1900 - Eva Fuentes - is asked to go to Harvard in the summer. It is an invitation to immerse herself in AmeThree women - three different time periods.
1900 - Eva Fuentes - is asked to go to Harvard in the summer. It is an invitation to immerse herself in American culture. She is from Havana and attempting to write a novel.
1966 - Pilar Castillo, a librarian in Havana, is given that book for safekeeping as its owner flees Havana. Please return it to Eva Fuentes says Zenaida, her neighbor, as she prepares to leave.
2024 - Margo Reynolds is tasked with finding the book, A Time for Forgetting. Danger lurks around every corner. Someone is willing to kill for this book.
I LOVE books about books and Cleeton has outdone herself on this one.
I will start this review with quotes from the Author's Note:
"If I find a piece of history that is so untold that it makes me gasp after more than a quI will start this review with quotes from the Author's Note:
"If I find a piece of history that is so untold that it makes me gasp after more than a quarter century of working with the Second World War, then I’m hopeful I’m onto something about which readers will feel the same way."
"... a former furniture store in Paris called Lévitan, where Jews were imprisoned and forced to sort, display and “sell� objects plundered from Jewish homes to German officers."
*** And I gasped too!! Despite the fact I have read almost 70 books about WWII, I had never heard of Lévitan or the concept of a work camp.
This story contrasted two WWII stories:
"Helaine (Jewish) living through the horror of the Holocaust in real time..."
"Louise, who is not Jewish and was not a victim of the Holocaust, but who lived through her own difficult wartime experience, both as a Red Cross volunteer and through the tragic and mysterious death of her best friend, Franny. Bringing in Louise allowed me to explore the complex role of the Red Cross in Europe during the war.
I finished the book the day before Valentine's Day and was struck not only by the WWII connection, but also a portrait of three entirely different marriages.
Helaine married Gabriel (a non-Jew) and was deeply in love.
Louise married Joe and their marriage was impacted by each of their negative WWII experiences.
Helaine's father cheated on her mother. I have the impression that French men think it their right to have a mistress; Helaine's mother knew and looked away.
I highly recommend this book. I became deeply invested in the characters and learned a lot about varying WWII experiences.
5 stars
Further reading suggested by the author:
"To learn more about the real-life history that inspired Last Twilight in Paris, I recommend Witnessing the Robbing of the Jews: A Photographic Album, Paris, 1940�1944 by Sarah Gensburger and Nazi Labour Camps in Paris: Austerlitz, Lévitan, Bassano, July 1943–August 1944 by Jean-Marc Dreyfus and Sarah Gensburger."...more
All the Colors of the Dark is a BEAUTIFUL thriller, mystery, historical fiction rich in character development.
Joseph “Patch� Macauley is a poor 13-yeaAll the Colors of the Dark is a BEAUTIFUL thriller, mystery, historical fiction rich in character development.
Joseph “Patch� Macauley is a poor 13-year-old in the Missouri Ozarks. Born with one eye, Patch is often bullied and lives with his mother, Ivy, who struggles with addiction. He calls himself a pirate, and Ivy encourages this, hoping it will distract him from their circumstances. His only friend is Saint, an avid beekeeper who lives with her grandmother, Norma. One fateful day, Patch saves his crush, Misty Meyer, from an older man named Eli Aaron, who subsequently injures and kidnaps him.
Almost a year later, Saint finds a clue that reveals that the school photographer, Eli Aaron, is an unsettling man who often hangs around young girls and previously photographed Misty. Saint goes alone to confront him. She narrowly escapes, saved by Police Chief Nix, and Aaron’s house burns down. They find Patch lying nearby.
While Patch is held captive, a girl named Grace (presumably another captive), cared for Patch in captivity. She tried to keep him alive despite his deteriorating condition. After his rescue, Grace is nowhere to be found. The police conclude Aaron died in the fire and close the investigation, but Patch insists Grace needs help.
This is just the beginning of the 600 page book. Many characters are described and revealed. I both listened to this book on audible and followed the words. I fell in love with all of the protanganists. I was surprised by some of the antagonists.
