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Published on Leave a comment on Sunflower Sisters
Sunflower Sisters Book Cover Sunflower Sisters
Lilac Girls #3
Martha Hall Kelly
Fiction
Ballantine Books
March 30, 2021
Advanced reader copy
512
Free from publisher

Lilac Girls, the 1.5-million-copy bestselling novel by Martha Hall Kelly, introduced readers to Caroline Ferriday, an American philanthropist who helped young girls released from Ravensbruck concentration camp. Now, in Sunflower Sisters, Kelly tells the story of her ancestor Georgeanna Woolsey, a Union nurse who joins the war effort during the Civil War, and how her calling leads her to cross paths with Jemma, a young enslaved girl who is sold off and conscripted into the army, and Ann-May Wilson, a southern plantation mistress whose husband enlists. Georgeanne "Georgey" Woolsey isn't meant for the world of lavish parties and demure attitudes of women of her stature. So when the war ignites the nation, Georgey follows her passion for nursing during a time when doctors considered women a bother on the battlefront. In proving them wrong, she and her sister Eliza venture from New York to Washington, D.C., to Gettysburg and witness the unparalleled horrors of slavery as they become involved in the war effort. In the South, Jemma is enslaved on the Peeler Plantation in Maryland, where she lives with her mother and father. Her sister, Patience, is enslaved on the plantation next door and both live in fear of LeBaron, an abusive overseer who tracks their every move. When Jemma is sold by the cruel plantation mistress Anne-May at the same time the Union army comes through, she sees a chance to finally escape--but only by abandoning the family she loves. Anne-May is left behind to run Peeler Planation when her husband joins the Union Army and her cherished brother enlists with the Confederates. In charge of the household, she uses the opportunity to follow her own ambitions and is drawn into a secret Southern network of spies, finally exposing herself to the fate she deserves. Inspired by true accounts, Sunflower Sisters provides a vivid, detailed look at the Civil War experience, from the barbaric and inhumane plantations, to a war-torn New York City to the horrors of the battlefield. It's a sweeping story of women caught in a country on the brink of collapse, in a society grappling with nationalism and unthinkable racial cruelty, a story still so relevant today.

My review:

I've read all three of the novels by this author. While Lilac Girls remains my favorite, this one was very very good! First let me say that I am a sucker for a story about slaves, and most I've read have been excellent and extremely informative. As is the case in her prior novels, this story follows three women, and as is also the case, I'm always partial to one of their stories. I will say however, that in this novel they were all very compelling characters, and I didn't find myself rushing through one character's story to get back to Jemma's (you knew she would be my favorite). The nursing aspect of Georgey's story, as well as her pluck and determination made for a compelling read. Jemma was amazingly well crafted, and her slavery story was obviously heartbreaking and uplifting as she navigated trying to become free. Anne-May was the obvious villain, but the woman you love to hate also had an interesting spy story thrown in to add some mystery. As is usually the case, these three women all come together toward the end of the book, and I thought the ending provided the closure I needed. Well written, with impactful descriptions of slavery, war, and family, this is truly an epic tale. My one tiny complaint would be that when I say epic, I mean that to describe the fact that this book is 500 pages (small font)! Honestly I'm not sure that a whole lot could have been left out, so I'm not going to criticize the editing process, but it seemed like I read this one forever! I can also say that I had no idea what the significance of sunflowers were during this time, just one of the fascinating anecdotes that can be found within these pages.

An excellent story set during the Civil War, following three unforgettable characters, this is one you will want to pick up. Just know that it is probably not a consumable in one weekend kind of book.

Published on Leave a comment on Sparks Like Stars
Sparks Like Stars Book Cover Sparks Like Stars
Nadia Hashimi
Historical fiction
William Morrow
March 2, 2021
Hardcover
464
Free from publisher

Kabul, 1978: The daughter of a prominent family, Sitara Zamani lives a privileged life in Afghanistan’s thriving cosmopolitan capital. The 1970s are a time of remarkable promise under the leadership of people like Sardar Daoud, Afghanistan’s progressive president, and Sitara’s beloved father, his right-hand man. But the ten-year-old Sitara’s world is shattered when communists stage a coup, assassinating the president and Sitara’s entire family. Only she survives.

