The Spinster's Resolve ~ A Book Review

The Spinster's Resolve, by Lateefa Harris, is a wonderful work of fiction that you can read, enjoy and see yourself in if you use your imagination!  

Set in the 1800's England, life was full of many rules and protocols that spanned all the classes.  There were "rules" that just never were broken or you ended up being the gossip of the next "ton" event.

Grace Skye might just be breaking some of those rules.  

When her mother died, she was thrust into the role of keeping the household in order.  That meant looking after her father and her younger sister.  Grace's thoughts of marriage and a family of her own were put on hold.  An then the unthinkable happened!  Her father passed away after suffering a stroke!  Now what was going to happen with the estate and her role in running it?  She has 6 months to figure something out.  Her sister is only 16 and has not yet had a "coming out".  Wherever will she be able to meet an eligible bachelor to wed?  Are they both doomed to spinsterhood?  

Grace is preparing to meet Lord Bainbridge, who being the next closest relative will now inherit the estate and make all the decisions.  Grace and Heather (her sister) will be at the whiles of an uncle that really doesn't want to deal with them.  He's just interested in the estate and how much profits he can make to feather his coffers, getting Grace and her sister married off and then doing as he pleased.  But his plans are not going to be realized so easily. 

 Grace has other ideas and is using all her wiles to figure out a way forward without marrying a man she has no interest in.

This book is a really good read and I enjoyed the history lesson that Lateefa Harris gives us both at the start of the novel ans more tidbits at the end as well.  I was thoroughly taken in by this book and enjoyed turning page after page right to the very end.

If you are looking for an interesting read, with a great story line, this one just might fit your bill. Filled with Historical romance and some mystery to keep you guessing, this book is really enjoyable.   The Spinster's Resolve is Ranked in the Top 10 Best Sellers in Historical Mysteries I know you will enjoy it too!

Well done Lateefa Harris, I look forward to reading more!   Hope you enjoy this book too!  Available on Kindle!

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Evie Woods' New Novel of Self-Discovery, Secrets and Second Chances

Recently I had the opportunity to read an advance review copy (ARC) of author Evie Woods' newest novel, The Mysterious Bakery on the Rue de Paris, which was just published yesterday on April 8, 2025. I enjoyed it so much that I couldn't wait to share my book review here on Review This Reviews.

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A Life in Transition

Evie Woods’ The Mysterious Bakery on the Rue de Paris is a delicious blend of hope, heartbreak, and intrigue. It's the story of Edith, an Irishwoman seeking a fresh start after her world is upended by the loss of her mother to cystic fibrosis. Having spent years as her sick mother’s caregiver, Edith is left feeling lost and unsure of what comes next. Working as a waitress and trying to comfort her grieving father feels unfulfilling and she is desperate for a change.

Not the (Rue de) Paris She Was Expecting

In an uncharacteristic burst of spontaneity, Edith impulsively applies for an assistant manager position at a French bakery on the Rue de Paris. She is swept up in dreams of a glamorous new life in the romantic City of Lights, but reality has other plans.

Instead of the bustling metropolis, Edith discovers too late that the bakery is located on the Rue de Paris in Compiègne, a sleepy, picturesque village an hour's train ride outside the city. Definitely not the "Paris" she thought she had signed up for.

Cold Shoulders and Mysterious Rules

The bakery is beloved by locals for its mouthwatering breads, pastries and sandwiches, but Edith quickly senses that all is not as it seems. Her new living quarters are tiny and shabby. The bakery's proprietress, elderly but spunky Madame Moreau, is gregarious with customers but curt and chilly with Edith. The locked basement where the actual baking happens is strictly off-limits, and Edith is forbidden to see or meet the mysterious, nameless baker. A teenage boy named Manu, the bakery's only other employee, won't say much to her, either.

Struggling with these unwelcoming co-workers and strange rules, as well as her limited grasp of the French language, makes Edith feel lonely, isolated and out of place. She wonders whether her impulsive move to France was a terrible mistake.

Finding Connection in Unexpected Places

Despite her loneliness, however, Edith is determined to try to build a life in Compiègne. She decides to get a sassy French haircut and forms a close friendship with Nicole, the daughter of the hair salon owner. She also gradually befriends a few of the bakery’s regulars, including Geoff who gives fascinating tours of the village and the historic Forest of Compiègne, where in 1940 the French signed a humiliating armistice with Nazi Germany.

Nicole invites Edith to hear her husband Johnny play jazz at the local club. Edith is attracted to a handsome Englishman at the bar but is too shy to strike up a conversation, so Nicole does it instead and then introduces Edith to him. Hugo is charismatic and well-spoken and he and Edith feel an immediate spark, but he is a photographer who lives and works in Paris. Fortunately, he comes to Compiègne frequently to visit his mother, who has Alzheimer’s and is in a nearby care facility.

Hugo's and Edith's burgeoning long-distance relationship is kept alive through his periodic, brief visits interspersed with sweet postcards. Meanwhile, Edith spends much of her precious (and scarce) spare time with Nicole, Johnny and their family, who "adopt" the foreigner and try to make her feel at home in her new hometown.