Strongly recommend. I feel this is the strongest book written by Whitaker, though I have read only one other: We Begin at the End.
"Girl Braiding Her Hair" is a novel by Marta Molnar that tells the story of two women across different eras, intertwining their lives through the them"Girl Braiding Her Hair" is a novel by Marta Molnar that tells the story of two women across different eras, intertwining their lives through the theme of artistic ambition and overcoming societal barriers; one is a contemporary woman named Ellie struggling with grief after her husband's death, while the other is Suzanne Valadon, a historical figure who fought to be recognized as a painter in 19th century Paris, often working as a model for famous Impressionist artists, including the act of braiding her hair as a subject in paintings.
Key points about the novel:
Dual narrative: The story alternates between Ellie's present-day life in Philadelphia and Suzanne's experiences in Paris during the Impressionist era.
Suzanne Valadon's story: The novel highlights Suzanne's journey from a poor young woman working as a circus acrobat and model to eventually becoming a painter despite the resistance she faced as a female artist.
Themes of resilience and artistic expression: Both women grapple with societal expectations and personal loss while pursuing their creative desires.
Art historical inspiration: The title "Girl Braiding Her Hair" refers to a famous painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, which depicts Suzanne Valadon as a model.
From the author: So how much of this book is true? The historical half is based on real people and events; the present-day story is entirely fictional. But even the historical parts are not a hundred-percent fact. I could only work from what material I could find in books and on-line. A trip to Paris to do research was not within my budget.
When I first outlined this story and started writing this book, she’d not yet had an exhibit in the United States. However, in September of 2021, the fabulous Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia debuted her first US show.
My impressions: Even the fictional people were real to me. That's good character presentation!! Thank you Marta.
The Etruscan, first published in 2004, went out of print but is now being revived. I received a copy from BookSirens and this is what I think:
Linda LaThe Etruscan, first published in 2004, went out of print but is now being revived. I received a copy from BookSirens and this is what I think:
Linda Lappin loves to write historical fiction. In an interview in Art in Fiction, Lappin states:
"I have published four historical novels: The Etruscan, Katherine’s Wish, Signatures in Stone, and Loving Modigliani: The Afterlife of Jeanne Hébuterne. All four books deal with artists or writers of the early 20th century, three were inspired by my encounters with Italian art, and all four explore how we live beyond time through the arts."
I had read Loving Modigliani and loved it. When presented with a free copy of The Etruscan, I jumped at the chance to read it. I am so glad that I did.
It is 1922. An American photographer, Harriet Sacket, travels to Italy to photograph Etruscan tombs. There she meets the enigmatic Count Federigo del Re. She documents her work and her relationship to the Count in a diary, later read by her cousin and his wife, Stephen and Sarah.
Stephen's take on the diary:
"Harriet is suffering from what are clinically called delusions. That diary of hers� is a classic account of hallucinations and derangement".
Sarah's Take:
"Nonsense! I think it must be a novel. A gothic novel based on something she has personally experienced."
Is the story in the diary true or just a 'delusion'?
Read the book and find out!!
5 stars
For Linda's description of her four novels, please read the interview:
� Linda Lappin loves to write historical fiction. In an interview in Art in Fiction, Lappin states:
"I have published four historical novels: The Etruscan, Katherine’s Wish, Signatures in Stone, and Loving Modigliani: The Afterlife of Jeanne Hébuterne. All four books deal with artists or writers of the early 20th century, three were inspired by my encounters with Italian art, and all four explore how we live beyond time through the arts."
I had read Loving Modigliani and loved it. When presented with a free copy of The Etruscan, I jumped at the chance to read it. I am so glad that I did.
It is 1922. An American photographer, Harriet Sacket, travels to Italy to photograph Etruscan tombs. There she meets the enigmatic Count Federigo del Re. She documents her work and her relationship to the Count in a diary, later read by her cousin and his wife, Stephen and Sarah.
Stephen's take on the diary:
"Harriet is suffering from what are clinically called delusions. That diary of hers... is a classic account of hallucinations and derangement".
Sarah's Take:
"Nonsense! I think it must be a novel. A gothic novel based on something she has personally experienced."
