: Fiona Davis

Publication Date: June 13, 2023

Publisher: Dutton

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I’m a huge fan of Fiona Davis’ historical fiction. I love how she always centers her stories around New York City iconic buildings. Davis’ latest novel, The Spectacular, was especially appealing to me since this time, her iconic landmark of choice was Radio City Music Hall, the home of the world famous Rockettes.

Set in 1956, The Spectacular follows Marion, a young woman who wants nothing more than to become a Rockette. When Marion is invited to join the troupe, she is the only one in her family who considers it an honor. Her father is so appalled by her decision to dance instead of settling down to get married and start a family that he actually kicks her out of the house and ends all contact with her. We follow Marion as she sets out, determined to follow her own dream. Like many others, I’ve always been fascinated by this elite precision dance troupe. It’s truly mesmerizing to watch them perform, so I was very excited to get a behind the scenes look into the world of being a Rockette. It was very eye opening to witness their grueling rehearsals as well as all of the little details that go into creating that illusion of precision, such as the way they sew costumes for taller dancers vs. what they do for the shorter ones.

Marion loves what she does, but occasionally wonders if the cost of losing her family was too high of a price to pay. That cost grows even higher when the “Big Apple Bomber”, who has been terrorizing New York for over 15 years bombs Radio City Musical Hall. One of the victims of the bombing is Marion’s sister, who against their father’s wishes, had snuck out to see Marion perform. Fueled by her grief and the frustration that the police are no closer to catching the bomber after 15 years, Marion goes rogue and enlists the help of Peter, a psychological profiler, to try to find and catch the killer.

What I really loved about The Spectacular was that in addition to having a well researched strong historical fiction narrative, it also features this riveting murder mystery/thriller, a pretty substantial element of family drama, and even the slightest hint of a potential romance. All of these elements combine effortlessly into a riveting read that I could not put down. It’s a story that definitely has a little something for everyone. I highly recommend The Spectacular to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, New York iconic landmarks, suspenseful thrillers, domestic dramas, and especially to anyone who, like me, has always been fascinated by the Rockettes. 4.5 STARS

Reviews: THE CUBAN HEIRESS and THE GOLDEN DOVES

April 17, 2023/8 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday all! Work deadlines kept me busy and away from the blog for much of last week, but as of today, our first big deadline of the year has passed. Woo hoo! Anyway, I hope to get back to more regular posting and blog hopping this week. Today I’m back to share my thoughts on a couple of excellent historical fiction novels that are releasing in April from two of my favorite authors.

Reviews: THE CUBAN HEIRESS and THE GOLDEN DOVES

Author: Chanel Cleeton

Publication Date: April 11, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Set in 1934, Chanel Cleeton’s latest historical fiction novel, The Cuban Heiress, is a riveting tale that takes place aboard a luxury cruise ship, the SS Morro Castle, during a round trip from New York to Havana, Cuba.

The story is loosely based on the real-life SS Morro Castle disaster where the luxury cruise ship caught fire and ran aground on a beach in Asbury Park, New Jersey. But that historical event is more of a side element in Cleeton’s novel. Her story instead focuses on several seemingly unrelated passengers aboard this ship whose lives end up intertwined in ways that will truly surprise readers. First, there’s Catherine, who, for some reason, is pretending to be an heiress, and who is on the ship with her fiancé and his young daughter. Then there’s the mysterious Elena, a young woman who has been presumed dead but is clearly not as she can frequently be found lurking in the shadows aboard the ship. As if those characters aren’t intriguing enough on their own, there’s also a charming jewel thief named Henry aboard, as well as Julio, who is smuggling guns into and refugees out of Cuba.

I was enthralled from start to finish as Cleeton slowly weaves together the threads that intertwined the lives of these fascinatingly deceptive characters. The story is steeped in danger, suspense, romance, betrayals, and revenge, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. In many ways, it reads more like a thriller than a historical fiction novel. But, that said, while it doesn’t contain quite as much history as I’ve grown used to from Cleeton’s novels, The Cuban Heiress is still an immensely satisfying read that I would recommend to fans of both historical fiction and thrillers. 4 STARS.

The Golden Doves Goodreads

Author: Martha Hall Kelly

Publication Date: April 18, 2023

Publisher: Ballantine Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

With her latest novel, The Golden Doves, Martha Hall Kelly takes her readers back to WWII and follows two former female spies who are willing to risk everything to bring a fugitive Nazi scientist to justice.