Smuggled out of the palace by a guard named Shair, Sitara finds her way to the home of a female American diplomat, who adopts her and raises her in America. In her new country, Sitara takes on a new name—Aryana Shepherd—and throws herself into her studies, eventually becoming a renowned surgeon. A survivor, Aryana has refused to look back, choosing instead to bury the trauma and devastating loss she endured.

New York, 2008: Forty years after that fatal night in Kabul, Aryana’s world is rocked again when an elderly patient appears in her examination room—a man she never expected to see again. It is Shair, the soldier who saved her, yet may have murdered her entire family. Seeing him awakens Aryana’s fury and desire for answers—and, perhaps, revenge. Realizing that she cannot go on without finding the truth, Aryana embarks on a quest that takes her back to Kabul—a battleground between the corrupt government and the fundamentalist Taliban—and through shadowy memories of the world she loved and lost.

My review:

This book begins in Afghanistan in 1978, and describes the effects of the communist coup that took place at the palace, particularly on the only member of her family to survive, ten year old Sitara. Sitara is discovered hiding, and a palace guard (who may have been involved in the killing of her family) takes her to a woman from the American Embassy. From there, Sitara has to be smuggled to the United States, change her name, and endure several weeks of foster care, before her American mother can take her in. Flash forward to 2008, when she is a surgeon and comes upon the guard who brought her to safety. This brings about all of the questions that Sitara (now Aryana) has kept pent up inside her whole adult life. She and her adoptive mother set out for Afghanistan, where she hopes to find out exactly where her family is buried, in order to get closure for the traumatic event she witnessed as a child. The writing was beautiful in this book, and the characters were so well rendered. The description of the coup, and subsequent journey for Sitara, was harrowing and made you feel as though you were right there with her. Despite what horrific things she witnessed at such a young age, this book shows the indomitable spirit of a girl who refuses to let trauma define her. It is very sad at times, but at the same time hopeful, and you will find yourself rooting for this woman to obtain a semblance of peace within her world.

A well written exploration into how we deal with grief, and that it likely cannot be hidden forever, without exploring its cause and resolution. While I would consider this book to have some slow parts, I think the overall story is definitely one worth reading.

Published on Leave a comment on Klara and the Sun
Klara and the Sun Book Cover Klara and the Sun
Kazuo Ishiguro
Fiction
Knopf Publishing Group
March 2, 2021
Hardcover
320
Purchased

Klara and the Sun tells the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her.

Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator, and one that explores the fundamental question: What does it mean to love?

My review:

I absolutely adored this grown up story reminiscent of Toy Story, one of my all time favorite Disney movies! The story begins with Klara, an artificial friend who is sold in a store along with others of her kind (some the latest models, others older ones). These friends are mainly sold to keep children from being lonely. Klara is very observant of the life around her, particularly when she gets to be placed in the shop window and can see the goings on outside, and be bathed in the light of the sun(which is an ever present part of the novel). When Klara is picked to be the AF of a young girl, she is thrilled, and will do anything to make her happy. Most of the rest of the novel is focused on the household where Klara goes to live, and the relationship between her and those around her. The book was brilliantly written from Klara's perspective, as she observes life around her. I got so invested in these characters (particularly Klara) that I tore through the pages to see what would happen as Josie (her girl) grew up. Without giving anything away, I was completely gutted by the ending! This is one of those books that will stay with me for a very long time, Klara's character was so endearing! It explores the topics of loneliness, friendship, observation, and love in a way I've never read before.

For those who are not shy of dabbling into the apocalyptic world of animated people/toys, this one is a treat. You do have to buy into the scheme, but if you've enjoyed any number of Disney movies, you should be well on your way.