Is the story in the diary true or just a 'delusion'?
Read the book and find out!!
5 stars
For Linda's description of her four novels, please read the interview:
Book No 131 on My Worlding Reading Journey - Jordan.
Comprising two interwoven narratives, the novel follows Nour, the present-day protagonist whose flBook No 131 on My Worlding Reading Journey - Jordan.
Comprising two interwoven narratives, the novel follows Nour, the present-day protagonist whose flight from a war-torn Syria parallels the journey of her imaginary heroine—Rawiya, a medieval mapmaker’s apprentice. Guided by a map that her cartographer mother paints in acrylics, Nour also follows Rawiya’s journey—traveling from Syria, through Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, and Morocco, before arriving in Ceuta.
"The Map of Salt and Stars" takes place during the ongoing Syrian Civil War, focusing heavily on the experiences of refugees fleeing the violence and destruction caused by the conflict. The journey through the countries emphasizes the affect of the war on each country visited.
Jordan, especially, houses many Syrian refugees. Nour and her family stay there with relatives on their way to her father's brother in Ceuta.
The book is quite good as it immerses the reader in the experiences of Nour, her sisters and her mother.
Of course, I would like this book. It is about a rivalry between Amelia Earhart and our heroine, Ruth Nichols. In college at Purdue University, I liveOf course, I would like this book. It is about a rivalry between Amelia Earhart and our heroine, Ruth Nichols. In college at Purdue University, I lived in Earhart Hall. Amelia (rhymes with Celia) is my heroine.
Another reason to love this short story: I have read many books about women aviators (aviatrixes?) and admire and am envious of them. The women who flew in WWII were trailblazers and accomplished courageous achievements.
But this is 1929. The rivalry was real... until... Ruth needed to be rescued from her downed plane and Amelia rescued her. Then they became fast friends.
4 stars
BTW, much of this book is based on history. Found this on Wikipedia:
Earhart made her first attempt at competitive air racing in 1929 during the first Santa Monica-to-Cleveland Women's Air Derby (nicknamed the "Powder Puff Derby" by Will Rogers), which left Santa Monica, California, on August 18 and arrived at Cleveland, Ohio, on August 26. During the race, Earhart settled into fourth place in the "heavy planes" division. At the second-to-last stop at Columbus, Earhart's friend Ruth Nichols, who was in third place, had an accident; her aircraft hit a tractor and flipped over, forcing her out of the race. At Cleveland, Earhart was placed third in the heavy division.
But... not all of this story is true. Some of it is just a very clever story line....more
The book was entertaining to read but once the ending was revealed, I realized how much like other mysteries this was. Nothing unique or original.
BasThe book was entertaining to read but once the ending was revealed, I realized how much like other mysteries this was. Nothing unique or original.
Basically murders, disappearances, sibling rivalries, unfaithful husbands, children born out of wedlock.
The story takes place in Miami FL on two different time lines. The House is a magnificent structure which the locals resent. The house, Marbrisa, is fictional. There is a mansion in Miami on Biscayne Bay named Vizcaya built by millionaire James Deering and completed in 1916. It is mentioned in this book. I have visited Vizcaya, so seeing it referred to satisfied my historical and personal reading goals.
I read this for book club. Most of the members saw nothing special here and noted that Cleeton has written better books.
A novel of family, secrets, ghosts, and homecoming set on the seaside cliffs of Maine, by the New York Times best-selling author of Friends and StrangA novel of family, secrets, ghosts, and homecoming set on the seaside cliffs of Maine, by the New York Times best-selling author of Friends and Strangers (which I loved).
The Cliffs hold a house; a violet-colored house; and many have lived there. The view of the ocean is spectacular.
The story is told from the POV of five people.
Jane Flanagan, attending Bates College as a high school senior, studies near the house. The house is empty. After years of college study, she becomes an archivist at the Schlesinger Library at Harvard. She leads a troubled life, but I want her to overcome her difficulties and succeed.
Genevieve and her husband buy and renovate the house. She installs a reflection pool in a place where the Littleton Family Graveyard resides. The graveyard is removed. Ghosts start visiting. Not much of a fan of Genevieve. In MHO, she pales next to Jane.