American Josie Anderson and a Parisian named Arlette LaRue are two young women working in the French resistance during the war. They are so good at stealing Nazi secrets that they earn the title “Golden Doves” and are hailed by Allied Forces while being hunted by the Gestapo. Eventually their luck runs out and they are arrested and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp. Josie and Arlette witness unbelievably horrific events on a regular basis at the camp and they also both experience devastating personal losses that will haunt them long after they are released from the camp – Josie’s mother is cruelly experimented on by a Nazi scientist and dies there, while Arlette’s infant son is stolen from her. A decade later, the opportunity presents itself for Josie to exact revenge on the scientist who tortured her mother, and Arlette suddenly has a fresh lead on where her son might have been taken.

I was completely engrossed in Josie’s and Arlette’s mission to finally hold this scientist accountable and to hopefully find Arlette’s son. Their adventure read like a thriller, filled with endless twists and turns and danger around every corner and I zoomed through the book, rooting for them to get justice for Josie’s mother and all the other women who were victimized at Ravensbruck.

As always though, what continually draws me to WWII historical fiction is my desire to learn everything that I wasn’t taught in history class. In this case, Martha Hall Kelly, through her extensive research, taught me how so many Nazi fugitives, particularly scientists, were allowed to escape justice and how my own country played an active role in their escape because they were so desperate to keep the knowledge and expertise the Nazi scientists possessed from getting into the hands of the Russians. I was shocked and truly appalled to learn this and don’t even get me started on what I learned about the Catholic Church’s involvement.

Inspired by true events, The Golden Doves is both a gripping and moving survivor’s tale and an eye opening lesson in WWII and post WWII history. 4.5 STARS

Top Ten Tuesday – Some of My Favorite Historical Fiction Recommendations

February 28, 2023/38 Comments/by Suzanne

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is a genre freebie so I decided to focus on historical fiction, which has long been one of my favorite genres to read. I’ve heard comments over the years from people saying they don’t want to try historical fiction because to them, it seems like it would be boring. That or they assume that all historical fiction is about WWII. So today I’m sharing a list of fabulous reads that are classified as historical fiction that are FAR from boring, and while several of these novels are, in fact, set during WWII, they either come at it from an unexpected perspective and/or they taught me about some aspect of the war I had never heard about before and they are often inspirational. I highly recommend all of these reads to anyone who either thinks they don’t like historical fiction or anyone who has never read historical fiction and wants to give it a try. (Summaries are taken from Goodreads).

Some of My Favorite Historical Fiction Recommendations

1. CODE NAME SAPPHIRE by Pam Jenoff – A woman must rescue her cousin’s family from a train bound for Auschwitz in this riveting tale of bravery and resistance.

2. THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah – Set in France during WWII, a gripping and emotional story of two sisters, Vianne Mauriac and Isabelle Rossignol, and their struggle to survive and to help others escape from the Nazis as they began targeting Jews, political opponents, and anyone else who got in Hitler’s way.

3. THE LILAC GIRLS by Martha Hall Kelly – Set during WWII, this is an incredible novel of unsung women and their quest for love, happiness, and second chances. It is a story that will keep readers bonded with the characters, searching for the truth, until the final pages. If you enjoy this book, it is actually the first in a series that follows three generations of remarkable women from the same family. The second book goes back a generation and is set during WWI, while the final book goes back one more and is set during the Civil War.

4. THE FOREST OF THE VANISHING STARS by Kristin Harmel – An evocative coming-of-age World War II story about a young woman who uses her knowledge of the wilderness to help Jewish refugees escape the Nazis—until a secret from her past threatens everything.

5. DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid – A gripping novel about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous break up. Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the real reason why they split at the absolute height of their popularity…until now.

6. LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus – Set in the 1960’s, this story follow Elizabeth Zott, a feminist, a chemist and a woman ahead of her time. When a TV producer becomes fascinated by Elizabeth’s unique and quirky, no-nonsense personality, he convinces her to host an afternoon cooking show geared towards housewives, and has no idea what he gets himself into because in true Elizabeth Zott fashion, she turns the show on its end. I really loved what she did with this show and found myself rooting for her every step of the way because what she creates is an environment that educates, celebrates and empowers women, reminding them of their self-worth in what is often a thankless job, that of being a homemaker and raising children.