Published on Leave a comment on The Portrait
The Portrait Book Cover The Portrait
Ilaria Bernardini
Fiction
Pegasus Books
January 5, 2021
Hardcover
432
Free from publisher

An internationally renowned writer, Valeria Costas has dedicated her life to her work and to her secret lover, Martìn Acla, a prominent businessman. When his sudden stroke makes headlines, her world implodes; the idea of losing him is terrifying. Desperate to find a way to be present during her lover's final days, Valeria commissions his artist wife, Isla, to paint her portrait—insinuating herself into Martìn's family home and life.

In the grand, chaotic London mansion where the man they share—husband, father, lover—lies in a coma, Valeria and Isla remain poised on the brink, transfixed by one another. Day after day, the two women talk to each other during the sittings, revealing truths, fragilities and strengths. But does Isla know of the writer's long involvement with Martìn? Does Valeria grasp the secrets that Isla harbors? Amidst their own private turmoil, the stories of their lives are exchanged, and as the portrait takes shape, we watch these complex and extraordinary women struggle while the love of their lives departs, in an unforgettable, breathless tale of deception and mystery that captivates until the very end.

My review:

3.5 stars

I was intrigued by this book for many reasons. First, the main protagonist is a woman in her mid 50's, so rare for books unless put there as the secondary character mother figure. Second, she is a writer, and the other main character an artist, perfect combination. Third, both women have been with the same man for over twenty years. I just had to find out more!

Another character driven novel, this one dives deep into the lives of both Valeria and Isla as they await the fate of their common lover/husband Martin. The question hanging over the story is did Isla know her husband was seeing another woman for years, and if so, is there any way she knows who that woman is? The characters were so well drawn in this book, despite some problems I had with the writing (details to come). This is definitely not a fast moving story, we get to explore the daily portrait sittings as Valeria finds out more about Martin's wife and family, and both Valeria and Isla tell things about themselves they've never shared. The ending was absolutely perfect, one of the better endings to a book I've read!

My issue with this book was that the writing was not always cohesive. You could tell that this is the first book written in English by this Italian author, and I wish that someone could have edited it better so that the story and well crafted characters had a better flow. It definitely broke up the lyrical writing and descriptions.

Obviously this book is about a long term affair, so trigger warning if that is something that bothers you in books. Otherwise, I urge you to try this lovely portrait (no pun intended) of two women bound to the same man, and the bond they form with each other.

Published on Leave a comment on What’s Mine and Yours
What's Mine and Yours Book Cover What's Mine and Yours
Naima Coster
Fiction
Grand Central Publishing
March 2, 2021
Hardcover
416
Free from publisher

A community in the Piedmont of North Carolina rises in outrage as a county initiative draws students from the largely Black east side of town into predominantly white high schools on the west. For two students, Gee and Noelle, the integration sets off a chain of events that will tie their two families together in unexpected ways over the span of the next twenty years.

On one side of the integration debate is Jade, Gee's steely, ambitious mother. In the aftermath of a harrowing loss, she is determined to give her son the tools he'll need to survive in America as a sensitive, anxious, young Black man. On the other side is Noelle's headstrong mother, Lacey May, a white woman who refuses to see her half-Latina daughters as anything but white. She strives to protect them as she couldn't protect herself from the influence of their charming but unreliable father, Robbie.

When Gee and Noelle join the school play meant to bridge the divide between new and old students, their paths collide, and their two seemingly disconnected families begin to form deeply knotted, messy ties that will shape the trajectory of their adult lives. And their mothers-each determined to see her child inherit a better life-will make choices that will haunt them for decades to come.

As love is built and lost, and the past never too far behind, What's Mine and Yours is an expansive, vibrant tapestry that moves between the years, from the foothills of North Carolina, to Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Paris. It explores the unique organism that is every family: what breaks them apart and how they come back together.

My review:

While I really enjoyed this book, I'm going to talk about the issue I had which may effect some readers enjoyment. The way this book was structured was kind of all over the place. We go back and forth in time, there are multiple characters to keep track of, and I was left wondering what it would have read like if it was a linear timeline? This is just something to be aware of going in.