Just as Edith starts to feel as though she might belong in Compiègne after all, however, everything threatens to unravel.

Secrets, Betrayal, and a Family Legacy at Risk

As her French improves and she becomes more involved in the day-to-day operations of the bakery, Edith's  curiosity about its mysterious past grows. When she finally uncovers the truth about the bakery’s secretive history, operations and financial struggles thanks to Manu's eventual confidences, she’s faced with a new heartache: discovering that the man she’s falling for is one of the people trying to force Madame Moreau to sell the bakery, her family’s precious multigenerational legacy.

Can the bakery—and Edith's and Hugo's relationship—survive? You'll have to read this intriguing novel to find out.

Layers of History and Humanity

Author Evie Woods adds depth to the story with historical themes, including the Nazi occupation of France and the impact of racial discrimination. These elements tie into the bakery’s mysterious past and add emotional resonance to what might otherwise be a lighthearted narrative.

She paints the story with rich, sensory details: the scent of buttery croissants wafting through the air, the hum of jazz spilling from a smoky club, the warmth of fresh friendships blossoming in unexpected corners. She also doesn’t shy away from weightier themes, like loss, betrayal, and the courage it takes to rebuild a life. Edith’s journey isn’t just about solving the mystery of the bakery—it’s about rediscovering herself and finding the strength to fight for what matters.

Final Thoughts

The Mysterious Bakery on the Rue de Paris is a heartfelt and satisfying novel that blends personal growth, romance, and historical intrigue. With vivid setting details, believable characters, and a steady unfolding of mystery, it’s a story about healing, second chances, and the power of community. If you enjoy novels that balance charm with depth, this one is well worth the read.

I read an advance copy of the Kindle edition courtesy of the author and NetGalley, but I enjoyed it so much that I plan to purchase The Mysterious Bakery on the Rue de Paris audiobook as well. It is also available in paperback.

I'm looking forward to reading more of Evie Woods' books.

N/A

Evie Woods' New Novel of Self-Discovery, Secrets and Second Chances, a book review by Margaret Schindel

Read More Book Reviews by Our Review This Reviews Contributors

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Book Review- At the Edge of the Orchard

 

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and Tracy Chevalier is among the authors in this genre that I enjoy reading.  Her careful research and delightful way of pulling you into the story make her books real page turners.  At the Edge of the Orchard was a fascinating tale that I found myself unable to put down.

Book Summary

James and Sadie Goodenough leave their home in Connecticut to head out west.  When they get to Ohio their wagon gets stuck in the muddy 1830's black swamp area.  They decide to claim some land in this area and settle down to growing apple trees.  If they plant 50 trees within 3 years, they can claim the land for their own.  James is enthralled with apple trees, that remind him of his home in Connecticut, while Sadie is more interested in the apple jack that they can produce.  She can use it as an alcoholic retreat from the tough times that visit them, including deaths of a child to illness in many years.  Their children are helpers on their farm from a very early age.

The next part of the book skips to 15 years later when the youngest son Robert is wandering through the Gold Rush in California.  He is haunted from his past and the family he left behind when he was only 9 years old.  He does find some peace working with a naturalist and helping him to gather saplings and seed of the majestic redwoods and sequoias to send to gardeners in England.

I found the book to be very interesting and really appreciate the care the author takes in describing the historical settings in the novel.  The characters are delightful, and you find yourself pulled into their lives.

I have read several of Tracy Chevaliers books in the past and have never been disappointed.

About the Author

Tracy Chevalier was born and grew up in Washington DC.  After attending Oberlin college in Ohio, she moved to London in the mid 1980's.   Her first novel was Virgin Blue in 1997 followed by The Girl with the Pearl Earring in 1999.  She is currently working on her 12th book.

She does a lot of research for each book and one thing she likes to do is put herself in some of the situations she writes about.  She tried painting for one book, stitching for another and for At the Edge of the Orchard she spent some time among trees, including the redwoods and sequoias in California.

Link to Book on Amazon

At the Edge of the Orchard, along with Tracy's other books can be found on Amazon.  Here is the link: At the Edge of the Orchard

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Book Review - Spark of Revolution

 

In his series, From Peasant to Patriot, DeWayne Landwehr combines the knowledge and research he has found about his ancestors and his in-depth research into the history of the places they lived during the past several centuries and combines them into a very interesting series of historical novels. I thoroughly enjoyed reading each of these novels and look forward to continuing to follow these families on their journey to a life in the "New World".

Book Summary

The books follow two 17th century Scottish families as they move to Ireland to escape both religious and political persecution.  After only one generation in Ireland, they find that the same persecution from the English Monarchy has followed them, and they are searching for a place they can live and raise their families in peace and at least some degree of prosperity.

In the latest book "Spark of Revolution: The Reluctant Forging of a New Nation "the families make the decision to relocate to the "New World" in North America.  We follow them as they endure hardships both in their travels and their quests to carve a life in the uncharted wilderness that has with it many hardships of its own.  They are surrounded with hostile people from this land, and they find that disease, starvation and war has followed them to the New World.  They also arrive at a time when this "New World" is faced with the decisions of staying part of the British rule or carving out a new nation.  