Jane and Genevieve connect. Jane does research about those who lived in the house before.
Original Owners- the Littletons. They have a tragic story.
Next to inhabit - the Troy sisters, Ethel and Honey. They run a boardinghouse. They die within 2 weeks of each other and leave the house to a nephew in CA. He sells to---
Marilyn and her husband Herbert. They have a daughter named Daisy. Marilyn is a painter and when we meet her, she is 91. She is an interesting character too.
Another voice is Eliza. Her grave was in the original cemetery and her stone said “Sister Eliza�. Her voice touched me in a special way.
The last unique voice to be heard is Naomi. She is a Penobscot woman. She has been fighting for tribal sovereignty for decades and is responsible for the Maine State Law that says that public schools must include indigenous history and culture in the curriculum.
This story is compelling because it retraces the inhabitants of the house and their lives. The book also emphasizes the story of Native Americans and how they have been marginalized through the years. Jane is very savvy about this and I love her all the more because she cares.
When I searched for the question is this book based on true events, I found the following:
The Heart MeWhat a fabulous book, and based on true events.
When I searched for the question is this book based on true events, I found the following:
The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews is a work of historical fiction that incorporates real events and people. The book, originally published in 2005 as Island of Saints, is set in 1942 and 1943 during World War II and tells the story of a small town preparing for German submarines in the Gulf of Mexico. The book includes real numbers, dates, items, and photographs, and some of the main characters are based on real people, though with different names. Some say the book is well-researched and that the characters feel genuine.
And I agree!!
I also found this video on Facebook with Andy Andrews talking about his own book:
The book is about forgiveness. Helen Mason is a war widow. Her husband volunteered to train RAF pilots and was killed during German bombing. Helen is sad and also very angry. Imagine her finding a wounded German on the beach. Very reluctantly she takes him to her cottage, bandages his wounds, and he does get better. She finds out he is not a Nazi and hates Hitler. She is now beginning to learn how to forgive.
There are many beautiful messages in this book. Helen worked as a waitress at the Hungry Mullet, owned by Margaret and Billy Gilbert. The Gilberts have a son, Danny, who has Down's Syndrome. Here is a quote about Danny and his father's thoughts about him:
"For one thing, Danny had a persistence about him that tended to annoy others, but allowed the boy successes in many areas. He simply would not stop trying until he achieved whatever he had set out to do. He would not stop asking until he got an answer that satisfied his question. He was not bothered by failure or the passing of time or the seeming impossibility of a task. Billy had been surprised to discover that he admired his son and was grateful for his presence. There existed a wisdom in his child that was different . . . and that he had not expected to find"
Compare that to the Nazi belief that handicapped people are worthless and you will be touched.
There is much more to this story than I have described.
I strongly recommend you read this book and hope you get the same reaction as I did. My friend Sharon had glowing things to say about this book and I am glad that I did not wait to read it.
After the prologue, I almost put the book down. I felt slammed with the 'name-dropping' of so many famous people of the mid 1800's: Emerson, Thoreau, After the prologue, I almost put the book down. I felt slammed with the 'name-dropping' of so many famous people of the mid 1800's: Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott, Hawthorne. Margaret Fuller was real and interacted with all of them. I have never heard of her!!
I am glad that I continued, because once chapter 1 started, it was slower and flowed more easily.
Here is what the author has to say about her own book.
"If indeed it was Margaret Fuller whose “radiant genius and fiery heart was perhaps the real centre� of this incredible period of creativity and human drama—as was claimed by Ralph Waldo Emerson—then why do so few people know the extent of her legacy? Or even her name? That was the question that prompted my initial search to learn more of the fascinating details of Margaret Fuller’s life, and then spurred me on to write this work of historical fiction inspired by her life and legacy."
Margaret was a teacher, an editor, and ultimately a journalist. Her last job was to work for Horace Greeley at the New York Times. Greeley sent her to Europe where she met many more people: George Sand and Frederic Chopin, to name two. She pined to come home to America with her new husband and child and died near Fire Island in a storm that sunk her boat.
