Title: The Nazi’s Daughter Author: Tim Murgatroyd Pub. Date: 31-May-2017 Rating: 4 Stars
The Nazi’s Daughter is set in present day New York City and 1943 Europe at the height of WWII. Elise Van Thoof-Noman is the daughter of a very powerful Dutch Nazi. She is a prima ballerina that has suffered a career ending tendon injury. After recuperating in Paris, Elise heads off to a remote island off the coast of Holland. Once there she meets Pieter Goedhart a school teacher and reluctant resistance fighter. They are drawn to each other, but Pieter must take care with Elise. She cannot find out about the people he is hiding from the Nazis in his attic. If she does, it could jeopardize both their lives and the lives of those he is hiding. Continue reading “The Nazi’s Daughter by Tim Murgatroyd”
Title: Hannah’s Moon Author: John A. Heldt Pub. Date: 8-Feb-2017 Rating: 5 Stars
Hannah’s Moon is the last book in the American Journey series. Do not worry if you have not read any of the other books in the series, because this one can be read as a stand-alone and you will not feel lost. In fact, I have only read one other in the series, September Sky, which is the first one. The entire series is based on a sci-fi, time travel theme. Expect also to get a little romance, suspense and WWII history with this one.
Claire Rasmussen wants nothing more than to have a child. After numerous attempts with the last one ending in a still birth she and Ron, her husband, decide to adopt. They soon discover that in 2017 this route is difficult and a very long process. Fortunately for them, a distant relative enters into the picture. Professor Bell, a relative of Claire’s, does have a solution and offers to send them back to 1945 where adoptions are much quicker and red tape a lot less. Continue reading “Hannah’s Moon by John A. Heldt”
Title: The Confessions of Young Nero Author: Margaret George Pub Date: 7-Mar-2017 Rating: 5 Stars
The Confessions of Young Nero is the first installment of a two book series that follows the life of Nero, as he rises, at a young age, to become one of the better known emperors in Roman history. The story is fiction but the facts behind the story are very real. The author takes us into the world of Roman royalty in which greed, deception and murder are a part of everyday life.
We enter the story when Nero is a young child of four. He is not yet Nero, but Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus whose father is dead and mother has been exiled. At this early age he is introduced to the savagery that is part of his heritage when his uncle, the emperor, tries to kill him. Upon his Uncle’s demise, Nero’s mother, Agrippina, is able to return to Rome and reunite with her son. She sees young Nero as a way to achieve her ultimate goal of ruling the Roman Empire. All she needs is the right pawn. Continue reading “The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George”
Title: The Radium Girls Author: Kate Moore Pub. Date: 2-May-2017 Rating: 5 Stars
I almost don’t know where to begin because The Radium Girls is a tragic story. It is probably one of the most difficult books, emotionally, I have ever read. It is the true story of the young women who worked in factories that applied a luminous Radium paint onto watch dials so they would glow. Of course, the women did not know it was dangerous and their employers went out of their way to make sure they remained ignorant of the facts. Their struggle to get answers about why they were so sick and get justice once they discovered it was caused by the Radium is inspiring.
For these “girls”, some as young as fourteen, it was a dream of a job. The pay was excellent and to be working with the wondrous new element Radium, that almost every day some new benefit was found, was an added benefit. You were indeed lucky to be hired on to work in the painting studio. The Radium dust settled in the women’s hair and clothes causing them to glow. Everyone wanted to be one of the alluring luminous Radium girls. Even some privileged girls would work for a short period of time to experience it. Continue reading “The Radium Girls by Kate Moore”
Title: All the King’s Soliders Author: John Anthony Miller Pub Date: 17-Feb-2017 Rating: 5 Stars
All the King’s Soldiers is set in 1940 Lisbon shortly after the German invasion of France. There is a large network of spies, of multiple nationalities, in and around Lisbon, given that Portugal has decided to remain neutral.
The story opens with the murder of Taylor Hartridge, a British spy, in a small town just outside of Lisbon. It is thought he was killed for the contents of his safe. It is believed the safe contained the German invasion plans for Great Britain, a very valuable commodity and definitely one to kill for. Continue reading “All the King’s Soliders by John Anthony Miller”
Title: The Boundary Stone Author: Gail Avery Halverson Pub Date: 16-Nov-2016 Rating: 5 Stars
The Boundary Stone by Gail Avery Halverson is the perfect example of why I accept requests for reviews and read authors that are new to me and/or debut authors. More than once I have found, as is the case here, a great story and fell in love with another author that I might have never known about.
Ms. Halverson has done a remarkable job with her debut novel. The plot was well thought out and the scenes were true to the period. The characters are beautifully drawn and her descriptive prose was spot on. I love it when the author describes a scene so well I feel like I am watching through my own eyes. Continue reading “The Boundary Stone by Gail Avery Halverson”
Title: A Fine Imitation Author: Amber Brock Pub. Date: 3-May-2016 Rating: 4 Stars
It is the roaring twenties in America, a time of social change and speakeasies. In 1920 women earned the right to vote and enjoyed more freedoms than ever before. Yet, for the wives of the elite high society these freedoms do not seem to exist. They are still stuck in the 19th century traditions and customs. For Vera this life is unrewarding. While she has plenty of money for all the trappings of high society: fine clothes, jewelry, art, etc., the endless teas, charities and a weekly luncheon with her mother have left her empty and wanting more.