I find it very interesting to read about the families as they are confronting many of the events that we have all learned in American History classes.  The author has done a great job of making this "Forging of a New Nation" come to life through the characters in this book.

Here is the Amazon link to the book: Spark of Revolution: The Reluctant Forging of a New Nation

Author Interview

I thought it would be interesting to get a little background on the author and hear his views on writing these novels.

DeWayne Landwehr graciously agreed to do an author's interview with me.  I sent him a group of questions and he emailed me his responses.  Here are the questions and answers.

Q. DeWayne-First of all could you tell us a little bit about your background?

A. I grew up and went to school in St. Clair, Missouri. Although I spent a lot of time helping with my father’s hatchery and feed store, I also got a job as soon as I could, working first at the St. Clair

Chronicle, and then as a pump jockey at a gas station on Route 66. Those experiences formed the basis of my first book, “Will That be Regular or Ethyl?”

After high school, I was accepted to attend General Motors Institute and graduated with an engineering degree in 1968. I followed that up in 1971 with a MBA by going to night classes.

During my sophomore year, I married my high school sweetheart, Gail Schroeder, and through the years, we had two sons.

I worked for various units of General Motors my entire career, but it was during a stint at the GM Technical Center that I discovered an interest and knack for writing. I am now retired, and have

several hobbies, including forestry, woodworking, and of course my writing.

Q.  I know this book is the third in a series.  What made you want to write these books?  Will there be others in the series?

A. I had developed an interest in genealogy along the way and had traced my family’s roots to the1500s. Those two interests came together to produce the idea for a historical fiction series that

features my family’s journey through time, starting in the 16th century.

Three books have been published in this series, called “From Peasant to Patriot”. A fourth book is in the works now, and there will probably be a fifth book as well.

Q. I love historical fiction and always wonder how much of the books are true history and what is fiction.  In your case, I know you wrote based on your own ancestors.  In particular scenes are the characters based on actual things your ancestors did or are

they fiction and based on the times and places you found in your research of your ancestors.  I was particularly interested in their involvement in the events leading up to the revolutionary war in America.

A. My books are written mainly from the perspective of the common man—particularly my ancestors. I have done considerable research to discover where they were and what was happening around them. I outline those facts, along with real historical characters and events

that I have also discovered in my research and imagine how my ancestors may have reacted and what they may have said and done. As I introduce new ancestral characters in my books, I

chart them for the reader at the head of the chapter. Occasionally, I need to invent peripheral characters to advance the narrative, and of course, I have no knowledge of individual conversations, but other than that, everything in my books is historically accurate. Many of the details included in them has been discovered in places like the Journal of the American Revolution, applications to the Daughters of the American Revolution, courthouse and church records, the National Archives, Ancestry archives and other family trees, genealogical research facilities located in some libraries, and Wikipedia. So, I like to think that, except for individual conversations, my books are as historically accurate as any history  book.

Q. Tell us a little about how you went about your research for this book.

A. The first thing I did was to assemble as much as I could of my family tree. I have done that on both my paternal and maternal sides back to roughly 1500. Then, using those resources mentioned above, namely, Journal of the American Revolution, applications to the Daughters of the American Revolution, courthouse and church records, the National Archives, Ancestry archives and other family trees, genealogical research facilities located in some libraries, and Wikipedia, I collected articles and information regarding historical

events that were occurring around them.

I assembled facts from those two steps into an outline to cover the time period for which I was writing, and then began to construct the narrative, including conversations.

As events unfolded in the story, I occasionally had to invent peripheral characters to advance the narrative. At many points in the story, I would wonder things like, “…who was it that…”, so I would query one of my resources (usually Wikipedia). There would almost always be an answer, but in the few cases when there was no clear fact to be uncovered, I invented it. In those very few cases, I tell the reader in Author Notes.

Q. I love the way you make your characters come to life in your writing.  What is your secret?

A. I have read scores of books in my favorite genres: historical fiction, medieval history, medieval fiction and family saga, and tried to pick out my favorite attributes and styles from the various

authors. I found that I like stories in which the author mixes some conversations with straight; not all one or the other. Also, I found that some authors will spend pages describing

the appearance of some character, and I found that to be tedious. I try to give the reader just enough description of a character to ignite their imagination, then let that imagination run in their own mind while the narrative unfolds.

Q. What is the main thing you would like your reader to remember from your book?

A. In every book I write, I would like for the reader to be able to imagine themselves or one of their ancestors as one or more of the characters in the book. In Spark of Revolution, I hope the reader comes away with a realization that the idea of a' United States’ didn’t arise fully formed on the 4th of July 1776. It was a result of years of

struggle and compromise, led by men and women who often disagreed, but were willing to listen to others’ views and to compromise and work with each other.

Q. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions.  Is there anything else you would like the readers of Review This to know about your books.

A. The basic idea behind the creation of this series, “From Peasant to Patriot”, was to set it in the perspective of the common man of the times, and to follow a few related families as they dealt

with life and death, beginning in the 16th century, and following through to the 20th century. In creating the settings, real historical events were outlined, and real people from my family tree

were inserted in the narrative where I think they might have been as a result of my research. Consequently, excepting the individual conversations, these books are almost entirely factual

and historically accurate.