This was definitely a character driven story, and while I thought some were more well drawn and necessary to the story than others, I appreciated the author's intent to show the effects of family and family dynamics in each person's life. We mostly follow Gee and his mother, and Noelle and her mother. Their paths collide when Gee and Noelle end up at the same high school. I was most interested in the school integration aspect, which was handled well, although could have been even more fleshed out as it isn't even mentioned until about a third of the way in. We follow these characters and others for about 28 years, back and forth in time. Lots of subjects come into play beyond the family dynamics I've spoken of. Race, class, addiction, parenting, siblings, and relationships (gay and straight) all have places in this story. It's all woven together to create the finished piece at the end.

While the jumping around with characters and time did bother me, it was not enough to not really enjoy, and recommend this book. Definitely a family saga story if those appeal to you (as they do to me!).

Published on Leave a comment on The Arsonists’ City
The Arsonists' City Book Cover The Arsonists' City
Hala Alyan
Domestic fiction
Houghton Mifflin
March 9, 2021
Advanced reader copy
464
Free from publisher

The Nasr family is spread across the globe—Beirut, Brooklyn, Austin, the California desert. A Syrian mother, a Lebanese father, and three American children: all have lived a life of migration. Still, they’ve always had their ancestral home in Beirut—a constant touchstone—and the complicated, messy family love that binds them. But following his father's recent death, Idris, the family's new patriarch, has decided to sell.

The decision brings the family to Beirut, where everyone unites against Idris in a fight to save the house. They all have secrets—lost loves, bitter jealousies, abandoned passions, deep-set shame—that distance has helped smother. But in a city smoldering with the legacy of war, an ongoing flow of refugees, religious tension, and political protest, those secrets ignite, imperiling the fragile ties that hold this family together.

In a novel teeming with wisdom, warmth, and characters born of remarkable human insight, award-winning author Hala Alyan shows us again that “fiction is often the best filter for the real world around us” (NPR).

My review:

Reading the synopsis of this book, I just knew it was going to be "my type of read". I absolutely love family sagas, and if the family is dysfunctional, so much the better. Maybe I put too much pressure on this one, because while there were many great features, I just didn't love it as much as I thought I would. The main reason was that it was just too long to hold my interest throughout. It's a fantastic character study (which I normally eat up) of parents and three children who all converge at their grandfather's funeral in Beirut. There is the current story, but then there is a lot of backstory into each character. While I understand why this was fundamental to the current state of the family dynamic, in my opinion it just took way too long to explore. Having said that, I'm not sure I can pinpoint where I would cut something out, except maybe the backstories could have been a bit more consolidated? Other than that, the writing was outstanding, the characters were really well drawn, and the overall plot was engaging. This was a hard review to write because I still can't put my finger on why I didn't love this, and that frustrates me since I want to be able to give a more specific reason.

If you love an interesting character driven book, and can be patient while the story slowly unfolds, this would be a good choice. I think I would have loved it if it had been less wordy. A solid good, but not great, read for me.

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Published on 1 Comment on How Beautiful We Were
How Beautiful We Were Book Cover How Beautiful We Were
Imbolo Mbue
Fiction
Random House
March 9, 2021
E-book
384
Publisher via NetGalley

"We should have known the end was near."

So begins Imbolo Mbue’s powerful second novel, How Beautiful We Were. Set in the fictional African village of Kosawa, it tells the story of a people living in fear amidst environmental degradation wrought by an American oil company.

Pipeline spills have rendered farmlands infertile. Children are dying from drinking toxic water. Promises of clean-up and financial reparations to the villagers are made—and ignored. The country’s government, led by a brazen dictator, exists to serve its own interest. Left with few choices, the people of Kosawa decide to fight back. Their struggle would last for decades and come at a steep price.

Told through the perspective of a generation of children and the family of a girl named Thula who grows up to become a revolutionary, How Beautiful We Were is a masterful exploration of what happens when the reckless drive for profit, coupled with the ghost of colonialism, comes up against one community’s determination to hold onto its ancestral land and a young woman’s willingness to sacrifice everything for the sake of her people’s freedom.