7. THE ROSE CODE by Kate Quinn – Set during 1940, as England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to the mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.

8. HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi – Two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and lives in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle. Unbeknownst to Effia, her sister, Esi, is imprisoned beneath her in the castle’s dungeons, sold with thousands of others into the Gold Coast’s booming slave trade, and shipped off to America, where her children and grandchildren will be raised in slavery. One thread of Homegoing follows Effia’s descendants through centuries of warfare in Ghana, as the Fante and Asante nations wrestle with the slave trade and British colonization. The other thread follows Esi and her children into America. From the plantations of the South to the Civil War and the Great Migration, from the coal mines of Pratt City, Alabama, to the jazz clubs and dope houses of twentieth-century Harlem, right up through the present day, Homegoing makes history visceral, and captures, with singular and stunning immediacy, how the memory of captivity came to be inscribed in the soul of a nation.

9. WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens – For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet fishing village. Kya Clark is barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when the popular Chase Andrews is found dead, locals immediately suspect her. But Kya is not what they say. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life’s lessons from the land, learning the real ways of the world from the dishonest signals of fireflies. But while she has the skills to live in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world—until the unthinkable happens. In Where the Crawdads Sing, Owens juxtaposes an exquisite ode to the natural world against a profound coming of age story and haunting mystery. Thought-provoking, wise, and deeply moving, Owens’s debut novel reminds us that we are forever shaped by the child within us, while also subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

10. WHEN WE LEFT CUBA by Chanel Cleeton – The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez–her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost. As the Cold War swells like a hurricane over the shores of the Florida Strait, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. When the ever-changing tides of history threaten everything she has fought for, she must make a choice between her past and future–but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything–not just the island she loves, but also the man who has stolen her heart…

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Question: What are some of your favorite historical fiction reads?

Reviews: SPELLS FOR FORGETTING & THE WITCH AND THE TSAR

October 3, 2022/14 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! Welcome to today’s episode of life has gotten in the way of my blogging again. Between trying to make a huge deadline at work this past Friday as well as being obsessed with where Hurricane Ian would go once it made landfall, blogging was the last thing on my mind so I have a lot of catching up to do this week. Today I’m back to share reviews for two pretty unusual books, considering what a romance kick I’ve been on. The first is a new favorite from an author I’ve been enjoying for a while now, and the second is a wonderful debut that I was drawn to because it’s inspired by Russian folklore and mythology.

Reviews: SPELLS FOR FORGETTING & THE WITCH AND THE TSAR

Spells for Forgetting Goodreads

Author: Adrienne Young

Publication Date: September 27, 2022

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Delacorte Press

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young was truly the perfect book to start off my spooky season reads. Set on a remote and mysterious island that is steeped in folklore and magic, the story features a mystery surrounding an unsolved murder as well as a second chance at love for two individuals whose lives were deeply impacted by the murder.

Spells for Forgetting follows Emery Blackwood, a young woman whose life was turned upside down when her best friend Lily was murdered and her boyfriend, August Salt, is accused of killing her. Although August is never formally charged with murder, nearly everyone on the island assumes he is guilty and so he and his mom leave Saoirse Island and attempt to start a new life elsewhere. Emery is left behind to pick up the pieces of her own life. For the past fourteen years, she has done so by working at her family’s business, a tea shop that specializes in herbal tonics and tea leaf readings. Emery senses that something strange is about to happen and her suspicions are confirmed when all of the trees on the island suddenly change color in a single night. A few hours later, Emery learns that August has returned to the island. He has come home to bury his mother, and from the moment she sees him, Emery knows things will never be the same.

There’s so much to love about this story, but Young’s atmospheric writing is really the star of the show. She really brings the island of Saoirse to life to the extent that it feels like an actual character in the book. Surrounded by mist and with tourist life winding down as they head into the colder months, the island has an almost ominous and lonely vibe to it. The hints of magical realism further bring the island to life as it seems to sense the return of August and the trouble his return will bring.

Speaking of August, I really felt for him and for Emery. They were each other’s first love and, according to everyone who knew them, their relationship was a special one. I can’t even imagine how devastating it must have been to have their relationship torn apart like it was. It’s also clear that they both still have intense feelings for one another and that they won’t be able to stay away from each other even though everyone else on the island wants August gone immediately. I also felt sympathetic toward Emery once she decides it’s time to dig deeper and find out what really happened to Lily. She wants to clear August’s name once and for all but what if he’s not as innocent as she thinks he is?