Mary, thank you for allowing me to do this.   

De

Other Books by DeWayne Landwehr

The first book in the series From Peasant to Patriot can be found on Amazon at Smoke on the Whiteadder  You can find more about this book at my review on Review This Smoke on the Whiteadder .

The second book in the series is Inside Odenwald: Courage of Survival and can also be purchased on Amazon at Inside Oldenwald

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Book Review Coming of the Storm: Book One of Contact: The Battle for America by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear

Coming of the Storm: Book One of Contact: The Battle for America begins in the company of an exiled trader and his pack of dogs during their travels. Black Shell, the trader, is able to move through the lands of various Indian groups under the Power of Trade. His dogs are his family, his protection, and his pack animals. Other than his dogs, he is alone. He is trading through Florida as usual, until he meets a beautiful woman named Pearl Hand and until he hears about the Kristiano visitors; whom he is literally dying to see.

Black Shell is of the Chicaza clan but he was banished after telling others he heard the voice of a Spirit Being named Horned Serpent. His people were sure he had lied. After being banished from a people who are known to be superior warriors he could only support himself through trade and gambling. Being a trader, he was able to travel onto the lands of all Clans; even those who war with the Chicaza.

Black Shell desires Pearl Hand the moment he sees her. His desire is unlike the desire of men who wish to own her. But she is a possession of the Irriparacoxi leader of the village he has just entered. She has been the possession of a variety of different groups of people. The only way Black Shell can be with Pearl Hand is to win her in gambling.

Pearl Hand is an exquisitely beautiful woman. Her beauty makes her the target of all men who wish to own her. She wishes to leave the Timucua Irriparacoxi and the village. She wants to be free.

Even if Pearl Hand is freed from her Irriparacoxi owner will she able to be free while De Soto is alive and pillaging the area?

Read more reviews for The Battle for America; Book One on Amazon here. 

Why I Enjoy Historical Fiction Novels

My knowledge of history is limited. Native Americans in North America and Europeans did not make first contact when settlers came around the time of the Mayflower landing, as I had thought. They made first contact long before that. One of those times was when the Kristianos led by Hernando de Soto, Spain, came into Florida in 1539. That information surprised me. 

De Soto led a brutal expedition from southern Florida into Arkansas. His military was considered the most advanced at that time.  He arrived in Florida via ships and traveled across the region with a huge number of soldiers and staff. He took slaves, which he considered temporary and easily replaceable. They labored in metal collars and chains until the couldn't then they were brutally killed. His army with guns, metal swords, lances and other tools of war easily cut through the Indian warriors village after village.  De Soto decimated village after village. He was, in large part, looking for gold. 

Part love story, part epic tale of survival against the odds, part mythical miracles, and part historical lesson, this book kept me engrossed. And I learned just how little I truly know about the beginnings of the country in which I was born.

Authors W Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear

I was introduced to author W Michael Gear when I read his western series  Saga of the Mountain Sage. I highly recommend that story. I enjoyed it so much that I recommended that series to a co-worker who is extremely knowledgeable about history and enjoys reading.  He read it and loved W Michael Gear's writing and knowledge. My co-worker then read The Battle for America series by Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear and told me that it is a must-read.

That was a lot of rambling to try to say that these books are written for both people like me, who know little about history but would like to know more, as well as people who are history buffs. 

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Reviewing The Secret Book of Flora Lea

Just when I think I've read my fill of World War II historical fiction, 

our book club picks another one for our May meeting.   After reading just a few pages I was totally engrossed in the story and happy to read another WWII historical fiction.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea is based on Operation Pied Piper, a true event during WWII.  In this plan the British Government is looking for a way to keep the children of London safe during the bombing.  They find people willing to take care of the children until the war is over, these people are located in far off lands like Australia and America and many of them are sent to the English countryside.

Brief Summary of the Book

In this book the author, Patti Callahan Henry, tells the story of two young girls, Hazel age 14 and Flora age 5 who are sent to the English countryside.  The story begins with the girls boarding a train that takes them to towns in the countryside where people choose from the children to see who they want to stay in their home.

The girls are fortunate to be placed in a lovely cottage near a small English town and the river Thames.  Here they live with Bridie and her son Henry.  They are very kind and good to the girls.

The girls spend their times going on walks and playing games, which include a wonderful fairy tale that Hazel makes up to entertain Flora and distract her from missing her mother.  In this story the girls escape to a magical land with a cast of delightful characters.  The secret place they escape to is called Whisper Woods.  All is going well until one day Flora goes missing and everyone searches for her but are unable to find her.  The police believe she fell into the river and drowned.

We next meet Hazel 20 years later when she is working in a rare book store.  She is doing well but still misses her sister and feels guilty that she took her eyes off her a few minutes and Flora went missing.  While sorting through a batch of new books that came to the book store, Hazel finds one with the title Whisper Woods.  When she looks through the book she finds many similarities to the story she made up for Flora.  The story that they hadn't told to anyone.

After this, Hazel is on a quest to find her lost sister.  Along the way she meets some Americans who have had the book published and also an English journalist who writes articles about the lost children.  

I will leave the rest of the story for you to discover as you read the book. I highly recommend this book.  