In the epilogue, Louisa May Alcott, remembering her and her impact on women's rights, was sad that she was not there to attend the National Woman’s Rights Convention.
"... that’s when Louisa realizes it: Margaret has gotten them started. Hers was the flame that first lit the way. Now it falls to her, Louisa May Alcott, and the countless others who grew stronger in the radiant glow of her brilliance, to keep the march moving forward."
Go as a River is the debut book of Shelley Read, a fifth-generation Coloradoan.
The book takes place over a period of 28 years (1948-1971). It takes plGo as a River is the debut book of Shelley Read, a fifth-generation Coloradoan.
The book takes place over a period of 28 years (1948-1971). It takes place in and around Iola, Colorado. Iola is now an extinct town located in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The community was inundated and destroyed by the creation of Blue Mesa Reservoir which came to be in 1963.
The book is billed as a coming-of-age story of Victoria Nash. At the book's onset, she is 17 years old. She runs the household on her family's peach farm in the small ranch town of Iola, Colorado—the sole surviving female in a family of troubled men. Wilson Moon is a young drifter with a mysterious past, displaced from his tribal land and determined to live as he chooses.
Victoria encounters Wil by chance on a street corner, a meeting that profoundly alters both of their young lives. When tragedy strikes, Victoria leaves the farm. Eventually, she returns to handle all the obstacles she faces.
Victoria is a very strong character. As one reviewer states:
"Read creates such a lifelike, three-dimensional character that I woke up one morning wondering how my friend was doing, only realizing after a second that the person I was worried about wasn't flesh and blood. While her life is filled with tragedy, Victoria herself is not a tragic figure. She reminded me a bit of Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind, a naïve young woman confronted with hardship. At first, she's overwhelmed but then she rallies, revealing a hidden strength � and it's that strength that readers both admire and love her for."
I strongly recommend this book for its gorgeous scenic descriptions AND its well-developed characters.
The Frozen River is a 2023 historical fiction thriller by Ariel Lawhon following Martha Ballard, an 18th-century midwife in MainFrom SuperSummary.com:
The Frozen River is a 2023 historical fiction thriller by Ariel Lawhon following Martha Ballard, an 18th-century midwife in Maine, as she leverages her standing as a medical professional to investigate two crimes: a murder and a rape.
Martha Moore Ballard (1735-1812) was a New England midwife, known best by historians for her diary recording daily life in 18th-century Maine. She was informally trained but never recorded a single maternal mortality in the 816 births she recorded during her 27 years of diary-keeping. This extraordinary success rate during a time when childbirth was consistently deadly is part of what attracted Ariel Lawhon to Ballard’s story.
My Impressions
The story opens with the murder of one Joshua Burgess. His dead body is found in The Frozen River. We soon learn he is accused of the rape of Rebecca Foster, the parson's wife. There are other rapes occurring to other characters. Martha was raped 35 years ago by Billy Crane. She witnesses his hanging along with her future husband, Ephraim Ballard. Ephraim rescues her from scandal; the rape had resulted in a pregnancy.
The story unfolds around the resolution of these two events: the murder and the rape of the parson's wife.
There are other back stories and villians to contend with.
Dr Page is a Harvard educated doctor but has many in-valid medical ideas. He is full of himself and almost kills one expectant mother and fails in the delivery of a breached baby. Every time Martha encounters Dr Page, I cringed.
The other villian is Joseph North. Both a colonel and a circuit judge, North wields an immense amount of power that he abuses without remorse. He, too, is accused of the rape of Rebecca Foster.
The good 'guys':
Martha Ballard is a static character (i.e. she remains unchanged) with firm values that guide her to investigate Burgess’s murder and Rebecca’s rape. Martha is endowed with both good intentions and character flaws. Martha’s strong opinions lead her to be judgmental of the people in her community, both men and women. Martha’s ability to acknowledge her own faults with humility reinforce her status as the heroine of the story—I both related to and rooted for her.