I can’t say much about what Emery finds, but oh boy, does she really shake things up. It quickly becomes apparent that the island of Saoirse is full of secrets, lies, and betrayals. Pretty much everyone who lives there seems to be hiding something. I was on the edge of my seat watching Emery slowly unravel all of the secrets and lies until the truth of what happened to Lily is finally revealed. I also loved that there were enough twists and turns that I didn’t guess the big reveal either.

If you’re in the mood for an atmospheric story about first loves and unsolved murders, be sure to pick up a copy of Spells for Forgetting. You won’t regret it! 4.5 STARS

The Witch and the Tsar Goodreads

Author: Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

Publication Date: September 20, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group, Ace

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Witch and the Tsar is Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s debut novel and it is a wonderful read! Part historical fiction, part mythological retelling, the story takes us to medieval Russia where Ivan the Terrible rules and the country is on the brink of destruction. Ivan is of course the Tsar in the novel’s title, and the witch is none other than the legendary Baba Yaga.

The story centers around Yaga, who is half mortal, half goddess, and has been living alone in the forest for years, with only her animals and those who seek her out for her magical healing powers as companions. One such person who seeks her out is Anastasia, her long-time friend and the wife of the Tsar. Anastasia has fallen ill and worries that someone in Moscow is trying to hurt her. She begs Yaga to come out of exile and come to Moscow as her companion and protector. Yaga can’t refuse her friend but has no idea that she’s about to find herself caught in a struggle to save the people of Russia from Ivan the Terrible, who is apparently being influenced (and driven mad) by the dark influences, specifically the immortal Lady of Death. The Lady of Death hates Yaga because Yaga’s healing work is at such odds with her own need for the souls of the dead, which sets up a showdown of sorts between the two.

I don’t want to give any details of the plot away, but I just loved how the author has woven together actual events from Russian history alongside the mythological elements and Russian folklore to create an engaging and plausible tale as to why Ivan the Terrible goes mad. The plot is intricate and well thought out and I found myself very invested in the author’s version of the legendary Baba Yaga and the journey she finds herself on as the underdog in this story, not fitting in with the human world but not fitting in with the Gods either. As she fights to save the people of Russia, she learns so much about her own history, her magic, and her place in the world.

With The Witch and the Tsar, Gilmore has an impressive debut on her hands and I look forward to reading more from her. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories inspired by Russian folklore and mythology and to anyone who enjoys witchy reads. If you like witches, you’ll love Baba Yaga. 4 STARS

Historical Fiction Reviews: THE BOOK WOMAN’S DAUGHTER & OUR LAST DAYS IN BARCELONA

June 6, 2022/18 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! I’m back today with a couple of historical fiction reviews from two of my favorite authors. If historical fiction isn’t your usual genre but you’ve been wanting to try a novel or two, I highly recommend both of these authors. They both create such unforgettable characters and do a brilliant job of fully immersing you in the history and culture of the time periods they are writing about.

Historical Fiction Reviews: THE BOOK WOMAN’S DAUGHTER & OUR LAST DAYS IN BARCELONA

The Book Woman's Daughter (The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, #2) Goodreads

Author: Kim Michele Richardson

Publication Date: May 3, 2022

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I was a huge fan of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson when it came out a few years ago. It was the story of Cussy Mary, a blue-skinned packhorse librarian determined, even in the face of extreme prejudice because of her rare skin color, to bring books and literacy to the folks living in the hills of Kentucky. Cussy Mary captured my heart as well as that of many other readers, so when I heard we were getting another book set in this world that focuses on Cussy Mary’s daughter, I couldn’t get my hands on a copy fast enough. I’m so glad I did too because I loved this book even more than the first!

When we first meet Cussy Mary’s daughter, Honey Mary Angeline Lovett, she is learning firsthand just how cruel and unfair, life can be because her parents have just been arrested and charged with miscegenation. They are each looking at several years in prison and because Honey is only a teenager, the court wants to have her committed to a home until she’s 21 years old. The majority of the story follows Honey as she tries to figure out how she can, first, evade capture by law enforcement, and second, find a way to secure her freedom, a journey that has her following in her mother’s footsteps.