Purchase the Book on Amazon

You can find the book at your local library, or you may purchase it both in paperback, hardback or electronic formats on Amazon.  Here is a link to the book on Amazon. The Secret Life of Flora Lea

 

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The Silent Lady Catherine Cookson Book Review

I recently picked up and read the last Catherine Cookson novel, The Silent Lady. It met the standards of the previous Cookson novels that I have read and I particularly enjoyed the dedication from the author, which starts, "This story was not meant to be written." What follows in that chapter is the story of how she wrote this novel when she was bedridden and believed that she was finished on this earth. I think that it is pretty amazing that someone could compose such a manuscript entirely in his or her head and then record it on cassette tape.

The Silent Lady is a historical novel, set in the richest and the poorest areas of London, England, and ranges in dates from the year 1929 to the year 1959.

The main character, Irene Baindor, becomes known in the pages of the book more simply as The Silent Lady. Unbeknownst to her new family she had been a lady of high society and a wife to a well-known and respected businessman. However, what family and friends did not know was that he was abusive. The story follows Irene as she trades that horrific position as his wife for a life on the streets in the poorest areas of London. It tells of kind folk who, though hardly able to feed themselves, were willing to help others that have less than they do. Thirty years later, after good times and bad, Cookson tidies the story of this lost lady up nicely.

The title on my copy of the book calls The Silent Lady Cookson's "magnificent final novel." I agree with the first part as I think that it was a magnificent novel and equal to any of her nearly 100 published books. However, it turns out that it was not the last book ever published bearing the author's name. It was published in 2001 and there are at least three books that were published after that date.

Find your copy of The Silent Lady here on Amazon.

See you

at the book store!

Quick Links:

Books I Read (or Tried to Read) During Spring and Summer 2020.

Did I or didn't I read a Catherine Cookson novel that year?

Catherine Cookson's Riley Book Review.

Another great novel for fans of historical fiction.

How Did I Become A Bookworm in which Louanne discusses how she was introduced to Catherine Cookson by her grandmother.

  

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Book Review-Daughters of Green Mountain Gap

 

I love reading historical fiction and time period novels and I also love reading books that are real page turners.  Teri M Brown fits the bill in both of these areas.  Last year I reviewed her book An Enemy Like Me and I loved it, so I was really excited to have the opportunity to review her latest book, Daughters of Green Mountain Gap. In this book we meet three generations of women living in North Carolina at the turn of the twentieth century.

The Book on Amazon

The book will be released on January 23, 2024.  You can order it at the following link on Amazon. Daughters of Green Mountain Gap

Three Generations-Three Exceptional Women

    Maggie

Maggie is the granny, who is known throughout the small Appalachian town and surrounding area as a healer.  She believes and relies on traditional methods for her healing.  She has learned her skills through family tradition, folklore and also from visits she makes to the healer in the local Cherokee tribe. 

    Carrie Ann

Carrie Ann is Maggie's daughter.  She has graduated from nursing school and feels strongly that modern medicine should prevail and that her mother's methods are not only outdated but could be harmful.  Carrie Ann works for the local doctor and feels that all should see him for their medical needs and not her mother.

    Josie Mae

Josie Mae is Carrie Ann's daughter and because of her mother's job she stays much of the time with her grandmother, Maggie.  While she is there Maggie teaches her all about her traditional healing methods.  Josie loves her grandmother and believes that her methods are important, however she is caught between the vastly different methods of Maggie and Carrie Ann.

My Thoughts on Book

I was engrossed in the book from the first chapter.  The author, Teri M Brown, does a wonderful job of bringing you into the lives of these three women.  You find yourself smiling at their victories and feeling sad as they deal with sickness and death.  The family dynamics are a great way to show the spirit of the times with the struggles between folk medicine and science, old and new methods, and dealing with the change in society.  I highly recommend this fascinating book.

Reviews of other Teri M Brown Books

Two of Teri M Brown's previous books have been reviewed on Review This.  Our reviewer Olivia reviewed Sunflowers Beneath the Snow, and I reviewed An Enemy Like Me.  Here are links to those reviews.

Sunflowers Beneath the Snow

An Enemy Like Me

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Book Review: Saga of the Mountain Sage: A Classic Historical Western Series by W. Michael Gear

This historical fiction western begins in 1825, when Richard is a young Boston gentleman attending Harvard. He is a talented and bright student studying philosophy. Richard can quote all of the greatest philosophers and he knows what is real and what is right. He is the only son of wealthy businessman Phillip Hamilton. His mother is deceased, having died during childbirth and Richard has essentially been raised by their servant, Jeffry. How is a story set in the city of Boston able to become a historical western? It begins when Phillip decides that it is time for Richard to take some responsibility, ends his financial support for the Harvard education, and sends Richard on a business trip to St. Louis - the edge of the wild frontier.

The Morning River: Sage of the Mountain Sage, Book One: A Classic Historical Western Series 

Thank goodness I was on vacation when I started this book (this series of four books)! I read the series across a handful of days; including the one day that I forced myself to finally close my kindle at 3:30 am. I resumed reading immediately after breakfast the following day.

