November, 2019

"The Orphan Collector" by Ellen Marie Wiseman         

When 13 year old Pia's mother falls ill from the Spanish flu, she is left alone to take care of her twin brothers. Once they run out of food, she leaves the twins behind and searches for supplies. While out, she collapses and is sent to a hospital for Spanish flue victims. Bernice Groves, after losing her infant son, see's Pia leave her apartment. She enters the apartment and upon finding the twins alone, takes then. Once Pia has recovered, she is sent to an orphanage, but she never stops looking for her brothers. Across the city, Bernice finds ways to take immigrant children, putting them on trains, taking them away from their families and to the orphanage, all in a misguided attempt to "Americanize" them.

     This book was a bit slow to start. The beginning chapters felt very much like rambling. I almost put the book down, but pressed through. The story vastly improved once the author finished introducing the city, time period, and characters. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

"Big Lies in a Small Town" by Diane Chamberlain         

In the present day, Morgan has found herself serving time for a crime her boyfriend committed. When the daughter of an eccentric artist visits her with an offer to restore an old post office mural in exchange for her freedom, she jumps at the opportunity. In 1940, New Jersey artist Anna has won a national contest to paint a mural for a post office in North Carolina. When she arrives in town, she is shocked by the prejudice and local politics that she encounters. Back in the present day, Morgan discovers that the mural was never installed in the post office, in large part because the artist went mad.

     This was an interesting and quick paced read. The two storylines worked very well together. My only criticism is that everything came together a bit too easily at the end. Overall, this is a book well worth reading, 4 out of 5 stars.

"Nameless Queen" by Rebecca McLaughlin         

The throne is passed on through magic - whoever the last name the King or Queen utters is emblazoned with a tattoo, marking them as the next sovereign. Coin is a nameless, a class of citizen with no name, status, or ability to move up in life. When Coin is emblazoned with the tattoo, everything changes.          

This was a well written and engaging story. The social hierarchy was a bit simplistic, but it worked well. The characters themselves were dynamic and life-like. I look forward to reading more from this author and set in this world.

"The Light After the War" by Anita Abriel         

Following WWII, Vera and her friend Edith leave Hungary as refugees and travel to Naples. Vera secures a job at the U.S. embassy where she falls in love with Anton. When Anton suddenly leaves, Vera and Edith travel first to New York, where they are turned away, and then to Caracas.          

I found this book to be very predictable and the characters stereotypical. The plot seemed to move at a slow pace and focused too much on Vera's romances. Overall, this book was a bust.

"The Wives" by Tarryn Fisher         

Thursday's husband has two other wives. None of the wives have met, which is how Seth likes it. When Thursday find's a receipt in her husband's pocket, she tracks down the third wife, Hannah, and befriends her. Thursday then tracks down the first wife, Regina, who she watches from social media sites. However, something isn't right. Hannah has bruises all over her body, and Regina's websites say that she is divorced.          

There was really only two possibilities that this story could have gone. There were too many clues which gave the plot away. It didn't unravel, rather the information was just dumped all at once. The characters themselves were a bit bland and boring. Overall, a bust.

"Lady in Waiting" by Anne Glenconner 

Lady Anne Glenconner was born into rank and privilege. Her entire family served the King and Queens of England and served in various positions. This book outlines her life, focusing on her friendship and status of Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret.         

This was a well written and engaging book. The story flowed nicely and the people felt realistic. I couldn't help thinking how wacky and entitled all of the royals and their followers acted. Although it was hard to relate to their lavish lifestyles and outrageous antics, it was a fun and fascinating read. Overall, highly recommended.

"If You Leave Me" by Crystal Hana         

Haemi and her family are forced to flee home during the Korean civil war. Haemi, her widowed mother, and tubercular brother, find a makeshift life as refugees along the coast. When she reunites with her childhood friend Kyunghwan, life feels a bit more normal and bearable. When Kyunghwan's cousin Jisoo, sets his sights on Haemi, she must decide, love, or security. The book follows her life as she marries, has children, and constantly thinks about her decision.         

This book was an interesting look into wartime Korea, and how it impacted normal lives. I've read very few books in this setting and was interested to read from this time frame. The characters were richly created and dynamic. I thought the shifting points of view were well done and kept the story flowing over multiple time periods. Overall, highly recommended.