October, 2020

"The Lost Apothecary" by Sarah Penner         

Tucked into an alley, working in a hidden room, Nella sells poisons to women in abusive situations. When a twelve year old comes into her shop seeking a potion for her mistress, a small mistake puts Nella in serious danger. In present-day, after finding out that her husband is cheating, Caroline travels to London alone. After finding an apothecary bottle in the mud along the river, she begins to track down the bottle and unravel Nella's story.          

I'm not sure what to say about this one. Nella's story was interesting, and I wish the book had focused entirely on her. Caroline's story was unnecessary and dramatically slowed the plot down. I thought Caroline's research attempts were highly unlikely to yield any results and was just not believable. However, because I enjoyed the apothecary's story, 3 out of 5 stars.

"Beyond the Tracks" by Michael Reit         

After fleeing the Nazi's, Jacob and his family end up in a Dutch refugee camp. When the Nazi's overtake the Netherlands, the refugee camp is transformed into a transit camp. Almost overnight, the safety of the Netherlands becomes a horrible trap, as weekly trains begin carting off the camp's population. When Jacob is put on the train, he escapes, and then comes back through the resistance to help his family and friends escape.          

This book was well written and engaging. I haven't read anything about the transit camp in the Netherlands, and found it very interesting. My only criticism is that following the time jumps in the novel the author did not provide enough details to fill in the gaps. Despite this criticism, I really enjoyed this novel. 4 out of 5 stars.

"The Girl from the Channel Islands" by Jenny Lecoat          

Hedy, an Austrian Jew living in the Channel Islands, is terrified when the German's invade and take over her island. Forced to register as a Jew, Hedy is constantly facing imprisonment, deportation, and starvation. Desperate for a way to make money, Hedy takes a position in the German base as a translator. There, she meets Kurt, a handsome, and sympathetic German officer.          

This book was well written and nicely paced. The characters were multi-dimensional and well developed. The romance between Kurt and Hedy was fairly predictable, and a bit boring, however I'm not really a romance book reader. Despite this criticism, I did enjoy the book. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

"Sunflower Sisters" by Martha Hall Kelly         

Set during the Civil War, this book alternates between three points of view. Georgey, a staunch abolitionist, turns her attention to nursing to support the northern army. In the south, Jemma is enslaved on a plantation along with her mother, father, and twin sister. Her mistress, Anne-May makes up the third point of view. Anne-May, who lives in a border state, finds ways to pass northern secrets to the southern armies.          

This was an ok book. Some of the characters were extremely stereotypical and a bit boring. Georgey and her 7 sisters were hard to distinguish from one another and all seemed the same. Jemma's point of view was the most interesting, and I wish the book had focused on her. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

"The Kew Garden Girls" by Posy Lovell         

Set during WWI, this book follows Ivy, Louisa and, Bernie gardeners at the Kew Royal Botanical Gardens. Louisa and Ivy, suffragettes have opposite views on wartime service and how the suffragettes should focus their time. Bernie, a religious man, is a conscience objector, and finds himself targeted and forced into hiding.         

This was an interesting story with well developed characters. I really enjoyed reading about the suffragette activities, and the differing opinions within their ranks. My only criticism is that everything ended up a bit too perfect for a wartime story. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

"Lana's War" by Anita Abriel         

When Lana's husband tries to hide a Jewish girl, a Nazi soldier shoots and kills him. Overwhelmed with grief, Lana miscarries. Months later, she is recruited by the resistance. After traveling to the Riviera, Lana is partnered with Guy, a man with his own tragedies.         

This book was a bit predictable and boring. The characters were a bit flat and one dimensional. I did love the setting of the book, but otherwise found this one a bit lacking. Overall, 2 out of 5 stars.

"Where Butterflies Go" by Debra Doxer         

After Meira and her sister fight over the same boy, Meira is married and Zotia moves to America to marry a stranger. Years later, Meira, her husband, and Tovah, her daughter, are forced into the ghetto, where they live in constant fear and starvation. Sent to a work camp, Meira is one of two survivors when the camp is liquidated. After years in displaced person's camp, Meira travels to New York, reunited with her sister. After spending years and years in grief, living a half life, Meira meet's Max and instantly sparks a connection with him.         

There were huge time jumps in this book, which were a bit unsettling. It made the book seems like a series of short stories, rather than one coherent story. I wish the author had spent more time on the pre-war and war time stories, and minimized the after war stories. The romance was extremely predictable and a bit boring. Despite these criticism, I did enjoy the book. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.