November, 2017

"The Medic: Miracle on Hacksaw Ridge" by Adam Palmer          

Desmond Doss, a Seventh-Day Adventists, joins the Army as a conscientious objector. He immediately makes his beliefs known and commits to following them unwaveringly. When he is sent to the Pacific theater as a medic, he risks his life to pull wounded soldiers from the battlefield.          

I'm going to say this right off, my review will probably make some people mad.  I had strong feelings about Doss. I feel that with his particular beliefs, he should never have joined an active field unit. Throughout the book it seemed that he was unwilling to be part of the team. I felt that his actions were reckless and put his fellow soldiers in jeopardy. He could have served stateside in many other capacities were his beliefs could have been honored without danger to others.  Although this book was well written, I cannot recommend it to others.

"The Girls in the Picture" by Melanie Benjamin          

Frances Marion is fascinated by the flickers. When she visits a movie set, she meets Mary Pickford, a star of the silent moving scene. Frances and Mary become close friends, sharing confidences and working together in the pictures. Frances at first runs errands, plays a few bit parts, and then finds her niche writing screenplays. Mary takes on roll after roll as a child, playing up her golden girls and youthful appearance. This book follows them through adulthood and into old age.         

 The entire book had a slow, sad feel to it.  It alternated between Fran and Mary, who were both interesting characters. I'm curious were fact and fiction align, the entire book seemed like a well-written memoir. I look forward to reading the next book from Benjamin. Overall, highly recommended.

"The Great Alone" by Kristin Hannah          

Leni's father and mother uproot her to move to the Alaskan wilderness. Ill prepared for the weather and hardships, their scattered neighbors help them survive. Leni's father, a war veteran, faces his own demons during the long, dark, winter nights. He quickly becomes violent, lashing out at anyone who crosses his path.          

This was a well written and interesting book. Leni was a dynamic and realistic character.< At times I felt like I was growing with her, as she came of age in Alaska. Overall, well worth picking up.

"As Bright as Heaven" by Susan Meissner          

The Bright family move from the farm to Philadelphia, where Thomas, the husband, is to become an undertaker. The book alternates between Pauline, the mother, and their daughters, Evelyn, Maggie and Willa. With an outbreak of Spanish flu, their new life is suddenly transformed beyond all belief. When Maggie and Pauline visit the sick to hand out food, Maggie finds a baby and a dying girl in one of the houses.  Taking the baby, Maggie pretends that he was alone and that she can't remember where he was found.          

This was a well written and engaging book. Each point of view was interesting and added to the story. Well paced, the book spanned multiple years, showing how the flu epidemic changed and shaped their lives. I love historical fiction and this is one of the better ones that I've read. Overall, highly recommended.

"Next Year in Havana" by Chanel Cleeton          

Miami born Marisol knows that her grandparents fled Cuba as Castro came into power. After the death of Elisa, her grandmother, Marisol travels to Cuba fulfills a promise to scatter her ashes back home. Alternating with Marisol's journey, is Elisa's tale. Born into a wealthy family, Elisa's family is caught between a growing revolution determined to overthrow the status quo. When Elisa falls in love with a revolutionary, every belief and thought she grew up with is challenged.          

This was a well written and engaging story.Both points of view were interesting and kept my attention.Marisol's love story was a bit predictable, but it mirrored Elisa's story nicely.I loved reading and learning about the Cuba revolution.I look forward to reading more books from this author.

"The Revolution of Marina M." by Janet Fitch          

Marina, the daughter of St. Petersburg elites, is swept up in the Russian revolution.  Aligning herself with poets, artists, and revolutionists, her life is upended as she discovers who she is and what she believes in.          

This is a pretty long book. I mention this because I was really wrapped into the characters and felt invested in them. Then, the book abruptly end and left everything unfinished. This was an extreme let-down. The story itself was fascinating and the characters extremely realistic. It was very disappointing not to have a real ending to the book. Because of this, I have to rate an otherwise great book a 2 out of 5.