June, 2022

"The Lioness" by Chris Bohjalian

Katie, an A-list celebrity, her husband, and a group of their friends safari in Africa.  When their party is taken hostage, the group does everything they can to survive.  Although I thought this was an interesting premise, the book itself just didn't work.  There were way too many points of view, which slowed the plot down.  At times the book felt completely stagnant.  Perhaps if the author focused on 2 or 3 points of view the story would have felt more lively and dynamic.  Overall, 2 out of 5 stars.

"The Last Princess" by Shelley Wilson

Set in the middle ages, Edith is the only survivor when her family is murdered.  Her uncle swoops in and takes the throne away from her.  When Edith is sold into slavery, she ends up with the Vikings.

  This book was a bit tedious.  Every chapter recounted Edith's past, going over the same information time and time again.  It was a bit hard to tell the passage of time - Edith could have spent 1 year or 10 among the Vikings.  Overall, not a book I would re-read or recommend.

"The Memory Keeper of Kyiv" by Erin Litteken

When Stalin's collective invades her village, 16 year old Katya and her family must make a choice.  Those who do not join the collective disappear in the middle of the night.  Those who join the collective are forced to give their land, food, and possessions to the collective.  Either choice means death.  In the modern day, Cassie, Katya's granddaughter finds her writings and journal.  Slowly, she begins to learn her Katya's story and the history of Ukraine. 

  While Katya's story was absolutely fascinating, Cassie's story was boring and predictable.  I wish the author had written solely about Katya and left the modern day story out.  I knew almost nothing about the famine in Ukraine and found the historic aspects heartbreaking.  I wish more authors would write about these difficult and overlooked events.  Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

"Damnation Spring" by Ash Davidson

Set in the 1970's, Rich is a tree topper, his livelihood dependent on the local logging company.  His wife Colleen is raising their young son and helping the community by serving as a midwife. Rich is given the opportunity to purchase a track of land containing one of the largest redwoods in the area.  When environmentalists flood into town, his investment and livelihood is threatened.  Simultaneously, the logging companies have been spraying the weeds and brush with chemicals.  Deformed babies, miscarriages, and problem with the local wildlife begin to emerge.

  This book was extremely slow moving.  While minor and mundane tasks were highlighted in excruciating details, the environmental concerns and actual logging seemed to be rushed and briefly covered.  The characters were extremely detailed and realistic, which was probably the best part of the book.  Unfortunately, this is not one I would re-read or recommend.

"The School for German Brides" by Aimie K. Runyan

After the death of her mother, Hanna is sent to live with her aunt and uncle in Berlin.  Determined to match her with an SS officer, her aunt and uncle begin to groom her in manners, poise, and Nazi ideologies.  Mathilde is a young Jewish seamstress.  With her fair looks, she passes as an Aryan and avoids anti-Semitic vitriol. 

Almost seventy percent of the book was a build up to Hanna being sent to the actual School for German Brides.   While the characters were well developed, the book moved extremely slowly in the beginning.  The last quarter of the book felt extremely rushed.  The buildup was just not worth the wait.  Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

"When Women Were Dragons" by Kelly Barnhill

Women are magic.  In 1955, hundreds of thousands of women turned into dragons and left behind their husbands, children, and ordinary lives.  During the mass dragoning, Alex lost her aunt Marla.  Dragoning, considered taboo, is not talked about, discussed, and the women who dragoned are never mentioned again.  Marla's daughter Bea, was quietly taken in by Alex's mother.  Years later, Alex's mother becomes sick and dies.  Her father quickly marries and shuffles Alex and Bea off to an apartment and orders teenage Alex to take charge.  Determined to graduate, Alex struggles to come to terms with her aunt's dragoning, her mother's death, and her father's abandonment.

  This was a very interesting premise.  I thought it was a clever and intriguing idea.  The story itself was a bit dry and slow moving.  The characters were a bit bland and stereotypical.  I liked the bits of history the author threw in between chapters, it added to the lore of dragoning.  Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

"The School that Escaped the Nazis" by Deborah Cadbury

As Hitler rose to power, Anna Essinger made arrangements to smuggle her school from Germany to England.  After convincing parents to send her children abroad, Anna established a school with little funding and resources.  Determined to create a loving environment, the school avoided discipline and encouraged self determination.  Interwoven is the story of the children who found a home and family at the school.

  This was a well written and engaging book.  It was a nice blend of historical facts and storytelling.  I enjoyed the stories of the children, it really made the school come alive.  Overall, well worth picking up.