Honey is such an easy character to fall in love with. She’s passionate, quick-witted, resourceful and determined, just like her mother, and she’s also born into the role of an underdog because she has inherited her mother’s blue-tinted skin, although in Honey’s case, the blue is confined to her hands and is easily hidden by gloves. I always love a good underdog story and became immediately invested in Honey’s journey, particularly after she declares that she wants to be emancipated and that a bunch of random powerful men shouldn’t be allowed to determine whether or not she can be free.

I loved Honey and I also loved the assorted cast of characters who stepped up to help her because they loved her mother so much and because they knew Honey’s family had been dealt an unfair hand. They treat Honey like family and it’s wonderful to see. One young man even offers to marry her because he knows that will keep her from being committed, but Honey, even though she is immensely grateful he offered, doesn’t want her freedom to come at the cost of marrying for a reason other than love.

Honey’s story is so compelling and the author also does a wonderful job once again exploring the important role of the packhorse librarians and literacy. In many ways, both Book Woman books are love letters to books and reading, both for education and for escape. If you love books about books and books that feature strong resilient female characters who want to smash the patriarchy, you’ll want to check out The Book Woman’s Daughter. 4.5 STARS

Our Last Days in Barcelona Goodreads

Author: Chanel Cleeton

Publication Date: May 24, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I’ve really been enjoying Chanel Cleeton’s historical fiction novels that focus on the women of the Perez family, a family that was exiled from Cuba after Fidel Castro took over the country. In her latest novel, Our Last Days in Barcelona, Cleeton tells the story of eldest Perez daughter, Isabel. As the eldest, Isabel feels a tremendous sense of responsibility when it comes to her family, who for the most part have settled in South Florida. The notable exception to that is Isabel’s younger sister, Beatriz, who has relocated to Spain and is engaged in espionage. When Beatriz disappears, it is Isabel who immediately books a flight to Barcelona to find her and while there, also discovers a shocking family secret that makes her question everything she has ever known about her life and family.

Through the use of dual timelines, Cleeton takes us on quite an adventure in this novel. One timeline is set in Barcelona in1964 and is the one that follows Isabel as she sets out to track down Beatriz. When Isabel arrives at Beatriz’s apartment, instead of finding Beatriz, she meets an unlikely ally and this timeline follows them on their dangerous journey to track down her sister.

The second timeline is also set in Barcelona, but this time in 1936 and it features Alicia Perez, Isabel’s mother, as well as an infant Isabel. Alicia’s marriage is on the rocks and she has left Cuba and traveled to Spain to stay with family. Her timing is awful though because Spain is on the brink of a civil war and danger is all around them. Alicia’s life takes an unexpected turn when she finds herself face to face with a man who once held her heart.

I love how Cleeton weaves together these two timelines, intertwining Alicia and Isabel’s lives, and showing how both mother and daughter found themselves, nearly 30 years apart, having to choose between being dutiful daughters or following their hearts. I found both timelines equally engrossing and was fully invested in both Alicia’s and Isabel’s journeys.

I also love Cleeton’s brand of historical romance. She not only vividly immerses me in the history and culture of both Spain and Cuba in this novel, but she also infuses the story with plenty of romance, suspense, and drama so that it’s a real page turner.

Our Last Days in Barcelona would definitely work as a standalone but I think reading When We Left Cuba, Next Year in Havana, The Last Time to Key West, and The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba gives the richest reading experience so that you know the moving histories of all the Perez women. 4.5 STARS

Reviews: THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET & THE MAGNOLIA PALACE

January 21, 2022/24 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Friday fellow bookworms! I don’t know about you but I’m so ready for the weekend. Today I’m sharing reviews for new book releases for two of my favorite authors, Diane Chamberlain and Fiona Davis. Both books feature rich history, compelling characters, and intriguing mysteries that kept me fully captivated as I was reading.

Reviews: THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET & THE MAGNOLIA PALACE

The Last House on the Street Goodreads

Author: Diane Chamberlain

Publication Date: January 11, 2022

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

My first 5 star read of the year is The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain, a beautifully written work of historical fiction with such a compelling element of mystery that it kept me turning the pages long into the night.

The story follows a young woman named Kayla who is about to move into her new home in Round Hill, North Carolina. She is unexpectedly confronted by a strange woman who tells her she shouldn’t move into the house, that the house should never have been built there in the first place. Kayla is rattled by this and when strange things start happening on the property, she is downright spooked.