My review:

4.5 stars

Pretty close to perfect is this second novel by the author of Behold the Dreamers, one of my favorites of 2017. This was such an interesting premise, and completely captivated me from the beginning. A fictional village in Africa is suffering major devastation from an American oil company ravaging their land with pollutants. They decide after waiting for reparations that never seem to come, to take matters into their own hands and rise up and revolt. Told in a unique perspective from the children of the village, as well as the family of a woman named Thula, who is at the center of their revolution. You couldn't help but empathize with the people of Kosawa, who really got caught between a rock and a hard place,  trying to keep their traditions and hold onto the land for future generations. The role of the oil company was cringe worthy, and I was impressed that the author gave us such a great insight into the shady practices of many big corporations. The writing was stellar, and the characters were larger than life. My only complaint (and what kept this from being a five star read) was that the timeline was interrupted in kind of a weird way, with things being foretold and then explained later. For me, this disrupted the narrative a bit, as it was a bit confusing to follow. Minor complaint, but did effect the  overall flow.

An almost perfect narrative about the effect a large cooperation can have on a peaceful group of people, forcing them to make decisions with far reaching consequences for their existence. For a different kind of story, I highly recommend this one.

Published on Leave a comment on The High Rise Diver
The High-Rise Diver Book Cover The High-Rise Diver
Julia Lucadou, World Editions LLC,
Fiction
World Editions
March 2, 2021
Advanced reader copy
288
Free from publisher

Big Sister is watching you

Riva is a “high-rise diver,” a top athlete with millions of fans, and a perfectly functioning human on all levels. Suddenly she rebels, breaking her contract and refusing to train. Cameras are everywhere in her world, but she doesn’t know her every move is being watched by Hitomi, the psychologist tasked with reining Riva back in. Unquestionably loyal to the system, Hitomi’s own life is at stake: should she fail to deliver, she will be banned to the “peripheries,” the filthy outskirts of society.

This chilling and distressingly plausible dystopia creates a world in which performance is everything and one woman's failure to achieve becomes another's downfall.

My review:

I'm not a huge reader of dystopian fiction, but when a book catches my eye, it has to be a somewhat believable future world. This book provided that for me. Almost everything in your life is controlled by your tablet, and everywhere that you go you are being watched and monitored. There is an entire class structure set up, and if you are chosen at a young age, you will be allowed to succeed and move from the peripheries to the city. Surviving in the city is however a function of performing at a peak level. The main story is about a psychologist whose performance rests on convincing a high rise diver (a fascinating concept in and of itself) to continue on with her career when she appears to have tuned out. So many things in this world were absolutely fascinating to me, and I was riveted to Hitomi's story! As in most dystopian novels, the world building is one of the main keys to success, and I thought it was done very well in this one. The story does skip around to various people throughout, and I found that to be a bit distracting, but not enough to temper my enjoyment.

If you are looking for something completely different, with a well constructed future world, I would suggest giving this translated German work a go.

Published on Leave a comment on Band of Sisters
Band of Sisters Book Cover Band of Sisters
Lauren Willig
Fiction
William Morrow
March 2, 2021
Advanced reader copy
528
Free from publisher

A scholarship girl from Brooklyn, Kate Moran thought she found a place among Smith’s Mayflower descendants, only to have her illusions dashed the summer after graduation. When charismatic alumna Betsy Rutherford delivers a rousing speech at the Smith College Club in April of 1917, looking for volunteers to help French civilians decimated by the German war machine, Kate is too busy earning her living to even think of taking up the call. But when her former best friend Emmeline Van Alden reaches out and begs her to take the place of a girl who had to drop out, Kate reluctantly agrees to join the new Smith College Relief Unit.

Four months later, Kate and seventeen other Smithies, including two trailblazing female doctors, set sail for France. The volunteers are armed with money, supplies, and good intentions—all of which immediately go astray. The chateau that was to be their headquarters is a half-burnt ruin. The villagers they meet are in desperate straits: women and children huddling in damp cellars, their crops destroyed and their wells poisoned.