Richard begins his trip west to St. Louis with his father's bag of bank notes. He expects to make the long journey to St. Louis, make the business transaction, and return to Boston. 

The chapters take us from Richard's journey to Heals Like A Willow. Her people are the Dukurika (Shoshone), the sheepeaters of the high mountains. She had married her husband, a Ku'chendikani, and lived with their tribe. We meet her as she is burying and mourning her husband and son high on a rocky slope, during a blowing snow. We later learn that she is a very powerful woman, a medicine woman, and breaks some of her People's important traditions and expectations about a woman's role in their society. However, she continues searching for what is real and what is right.

While Phillip is right, and Richard's entire world has been limited to their home, the city, and the university I was immediately concerned that sending Richard on such a journey with such a large amount of money was a very risky idea. During Richard's long journey on the river, he is aloof and stand-offish. He is not impressed by the cities and towns along the way. He looks down his nose at the people he sees in boats, on the riverbanks, and on the farms along the way. Richard was amazed at the river he traveled on but uncomfortable when he stared into the deep forests.

"... he'd watched the forest as it passed, uneasy at what might lurk in those dim shadows. Like a child hearing the ghouls in the winter wind."

During brief conversations with another gentleman, Mr. Eckhart, on the steamboat, we begin to see Richard's thoughts. When Mr. Eckhart observes that Richard may not have the ambition and character needed for frontier life, Richard responds:

"My duty, sir, is to go to Saint Louis, see to some arrangements, and return to Boston with the greatest dispatch. Thereafter, I shall retire to the university and never again endure such bad food... ill company, or the human dregs such as you see floating along on flatboats"

It is a wonder that Richard doesn't make enemies when he repeatedly and snobbishly refers to others as "animals". Oh wait, he does make enemies.

Richard arrives in St. Louis with plans of finishing this errand for his father then returning to Boston to begin courting the beautiful Laura Templeton. He has written letters to her along the journey. 

But there is trouble in St. Louis. Big trouble. Life-threatening and life-changing trouble that irrevocably changes Richards life. If he survives, it is very unlikely that he will ever return to Boston.

Travis Hartman, a rugged frontiersman who is disfigured from a bear attack has partnered with long-time friend Dave Green in a business plan. They are planning an illegal trip up the Missouri River, in a keelboat, to the Upper Yellowstone River to open a trading post. During this time of unrest between the Indian tribes and each other, and the tribes and whites, permits are required to do such a thing. But Dave Green has a dream and a plan.

It is up this river and on the frontier that the lives of Richard and Heals Like A Willow, surrounded by the likes of Hartman and Green, converge. Will they collide and self-destruct or join forces and survive.

This series kept me engrossed. It was not only entertaining but educational (I had no idea how Keelboats were moved upriver) it was also thought-provoking. How do we decide what is right and wrong? And who is right? Who are the animals and who are civilized? 

While many descriptions in the book are beautiful (descriptions of the people, the land, the settings) and took me to those places, it was also a time period set during a great deal of violence. There are plenty of "mature" and difficult scenes, words, and themes in this book. However, it was the reality of those times.

If you begin The Morning River, book 1 in the series, and have any inkling that you like the story, I highly recommend buying the next 3 books. I do not recommend jumping into the series somewhere in the middle or end. I wish that these 4 books had been kept in one single book (I read somewhere that the series began as either one or two books - I don't recall which - but had been separated out into 4 somewhere along the way. I would have preferred it to be one volume).

I would like to tell you more about the characters. And about the parts of the story that made me laugh and made me cry. I would like to discuss the "right", the "wrong", and how God does or doesn't work in our lives, based on the story. But telling any of those things would create spoilers and I don't want to do that.  I can say that this story and these characters (and the people the characters represent from our history) will be with me for a very long time. 

Thank you W. Michael Gear for writing this bit of history in this way.

You can find there series here: The Morning River: Sage of the Mountain Sage, Book One: A Classic Historical Western Series 

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Netflix Series Review - All the Light We Cannot See

 

A couple of weeks ago, Fran was looking for something to watch on Netflix and came upon this Netflix limited series, "All the Light We Cannot See"

If you love historical fiction, like I do, you will love this limited series. We were hooked from the very first episode and binged the whole series in one night.

All the Light We Cannot See is based on the critically acclaimed novel by Anthony Doerr. 

The book was published in 2014 and was a New York Times Best Seller, and also won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. 

Netflix released the limited series on November 2, 2023. This series will have you on the edge of your seat through every episode.

Set during World War II the story follows two young individuals whose lives intersect amid the chaos of the war.

Newcomer Aria Mia Loberti as Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind French teenage girl and the daughter of Daniel LeBlanc played by Mark Ruffalo. 

Aria Mia Loberti is really blind and this was her first acting experience. 

Louis Hoffmann as Werner Pfennig, a young German orphan who eventually becomes a soldier specializing in detecting and tracking radio frequencies.

Lars Eidinger as Reinhold von Rumple, an officer of the SS who certifies and evaluates art, and jewelry.

Hugh Laurie as Etienne LeBlanc, a reclusive World War I veteran suffering from PTSD and the great uncle of Marie-Laure.