It’s obvious someone is trying to scare her into leaving. Something terrible clearly happened on her property and Kayla is determined to find out what. Ellie, a neighbor down the street seems like she may know more than she’s telling. Kayla stops by Ellie’s house, hoping to befriend her since hers is the only other house on the street. But every time Kayla tries to talk to her, particularly if it’s anything about the history of Round Hill and in particular the property Kayla’s house now sits on, Ellie clams up and gets extremely defensive.

The story is told in dual timelines, Kayla’s which is present day, and Ellie’s, which takes us back to the 1960’s and the Civil Rights Movement. What we get as the threads from the two timelines come together is a powerful and heartbreaking story filled with secrets, lies, shocking prejudice and violence, forbidden love, as well as a quest for justice.

Wow, what a book! Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. I was just dying to know what the heck happened at Kayla’s house all those years ago and I cried when the truth came out and the full scope of the tragedy was revealed. It was so heartbreaking and made all the more poignant by Chamberlain’s exquisite writing. 5 STARS

The Magnolia Palace Goodreads

Author: Fiona Davis

Publication Date: January 25, 2022

Publisher: Dutton

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

New York City is my favorite city and I love learning the history of its many landmarks so Fiona Davis’ historical fiction novels are always such a treat for me. In her latest novel, The Magnolia Palace, Davis gives us an inside look at the history behind the iconic Gilded Age mansion that we now know of as The Frick Collection. Not only do we get to explore the rich history behind the mansion and the wealthy Frick family who lived there, but Davis also gives us an engrossing mystery or two to sink our teeth into as well.

Davis explores all things Frick using two very compelling timelines, one set just after World War I and the other set during the 1960s. The early timeline follows Lillian Carter, a famous artists’ model who has found herself embroiled in a scandal and wanted for questioning by the police in connection with a murder. Lillian needs a place to hide until she can get out of town and follow her dreams to Hollywood. She somehow manages to luck her way into a job as the private secretary of Miss Helen Frick. Lillian thinks she’ll be able to hide in plain sight while earning money to pay for her trip west, but she has no idea what she has signed on for. She soon finds herself hired by Helen’s father to secretly play matchmaker for her, and even gets caught up in a web of lies involving stolen family jewels and yet another murder. Lillian is an intriguing and resourceful heroine and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her navigate the endless minefield of drama that seems to surround the Fricks.

The second timeline features an equally resourceful and intriguing heroine that is easy to root for. Veronica, like Lillian, is a model, and also like Lillian, finds herself unexpectedly at the Frick House. Veronica is there for a big modelling job and is trying to earn enough money to help support her family after the death of her father. Veronica gets fired from the job after butting heads with the arrogant photographer and then somehow ends up locked in the building overnight. While looking for a way out, she stumbles upon a dusty old packet of what appears to be clues for a scavenger hunt and decides to try to follow them since she has nothing else to do. Following those clues leads her on a hunt that could not only solve Veronica’s financial troubles but it also leads her to the truth about the now decades-old murder that we see in Lillian’s timeline.

I loved the way Davis wove the threads of these two timelines together. I was a little more captivated by the old Hollywood glamorous feel of Lillian’s timeline, but honestly, both made for great reading because I was invested in both Lillian and Veronica’s stories and completely fascinated by the Fricks.

If you’re interested in learning more about one of New York’s most iconic buildings and families, and in being entertained by an engaging mystery while you learn, be sure to check out The Magnolia Palace. 4 STARS

Review: THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS by Kristin Harmel

July 5, 2021/20 Comments/by Suzanne

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel
Also by this author: The Room on Rue Amélie

Published by Gallery Books on July 6, 2021
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 384
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Goodreads