Despite constant shelling from the Germans, French bureaucracy, and the threat of being ousted by the British army, the Smith volunteers bring welcome aid—and hope—to the region. But can they survive their own differences? As they cope with the hardships and terrors of the war, Kate and her colleagues find themselves navigating old rivalries and new betrayals which threaten the very existence of the Unit.

With the Germans threatening to break through the lines, can the Smith Unit pull together and be truly a band of sisters?

My review:

3.5 stars

There was a lot to enjoy about this book, and a couple problems I had that kept it from being a 4 star read. First the positives. Hooray for a book about WWI. While I enjoy those written during WWII, I'm a bit burnt out on them right now. I also loved the fact that this was a story about empowered women who tackled obstacles in their path, and worked together to help those in need. These women were certainly ahead of their time, and I enjoyed the way they had that can do attitude!  The stories from the ravaged villages were descriptive and captivating, and moved the story along nicely. I was not as enthralled with the stories of the women themselves. Kate definitely had a chip on her shoulder, and I was on board with her issues until it kept coming up over and over, and it started to grate on me. Her relationship with Emmie was a main focus of the book, and I could have used a bit less of that and more of the war story. My other issue is that the book was just too long. I'm sad to say that I had this same issue with Willig's book released last year (The Summer Country). Luckily when I found myself bored with a section, something would happen to peak my interest again, and I would carry on. I wonder if this could have been remedied by editing a hundred or so pages out (or would this have changed the whole dynamic of the book)? I certainly had no issues with the writing style, the author did a great job with setting, plot, and characters.

An enjoyable look at the Smith College Relief Unit, a group of women who helped bring relief to villages in France that had been ravaged by the Germans during WWI. Really interesting, albeit a bit too long for my tastes.

Published on Leave a comment on Girls with Bright Futures
Girls with Bright Futures Book Cover Girls with Bright Futures
Tracy Dobmeier, Wendy Katzman,
Fiction
Sourcebooks Landmark
February 2, 2021
Paperback
416
Purchased

College admissions season at Seattle's Elliott Bay Academy is marked by glowing acceptances from top-tier institutions and students as impressive as their parents are ambitious. But when Stanford alerts the school it's allotting only one spot to EBA for their incoming class, three mothers discover the competition is more cut-throat than they could have imagined.

Tech giant Alicia turns to her fortune and status to fight for her reluctant daughter's place at the top. Kelly, a Stanford alum, leverages her PTA influence and insider knowledge to bulldoze the path for her high-strung daughter. And Maren makes three: single, broke, and ill-equipped to battle the elite school community aligning to bring her superstar daughter down.

That's when, days before applications are due, one of the girls suffers a near-fatal accident, one that doesn't appear to be an accident at all.

As the community spirals out of control, three women will have to decide what lines they're willing to cross to secure their daughters' futures...and keep buried the secrets that threaten to destroy far more than just college dreams.

My review:

With the recent headline news about the college admissions scandals surrounding some wealthy families, this novel couldn't be more appropriate. This story follows the families of students who attend a fictitious private academy high school in Seattle. While several families are mentioned in passing, the book is mostly focused on three families whose daughters all have high hopes of attending Stanford. When it is revealed that only one spot remains open for the academy's students, you can imagine what ensues with these cutthroat parents! Throughout the novel, we focus on just how far they will go to get their daughter the coveted spot. Really fast paced, told in alternating voices of the girls mothers, this one will keep you enthralled with all the antics, and ultimate consequences of those actions. My favorite part of the story was how it was the mothers of two of the girls who were constantly pushing perfection, their daughters were just the casualties of helicopter parenting to the extreme! While I understand why it tied into the plot, I did feel that one of the extraneous storylines for Winnie was a bit random, and really took me away from the overall scheme. However, this one was a roller coaster ride, and while I'm not always a fan of tidy epilogues, I absolutely needed this one!

Set yourself a good chunk of time for this one, because once you start reading about these crazy people, you won't want to stop until you find out who got into which schools!