September, 2021

"The Duchess" by Wendy Holden

When Wallis moves to London with her husband Ernest, her life is not quite what she expected.  The two struggle financially and she longs for more.  Wallis does everything she can to make connections with the rich and glamorous.  One of her connections pays off, and she meets the Prince of Wales. 

  While the first half of the book was extremely captivating, it seemed Wallis' personality disappeared during the second half of the book.  Despite this criticism, I did enjoy the book.  Overall 4 out of 5 stars.

"Caves of San Pietro" by Susan Gayle 

During WWII, Frank survives the landings on the beaches of Salerno, Italy.  After being separated from his unit, he stumbles upon an Italian family who are barely surviving.  Time and time again he returns to the family, helping them, telling them stories, and falling in love with the beautiful daughter.  As the fighting heats up, Frank does everything he can to make sure they survive.

  This book felt a bit amateurish.  The author did not balance the time shifts very well, and spent long chapters providing us with Frank's history.  I think some careful editing could make this a great book.  Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

"The Archer" by Shruti Swamy

When Vidya glimpses a group of girls learning kathak, an Indian dance, she is instantly drawn to the art form.   Given permission to begin taking lessons, she struggles with the discipline and focus the dance requires.  The book continues following Vidya through her life, and she goes to college, moves on to a more advanced teacher, and finally marries.

  I felt like this book was all over the place.  It was written in a lyrical style, that does not really appeal to me.  I am sure that many will love this book, it just wasn't for me.

"The Churchill Sisters" by Dr. Rachel Trethewey

This book follows the lives of Winston Churchill's daughters - Diana, Sarah, Marigold, and Mary.  Born into a political family with strong views, the daughter's reacted to the stress and publicity in different ways.  This was a very well written and interesting novel.  The daughter's lives were fascinating in their own right.  The book was well paced and the characters dynamic.  Overall, highly recommended.

"All the Lights Above Us" by M. B. Henry

This book follows the lives of several women during WWII.   Theda, Flora, Adelaide and Emilia are in France on the front lines.  Theda is a medical volunteer, Flora is a member of the French Resistance and Adelaide is an older woman forced to billet German soldiers.  Emilia, a young German woman, is a secretary for the Gestapo.  In Germany, American expat Mildred has made a life as a radio propagandist known as Axis Sally.

  I wish this book had a few less characters.  Right when I became really interested in one, the point of view shifted.  This made the book feel a bit fragmented.  Despite this criticism, this book was well written and engaging.  It moved at a nice pace.  Overall, 3 out of 4 stars.

"The Boys" by Ron Howard and Clint Howard

Rance and Jean, parents of Ron and Clint, move to California to pursue their dreams of becoming movie stars.  Instead, their children become stars.  Ron stars as Opie in the Andy Griffith Show, Richie in Happy Days, and in numerous movies.  Once grown, he becomes a world famous movie director.  Clint stars in numerous shows as a child, and then after battling addiction, becomes a character actor in films.   However, this book is a tribute to Rance and Jean, who encouraged them, treated them fairly, and set them up for success.

  This was an absolutely fascinating book.  I knew little about the Howard family before reading this book and was captivated by their family dynamic.  The writing style was dynamic, oftentimes funny, and brutally honest.  Overall, highly recommended!