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Kristin Harmel is fast becoming one of my favorite authors of WWII historical fiction. I love how she always manages to uncover and shine a spotlight on some aspect of the war, and in particular of the various Resistance movements, that I was completely unaware of. In the case of her latest novel, The Forest of Vanishing Stars, Harmel’s subject matter are groups of Jewish refugees who flee from the Nazis and try to survive by hiding in the vast forests of Poland. The author’s note at the end of the novel is just as fascinating a read as the book itself because Harmel shares the details of her research, including information about the real-life groups of Jewish refugees she based her fictional groups on.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars centers on a young woman named Yona who is stolen from her crib by an elderly Jewish woman when she is only two years old. It is unclear at first what the old woman’s motivation is. She seems to have some mystical powers that allow her to see the future and she “sees” that Yona is destined for something special and that she must teach her so that she is ready when the time comes. The old woman raises Yona in the forest and gives her what seems like the oddest of educations. She teaches her all about how to survive in the forest – how to build various kinds of shelters, how to gather and preserve food, how to use plants and herbs for medicinal purposes, and how to defend herself. She also teaches Yona many languages: Polish, German, and Russian to name a few. The old woman dies soon after Yona’s education is complete and she is left to wonder what exactly she is meant to do with all she has learned. It soon becomes clear when she encounters a large group of Jewish refugees fleeing for their lives deep in the forest. They are doing everything wrong and if they continue as they are, they will all surely perish. Yona makes it her mission to ensure that they all survive and begins to teach them everything she knows about living off the land and about how to stay hidden.

The survival aspect of the story is definitely compelling enough in its own right, but I especially adored the character of Yona. She is such a special young woman and I loved how fully she devoted herself to caring for this group of people even though they are complete strangers and she could be executed if she is caught helping them. I admired her bravery and her selflessness. I also became quite attached to the group of refugees. They are all so eager to learn everything Yona has to teach them and they become just as devoted to her as she is to them. They become a family and it’s just beautiful to see that bond form when everything around them is so dark and treacherous.

Made all the more poignant by Harmel’s characters and her exquisite storytelling, The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a story of strength, resilience, love, family, and sacrifice. If you think you’ve read it all when it comes to WWII historical fiction, I highly recommend giving Kristin Harmel’s novels a try. I’ve enjoyed all that I’ve read from Harmel so far and The Forest of Vanishing Stars is my favorite yet; it’s a real gem.

About Kristin Harmel

Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, and #1 international bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names, The Winemaker’s Wife, and a dozen other novels that have been translated into twenty-nine languages and are sold all over the world.

A former reporter for PEOPLE magazine, Kristin has been writing professionally since the age of 16, when she began her career as a sportswriter, covering Major League Baseball and NHL hockey for a local magazine in Tampa Bay, Florida in the late 1990s. After stints covering health and lifestyle for American Baby, Men’s Health, and Woman’s Day, she became a reporter for PEOPLE magazine while still in college and spent more than a decade working for the publication, covering everything from the Super Bowl to high-profile murders to celebrity interviews. Her favorite stories at PEOPLE, however, were the “Heroes Among Us” features—tales of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

In addition to a long magazine writing career (which also included articles published in Travel + Leisure, Glamour, Ladies’ Home Journal, Every Day with Rachael Ray, and more), Kristin was also a frequent contributor to the national television morning show The Daily Buzz and has appeared on Good Morning America and numerous local television morning shows.

Kristin was born just outside Boston, Massachusetts and spent her childhood there, as well as in Columbus, Ohio, and St. Petersburg, Florida. After graduating with a degree in journalism (with a minor in Spanish) from the University of Florida, she spent time living in Paris and Los Angeles and now lives in Orlando, with her husband and young son. She is also the co-founder and co-host of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.

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Reviews: THE WOMAN WITH THE BLUE STAR & THE LAST NIGHT IN LONDON

April 26, 2021/16 Comments/by Suzanne

Today I’m sharing my thoughts on two powerful and compelling works of WWII historical fiction, one by Pam Jenoff and the other by Karen White. This is my third time reading a novel from Jenoff and as with the first two, it was a very emotional experience for me. This was my first time reading a novel from White, although I’ve been wanting to try her books for years now.

Reviews: THE WOMAN WITH THE BLUE STAR & THE LAST NIGHT IN LONDON

The Woman with the Blue Star Goodreads

Author: Pam Jenoff

Publication Date: May 4, 2021

Publisher: Park Row

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Pam Jenoff’s latest novel, The Woman with the Blue Star, is a powerful and inspiring story of strength, resilience, love, and friendship set against the dangerous backdrop of Nazi-occupied Poland during WWII. The story follows two young women, one Jewish and the other not, and the unlikely friendship they are able to forge in such a deadly environment.