Rebecca Foster is the wife of Hallowell’s parson, and the rape survivor who accuses Joseph North. Her accusation sets up the novel’s inciting incident—the discovery of Burgess’s body in the river—which sets the action of the plot in motion. Time and time again, the predatory men of Hallowell underestimate Rebecca. They expect her to be silent and meek, but instead, she displays exceptional bravery in her legal testimony.
Loved the book and consider it a good candidate for Book Club Discussion.
5 stars
Note: This is a milestone book for me, the 1948th I have finished. I was BORN in 1948 so, being a person who loves number coincidences, I am noting this one!!...more
"The Berry Pickers" by Amanda Peters is a quietly devastating debut that lingers in your mind long after the final page is turned. The novel follows t"The Berry Pickers" by Amanda Peters is a quietly devastating debut that lingers in your mind long after the final page is turned. The novel follows the interwoven lives of a Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia and a white family in Maine, connected by the disappearance of four‐year-old Ruthie during a summer berry-picking trip in 1962.
Peters masterfully employs alternating perspectives—one from Joe, the guilt-ridden brother whose life has been marked by unresolved grief, and the other from Norma, a young woman haunted by mysterious dreams and familial discrepancies.
At its core, the story is about the search for identity and belonging amid the backdrop of historical and systemic injustice. The novel examines the effects of intergenerational trauma and the marginalization of Indigenous voices, all while portraying a poignant, sometimes heartbreaking, exploration of family secrets and the human need for closure. Despite its somber themes, there is a persistent thread of hope and resilience that offers a measure of redemption to its characters.
The prose is lyrical, evoking the stark beauty of the blueberry fields and the quiet desperation of those left behind.
"The Berry Pickers" gripped me. It is an empathetic portrayal of how a single, unresolved tragedy can echo through generations, challenging its characters to confront both their personal demons and the broader injustices of their world. This novel moved me to research the bitter legacy of Canadian Forced Assimilation Practices, Nova Scotia geography, and Maine wild blueberry picking. The author resides in Annapolis Valley Nova Scotia. The center of blueberry picking in Maine is Cherryfield. The author did not make clear WHERE in these two areas the story was taking place, so I chose to picture Annapolis Valley and Cherryfield as the sites.
Throughout the book, the names mentioned were first names only. I picked the surname "Blue" for the Maine family and "Pickers" for the Mi’kmaq family.
This book, The Reformatory, by Tananarive Due is spectacular historical fiction. The author reveals to the reader in her author’s note that although fThis book, The Reformatory, by Tananarive Due is spectacular historical fiction. The author reveals to the reader in her author’s note that although fiction, it is based on her true-life relative named Robert Stephens who died at the Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida, in the 1930s. None of the (main) characters, even young Robert Stephens himself, depict the lives and histories of real people. Gracetown is fictitious. The Gracetown Boy’s Reformatory is fictional.
The character of Warden Fenton J. Haddock is also entirely fictitious. The author created Haddock as an amalgam of a system of violence in children’s incarceration—but the truth is that no one person can explain away the reported events at the Dozier School, or the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children, or the Indigenous “schools� in Canada where so many children were buried. No one person can be blamed for our nation’s current nightmare of mass incarceration.
The author is on a mission to tell the story of Jim Crow Florida in 1950. She has done a fabulous job.
Now the story: Gloria Stephens, 16, and Robbie Stephens, 12, are virtually orphans. Their mother has died of cancer and their father, Robert Stephens Sr, has fled to Chicago, having been accused of raping a white woman. He leaves the children in the care of Miz Lottie. Miz Lottie is old and Gloria feels she can take care of Robbie in her own home. One day, she and Robbie are accosted by a white boy, Lyle McCormack. Lyle makes advances toward Gloria, and Robbie, trying to protect his sister, kicks Lyle in the knee. Lyle’s father owns the town and insists Robbie be punished. The judge ‘sentences� Robbie to 6 months at the Reformatory.
As soon as Robbie gets there, we can tell he has special powers. A horrendous fire occurred at the reformatory in 1920 and killed twenty-five boys. Someone set fire to the shed in which they were locked and they could not get out. As Robbie walks in the vicinity of the fire, he can feel the heat of it.