Vera went to Vassar College and studied art history but she never has been able to put that knowledge to use since she married. Being the only person that understands fine art, she is asked to review the work of a French artist, Emil Hallan, whom is being considered to paint a mural for the luxury apartment complex her husband owns and they live in. She finds his work inspiring and makes the recommendation to hire him.
Once Emil arrives from France, Vera’s world is turned on its end. He is like a spring breeze to Vera in the depth of winter and it is not long before their mutual love of art leads to friendship and romance. Vera begins to see the world through Emil’s eyes and begins to question all she has ever known. In the end Vera may have to give up the security and known for the unknown in order to achieve a sense of self and purpose in her life. The big question is, will she have the strength to break free from the chains that society, her family and husband have all used to bind her to a meaningless life?
This is a well written debut novel. Ms. Brock did an outstanding job setting the scene of Vera’s life and showing how hard it is to shake off the binds of tradition and obligation. My only quam, and it is minor, I wished that Emil’s character had been a little more developed.
This book will appeal to those who love historical fiction and women’s stories. Since the story has an element of romance it will appeal to those readers also.
I received a free copy of A Fine Imitation by Amber Brock from Crown Publishing, via the Library Thing Early Reviews program, in exchange for my honest review.
I so wanted to read this book before I saw the movie and I am so glad I did. The movie will never be able to cover the breadth and depth of this book. Ms. Shetterly did a fantastic job of telling the stories of these brilliant African-American women who worked so hard behind the scenes at the NACA during World War II then later at NASA. Kudos to her for finally shining the light on these women and their important contribution to our nation.
I am old enough to remember the Apollo missions and all I ever saw from the media was white men. I find it appalling that it took a World War, and the corresponding male labor shortage, for women of color, or women of any color, to even be considered for a job as a computer. Computer being the human kind before even the behemoth electronic kind that filled rooms. Then they were sequestered and segregated. As was pointed out in the book, “People of color had to work twice as hard for one half the pay.” Despite all the things against them, these amazing women rose to the challenge. They worked alongside the engineers (white men) and crunched numbers thus contributing to the war effort and later to the space race that culminated with putting a man on the moon.
In summary, Hidden Figures is a remarkable and amazing story and Ms. Shetterly told it so eloquently. I sometimes find non-fiction a little on the dry side; not so in this case, the story is very readable. Being a lover of useful, and not-so-useful knowledge, I loved the tidbits of historical/scientific information (the focus is on the individuals’ stories) that were scattered throughout the book. I highly recommend this book to just about everyone, especially anyone who enjoys history, specifically womens’, and/or science.
Just so you know, I received a copy of this book for Christmas from my wonderful husband. Thank You!
Title: The Age of the Horse: An Equine Journey through Human History Author: Susanna Forrest Pub Date: 2-May-2017 Rating: 3.5 Stars
The Age of the Horse is a nonfiction work by Susanna Forrest. I found this book interesting and it is one of the best researched books I have read recently. However, it is very verbose. It was like reading a cross between a collection of stories, a PhD thesis and a text book. It made for a slow and arduous read. The publication date is May 2017; therefore, I know there will be more revisions. I can only hope that some serious editing will take place and the final product will have more readability. As it stands right now, my rating is 3.5.
As you can guess from the title, the focus of this book is a history of what the horse has been to mankind (there is a brief history given prior to man) through the years starting with the earliest human domestication. The book is broken up into seven sections beginning with the first section called Evolution and ending with War. Each section has lots of interesting facts and the author recounts some of her adventures, during her research, as it relates to each topic. Her research took her from horse auctions in the US to Schorfheide, Germany to see a small herd of Takhi. Since I am interested in sustainable farming, my favorite part was the discussion on the revival of draught horse farming outside of the Amish community.
My biggest take away from this book is how important the role of the horse truly has been in the history of mankind. Undoubtedly, we, as a species, would not have come so far without the aid of the horse.
Even though it was difficult to read, I liked it. After further editing, I can easily recommend (and give a higher rating) this book to anyone that likes histories, science or horses.
I received a free copy from the Atlantic Monthly Press, via Net Galley, in exchange for my honest review.
Title: To Parts Unknown Author: John Anthony Miller Pub Date: 10-Sep-2014 Rating: 5 stars
To Parts Unknown, by John Anthony Miller, is a spy thriller with a dash of romance on the side. This is the third book I have read by Mr. Miller and I loved it as much as the other two. My favorite thing about Mr. Miller’s stories is the descriptive prose. He has a real knack for getting you vested with the characters. Once you combine that with the vivid descriptions of the settings, the exciting plot and great back stories, it makes for a fantastic book.
The story is about George Adams a journalist for the London Times during WWII. He has arrived in Singapore just days before the Japanese invasion. He left the war torn London in an attempt to escape the memories of his deceased wife. He plans to cover the war from Singapore and give his readers a better understanding of the conflict in the South Pacific. Little does he know that he has gone from the frying pan to the fire.
Once in Singapore he meets the enigmatic Thomas Montclair and the beautiful and alluring Lade Jane Carrington Symthe. Each has their own private reasons for being in Singapore at this perilous time. As they work together to escape the Japanese they are forced to rely on each other for their very survival. They barely escape Singapore ahead of the Japanese advance as they start what is to become a nightmarish adventure to safety.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves suspense and/or thriller novels. I am already looking forward to Mr. Miller’s next book.
I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