Sadie Gault is an eighteen year old Jewish girl who has been living with her parents in the Krakow Ghetto. When the Nazis arrive to liquidate the Ghetto, Sadie and her family, along with another family, manage to escape into the sewers beneath the city. Unbeknownst to Sadie, her father had made arrangements with a trusted friend who works in the sewers and this friend has created a shelter for them to seek refuge in until they can safely leave. What they thought would be a few days stretches into weeks and months. My heart just broke for Sadie and for everyone else with her, having to live in such squalid conditions and fearing for your life every minute of every day. I also found them inspiring though because of the inner strength they all clearly possessed and their will to survive. I’m not sure I would have that kind of strength.

In contrast to Sadie, there is also Ella Stepanek. Ella comes from a wealthy Polish family and finds herself living in relative comfort and able to move about with relative ease, in part because of her stepmother who has allied herself with the Nazis who occupy their city. She knows she has it good in comparison to others but doesn’t really know how good until one day while at the market, she sees a pair of eyes staring up at her from a sewer grate. At first Ella cannot believe her own eyes but then realizes it’s a Jewish girl about her own age and that she must be hiding down there. Ella, who has herself been desperate for friendship and is disgusted that her stepmother is collaborating with Nazis, vows to do whatever she can to protect Sadie from being discovered.

I loved the friendship that formed between Sadie and Ella. It was so beautiful to see amidst so much horror and death, and I longed for them both to survive the war so they could continue their sister-like bond in times of peace. I just really loved both girls so much and how they were each exactly what the other needed. I also loved another unlikely friendship that formed in the book between Sadie and Saul, another Jewish boy who was also sheltering in the sewer. His family is much more religious than hers and he shouldn’t really associate with Sadie, but in such close quarters with no one else to talk to, he and Sadie become close and it’s another beautiful relationship to contrast with the ugliness all around them.

I don’t want to go into any specifics about what ultimately happens to all of these characters, but I will say that I flew through this book in less than a day and I cried more than once, especially when I got to the author’s notes at the end and realized that while these specific characters were not real, there are real accounts of Jewish families living in sewers while trying desperately to escape the Nazis. The Woman with the Blue Star really is a powerful and emotional testament to how strong the will to survive is. 5 STARS.

The Last Night in London Goodreads

Author: Karen White

Publication Date: May 4, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I’ve been wanting to try one of Karen White’s novels for a while now so when I saw that her newest novel, The Last Night in London, is primarily set in London during WWII, I thought that would be a great place to start, considering my love of WWII historical fiction. And it turns out I was right, as I found myself enveloped in an intricately-crafted story of family and friendship, romance and drama, suffering and resilience, all wrapped up in a web of long-buried secrets and deception set against the deadly backdrop of the Blitz.

I was sucked into White’s story from the opening pages of the prologue where we meet an unnamed woman running through the streets of London with bombs falling all around her. She knocks on a door, hands over a suitcase which when opened reveals there is an infant within, and then she flees into the night. Who is this woman, where is she running off to, and if that is her baby, why is she leaving it with someone else? I was already on the edge of my seat wanting answers to all of these questions and more. White’s story is a slow burn though so fair warning that lots of threads will need to be pulled together before those answers are revealed. The reveal is definitely worth the wait though so just enjoy the journey.

The story features a dual timeline, one set in present day London while the other is set during WWII London around the time of the Blitz. The present day timeline follows American journalist Maddie Warner who is traveling to London to interview Precious Dubose, a former fashion model, who is about to turn 100 years old. Maddie, a distant relative of Precious’, is only there to interview Precious about WWII fashion and her time living in London around the war, but the more Maddie interacts with Precious, she gets the feeling Precious has something weighing her down and that she would like to share more with Maddie than just her thoughts on fashion. The WWII timeline, coupled with some investigative work Maddie does on her own, slowly begins to unravel the long-held secrets Precious has been keeping for over 50 years.

Both timelines made for pretty compelling reads, but I was definitely drawn in more by the WWII timeline because I wanted answers to my questions from the prologue. I also loved the various characters that were introduced in this timeline, including a young Precious and her roommate, Eva, who also has her fair share of secrets. It was fascinating watching the two of them try to live, work, and love in wartime London, sometimes getting caught up in questionable activities with even more questionable people. I was captivated by their adventures and was waiting to see how their stories culminated in that moving scene from the prologue.

I very much enjoyed my first foray into a Karen White novel and look forward to reading more from her. 4 STARS.