The series spans from the years 1934 to 1944. When Nazi Germany invades France, Marie, and Daniel flee to Saint-Malo to take refuge in her great-uncle's house.

All the Light You Cannot See is a rollercoaster of emotions as the series balances moments of intense drama, heart-melting romance, and the harsh realities of war.

 I was emotionally invested in the journey of each character. I found myself rooting for their triumphs and feeling their heartaches as their lives intertwined. You find out early on in this series what bonds Marie and Werner, and you are eager to find out how it ends.

Watch the YouTube Official Trailer here:

You can find All the Light You Cannot See streaming on Netflix.

Now that I have seen this masterful limited series, I must read the book.

All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel

 

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Book Review: October in the Earth: A Novel by Olivia Hawker

Mrs. Wensley is a proper preacher's wife living in Harlan County, Kentucky in 1931. Life has always been hard in coal country but it became even more difficult after the Great Crash of 1929. Is it blasphemy that Adella questions her life in the largest home with 100 miles in any direction, her difficulty becoming pregnant after 8 years of marriage, and her role as the preacher's wife? Is it wrong that she disagrees with him in how to respond to the homeless folks passing through? 

While she ministered to the women of the county tirelessly and she felt as though she were failing. Something did not feel right to Adella. 

"That afternoon, I came up the last shaded rise of the old road with that loaf of bread tucked under my arm, and I rounded the bend, and there before me was home - the only place that had ever felt like home to me, even after I'd settled with my eminent husband in the finest house in the whole danged valley. My parents' place could scarcely be called a house at all." - October in the Earth

Adella was visiting her family's shack when her brother pulled up; pale and shaken. Miners were in the midst of strikes after the mining companies had slashed wages due to the economy. Violence was breaking out, men killed during a shooting related to a mining company. 

"A couple of fellas pulled up in a truck that was all painted with the sign of the Evarts company". "They jumped out of the cab" Benjamin went on, "hollering and wringing their hands about a full-on war."  - October in the Earth

Benjamin drove Adella back to her home so that she could share the news with her husband and they could minister to the local families involved. 

As the plans to help defuse the situation were made, Adella found herself questioning the responses. Internally questioning what should and shouldn't be done - what is a sin and what isn't. Adella finds her husband in the midst of what is clearly a sin and yet she cannot openly address it. She cannot bring herself to question things aloud. 

"It's the baby. My thoughts tripped over one another, tangling themselves. No baby. I haven't given him a family. No wonder he's losing interest." - October in the Earth

Adella visits the Granny Woman, as her mom has advised. The Granny Woman who can help women with their health problems. But it wasn't fertility help that Adella finds during that visit. She finds a woman willing to speak truth aloud. The shocking truth.

In her desperation, she prepares to flee. Adella follows the hobos that she has secretly fed - against her husband's wishes - during their trip through town looking for work. The proper preacher's wife dresses as a man, takes the few belongings she is able to carry, and hops a train away from it all.  The remainder of the story is a peek into the life of hobos on the rails. Riding from one town to the next, in a desperate search for work and food during the great depression. If the hobos are barely able to survive, will Adella be able to transform from a proper preachers wife living in plush comfort - thanks to the collection plate - to a lone woman traveling from town to town to find work? 

October in the Earth by Olivia Hawker

Unfortunately, I am not doing this story justice. I have clearly become an Olivia Hawker fan and find myself drawn into the stories of people living lives very different than mine. Olivia Hawker writes about believable characters with descriptions that immerse me into the story. 

I previously read and reviewed One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker. You can read my review here. 

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Book Review: The Girl Behind the Gates by Brenda Davies

Nora Jennings is a 17 year old in England during the 1930's which is a time of war and a time of mental asylums. While Nora is a privileged young lady, she is also found to be a "moral defective" and as such she is moved to an asylum. Based on a true story The Girl Behind the Gates is a harrowing, moving, and hopeful account of a young lady trying to survive her mental health treatment the best she can and the few people who are kind to her and help her stay alive.

The Girl Behind the Gates

The Girl Behind the Gates by Brenda Davies

The book begins with the Author's note that ensured I would tear through this story in every free moment. The author is a medical practitioner, who came to work in the asylum when Nora had been held for decades. 

"Over the years I tried to encourage Nora to tell her story, but she always backed away from doing so. However, several times she asked me if I would write it for her. I always refused. Then following her death in 1995, one of her friends sent me a note and included a letter from Nora reminding me of her request. So, at long last, this is a true yet fictionalised account of Nora's story."

At 17, Nora made two life-changing decisions that began with falling in love. Those decisions were deemed by her parents, The local religious and governmental folks  in charge, and by the mental health practitioners of the day as morally defective. A person that needed to be kept out of the public in order to protect society. 

Little to no patient records were kept, many who worked in the asylum were abusive, and it was acceptable to slap a patient into line. It was extremely easy to find yourself placed in an asylum and impossible to find your way out while still alive. 

Some staff were kind, but those staff had little to no power in the hierarchy. Kind staff were reprimanded and/or did not remain employed at the facility. The treatments of the day included sedation, ice baths, removal of personal belongings, and electric shock therapy. Nora experienced all of those treatments.

