Caleb’s Crossing Geraldine Brooks Caleb was a hero, there is no doubt of it. He ventured forth from one world to another with an explorer’s courage, armored by the hope that he could serve his people. He stood shoulder to shoulder with the most learned of his day, ready to take his place as a man of …
Elizabeth IMargaret George The imperial votaress passed on, in maiden meditation, fancy-free. ~ William Shakespreare I felt a close kinship with many of those who surrounded Elizabeth during her long reign. Like those whose lives were held in check by her capricious iron will, who waited long years for overdue titles and positions at court, …
11/22/63Stephen King “The past fought change because it was destructive to the future.” Never in my life did I think I’d read two Stephen King books in one year. You might remember that last spring my book club Chicks on Books read Full Dark No Stars … and that, surprising to me, I loved it. …
Peony in LoveLisa See [spoiler alert] This was a quick Kindle purchase–I needed something light and breezy and (in true Kindle fashion) I needed it now! Having read Lisa See’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan I anticipated another story of love and friendship–and was eager to gain more insight into 17th century China. I …
22 Britannia Roadby Amanda Hodgkinson A book-loving friend of mine commented recently on my blog: “Don’t you like anything?!” But I think that reading with discrimination doesn’t mean I don’t like certain novels; it just means I tend to notice stylistic or plot devices that just don’t promote story. I am an avowed story glutton–give …
Year of Wonders Geraldine Brooks The year is 1666; a small village tucked in the English countryside welcomes a new lodger–George Viccars, a tailor from London. Viccars luxurious bolts of fine cloth, however, harbor the unseen “seeds” of the Plague. After his death, we watch the lives of the villagers quickly spiral into despair. Anna …
Wenchby Dolen Perkins-Valdez Author Dolen Perkins-Valdez peels away another layer of the slave narrative we all know existed–that of the black women, treated “well”, who were mistresses of their white owners. Even school children know of Thomas Jefferson’s Sally Hemings, and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs rose in popularity …
The Postmistressby Sarah Blake Nineteen-forty, small Massachusetts village, the London blitz, a single Postmistress … it all had the sound of the charming Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And like many who didn’t experience the war, I’ve encountered World War II through my dreamy Tales of South Pacific and Norman Rockwell goggles. Granted, …
One Thousand White Womenby Jim Fergus I fear I may be the last woman standing who hasn’t read the popular novel by Jim Fergus, One Thousand White Women. I’ve read the reviews, heard the scuttlebutt among friends, but it seemed too much of a good thing, considering I’d read Thirteen Moons and Color of Lightening …
Last Guard Outby Jim Albright On our trip to San Francisco last summer, one of the most “touristy” thing we did was tour Alcatraz. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise; the self-guided tour was well-organized, paced just right, and heavy on history. The only problem I had was turning left when the recording …
This is my symphony 