“The June sun in Gracetown from noon until dusk was almost as legendary as the sun in July or August, but the wall of heat he passed through with Boone was packed more tightly, a baking oven. The air was too hot to breathe, stinging his nostrils and throat.�
And the ghosts (aka ‘haints�) of the twenty-five are, 30 years later, still haunting the reformatory grounds.
The book is divided into eight parts: McCormack Road, The Reformatory, The Funhouse, The Courthouse, Haint Catcher, Lower Spruce (where Miz Lottie lives), Boot Hill, and The Hunt.
Each section is written so well, that, you, the reader, just want to keep on reading. What will happen next, and who will we meet, and what will be revealed about each of these characters?
This is the 30th book I have read this year, and easily the best. And let me tell you, I have read some GOOD books.
A fantastic book based on the author's own heritage. McBride was born of a white mother and a Jewish grandmother. The theme of different cultures comiA fantastic book based on the author's own heritage. McBride was born of a white mother and a Jewish grandmother. The theme of different cultures coming together to make community is prevalent throughout.
The story starts in 1972 when workers digging the foundations for a new development, find a skeleton at the bottom of a well. The next day, Hurricane Agnes, destroys all evidence of the death. This is justice at work, since the man deserved to die.
The story then reverts to 40 years earlier to describe the events that lead to the finding of this body.
Chona is the main protagonist of the Heaven and Earth Grocery Store (she runs the store). She is the daughter of a rabbi and suffered from polio when she was four. This did not affect her indomitable spirit. She loves her husband Moshe and treats all, black and white, with love and generosity. She and Moshe never had children, but care for a deaf 12 year old, Dodo, when his mother dies. The state came looking for the boy to put him in an institution and finally did. Many people work to get him out.
"Bringing his masterly storytelling skills and his deep faith in humanity to The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride has written a novel as compassionate as Deacon King Kong and as inventive as The Good Lord Bird." (from Bookbrowse Review)
I strongly recommend this book for its theme of building community and its strongly described characters.
This is one of the better Reading the World books I have read... notice the 5 stars.
Geography lesson is one of the reasonReading the World No 119 Laos
This is one of the better Reading the World books I have read... notice the 5 stars.
Geography lesson is one of the reasons why. I can picture the Mekong River dividing Laos and Thailand.
However, it is the character of Dr. Siri Paiboun that really intrigued me. He is a doctor, 72 years old, and has been conscripted as the National Coroner. And he thought he could retire; the Communists had a different idea.
He has two assistants. Mr. Geung has Down's Syndrome, but also a phenomenal memory for detail. He reminds Siri constantly of procedures that Siri has forgotten. Dtui is a nurse and begs to be trained as Siri's assistant, hoping to become the next Coroner. Siri is happy to oblige.
The joke between G and S is a daily question: "Do we have any customers today?" You know, did any dead people walk in?
Most of the time the answer is no. But then things get busy. Mrs Nitnoy dies suddenly. Her husband tries to speed up the coroner's report. Is it murder?
Then there are two boatmen who show up dead in the river. What is the story there?
Another thing that Siri becomes involved in is answering why politicians from the South are dying faster than flies. Maybe the Hmong have killed them with potions.
For the most part, I have been reading 1 book per country, but this series has me hooked, and it might get me to read more.
A book written about nurses near the front line in WWII. A book written about the horrors of war from a WOMAN'S point of view.
I have read many books A book written about nurses near the front line in WWII. A book written about the horrors of war from a WOMAN'S point of view.
I have read many books about WWII but none as brutal as this. Makes other books describing the period tame in comparison.
The author's description of what she learned while researching her book says a lot:
"Wherever I went for answers, I was told the topic I was researching simply did not exist."
"“There were no women anywhere near the front,� the voice on the phone told me. “They were way back. You can stop researching now.� Apparently, this was solely a man’s war."
"One thing that struck me immediately was that the photos and transcripts had only just become declassified a year or so earlier (this would have been in 2007)."
"Why millions of Americans still today have no idea of the sacrifices and bravery their grandmothers and great-aunts made during the war?"
Read at your own risk. It was painful for me.
Still the book deserves its stars because of the effort put in by the author to impart this hidden information.
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