The Girl Behind the Gates by Brenda Davies

Forty-two years later, in 1981, Dr. Janet is newly employed at the Hillinghurst Hospital and is working in the acute ward when she is directed to do a review of the patients on the back wards. Dr. Janet begins with reviewing the files before entering the back wards and meeting the staff and patients.

"She's been at it for hours and feels pretty over-whelmed. No real patient notes, just individual sentences, often separated by bald patches where nothing at all was recorded, as though the patient simply stopped existing for months at a time."

It is in those back wards that she meets the woman who has been kept there since age 17. A woman who has learned to survive the abuse, neglect, and psychological trauma. A woman who inspires Dr. Janet to re-examine her own life and eventually write a book to tell the story.

A Personal Note

Having worked in mental health for decades, this story was profoundly meaningful to me. Dr. Janet's thoughts and approaches rang true. So many "patients" (then and now) have exceedingly important stories to be told yet go unheard due to the issues of confidentiality, difficulty with timelines, and hazy details. Yet, they are stories that should be shared. 

I am thankful that Brenda Davies found a way to share this story to not only educate about the common treatments used decades ago but also the personal story of a woman who survived it all. 

Nora Jennings survived. But how? And did she thrive or remain merely the shell of a person? You'll have to read the story to find out.

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Book Review - Lost Roses

 

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In this exciting prequel to Martha Hall Kelly's best-selling Lilac Girls, we follow the lives of Eliza (Caroline Ferriday's mother) and her two friends from Russia-Sofya and Luba Streshnayva.  Sofya and Luba are cousins of Tsar Nicholas II and although all three women have grown up in privilege, they all have a strong desire to help others.

Background

Like Caroline Ferriday from Lilac Girls the characters in Lost Roses are real people from history.  Martha Hall Kelly did meticulous research to make sure her facts were correct and then built a wonderful work of historical fiction around events from history.  This second book in the Lilac Girls series takes place in 1914 in the days leading up to and during the Bolshevik Revolution.

Plot Summary

The book begins as Eliza Ferriday from New York City is going to visit her good friend Sofya in St. Petersburg, Russia.  They had met years before in Paris and become good friends.  Even though it is 1914 and the world would seem to be on the brink of war, Eliza is excited for her trip and a visit with her good friend.  She arrives safely and all seems to be going well till there is word that they must flee the city because of the revolutionaries are nearby and are trying to overturn all the wealthy ruling class.  Eliza sails home to New York and Sofya and her family escape to their summer home in the countryside.

While they are in their summer home they hire a local fortuneteller's daughter, Varinka, to work in their household.  This turns out to be a very bad decision. As time goes on the revolutionaries kidnap the family and keep them captive in an outbuilding of the family's luxurious summer home.  The storyline continues and keeps us on edge as we wonder how the family will survive and will they escape to Paris as they hope.

As the story continues, we see the ways both Eliza and Sofya work in these troubled times to help those in need.

I found this book to be very interesting.  Martha Hall Kelly has a way of making her characters come to life and I found myself reading into the night to find out what would happen next.

Book One of the Series

The first book in the series, actually chronologically comes after Lost Roses.  It is set in a World War II time frame and features Eliza's daughter Caroline.  It too was a very compelling story that I had a hard time putting down.

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Book Review - A Girl Called Samson

 

A Girl Named Samson (photo created in AI)

I love reading historical fiction, and although I have read lots of books from the World War II era, I had not read any from the American Revolutionary War period.  The title on this book is what first intrigued me to download this book.  What an amazing story!  It kept me interested from page 1 and now I feel I know a lot more from that period of history.

 

The Story

Deborah Samson was born in 1760 in Massachusetts.  When she was quite young her father abandoned her family, and her mother was unable to provide for Deborah and her siblings.  Deborah ended up being bound out to be an indentured servant at age 5.  She stayed with various people in her early years, but when she was 10, she was indentured to a young farmers family that had 10 boys.  It was Deborah's duties to help look after the boys.

The family was very kind to Deborah and from them she was able to learn a lot.  Although she didn't go to school herself, she had a thirst for knowledge and was able to learn from the boys as they were growing up.  She had a friend and mentor in the Reverend Conant and when she was 15, he gave her a journal for her birthday.  In this journal she would discover her longings through her writings.  The Reverend also put her in touch with his niece Elizabeth, who became Deborah's pen pal. Elizabeth was older and married and provided Deborah with advice and someone to share her ideas.

When the American Colonies were gearing up for war, each of the 10 boys in turn ended up enlisting in the Continental Army.  Deborah yearned for a life of freedom and equal rights for women.  She had learned much from the boys and could shoot a rifle with the best of them.  

When Deborah turned 18, she was free from her bounds and could go out on her own.  The family welcomed her to stay on with them, but Deborah wanted adventure.  She ended up dressing up as a young man and enlisting in the Continental Army.

The story now gets really interesting as Deborah works hard to maintain the secret of who she really is.  Eventually she falls in love in a surprising twist to the story.  

My Recommendation

I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in historical fiction.  This story is loosely based on a young woman from history named Deborah Samson.  It is a great testament to the power of a young woman daring to chart her own way despite the circumstances.

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