November, 2022

"Hang the Moon" by Jeannette Walls

As a young girl Sallie's stepmother banishes her to live with her aunt.  Years later, after the death of her stepmother, Sallie is brought back to live with her father, Duke, and brother Eddie.  Duke, the unofficial town ruler, trades in moonshine and handshake deals.  When Duke dies, someone in the family must step up and take charge.

This story felt a bit disconnected.  The plot seemed to change every few chapters, leaving the book feel extremely disjointed.  I did not connect well with the characters and found myself a bit bored. . Although I like the author, this book just wasn't for me.

"The Golden Doves" by Martha Hall Kelly

This story is told in alternating time lines.   During WWII, Josie and Arlette work for the French resistance.  After being discovered, they end up in the Ravensbruck concentration camp.  A decade after liberation, Josie is working for US intelligence, and accepts a mission to hunt down a Ravensbruck camp doctor.  In France, Arlette is given a tip about the child who was taken from her in the camp. 

  This first half of this book felt like a sequel.  It felt like I was missing vital information and had to make some guesses about the story.  The two main characters were pretty compelling and very likeable.  I think the book could have used some revision and editing to make it flow more smoothly, but overall it was a good read.

"The Mitford Affair" by Marie Benedict

This book follows the lives of three of the six Mitford sisters - Diana, Unity, and Nancy.  Diana decides to upend her life and  divorces her wealthy husband.  She marries a radical fascist leader and becomes enthralled with the fascist movement.  Unity joins the Nazi's in Germany and becomes one of Hitler's inner circle.  Nancy watches the chaos of her sisters and tries to bring a calming influence to all. 

  This book featured short choppy chapters alternating between the sister's points of view.  I did not feel a real connection with the characters, they felt distant and forced.  The story was interesting, particularly Unity and her obsession with Nazism.  However, overall, not a story a would re-read or recommend.

"The Empress" by Laura Martinez-Belli

In the late 1800's Maximillian von Habsburg and his wife Carlotta were handed the Mexican throne.  This story follows Carlotta back and forth in time as she tries to hold her kingdom and sanity together.

The first third of the book was well written, engaging, and hard to put down.  The rest of the book felt disjointed, almost as if two different authors were writing.  After a while, the back and forth in time became distracting and off-putting.  Although I was excited to read about a part of history that I knew absolutely nothing about, this book was not for me. 

"The Terraformers" by Annalee Newitz

The book is a lifecycle of the planet Sask-E and it's terraforming and development.  The first part focused on Destry, a member of the Environmental Rescue Team.  Their goal, to maintain the balance of the eco-system.  When a lava flow uncovers a hidden door, Destry and her team discover a city of people, the original terraformers who were supposed to die out.  The second part of the book focuses on creating a public transit system to connect the planet.  The third part of the book focuses on thwarting the private owners, who are determined to take over the planet for themselves.

I thought this was a well written and well developed world.  My only criticism is that this felt like 3 different book.  I really wanted to know more details about what happened to the characters in the previous parts.  Instead, the author left their fates a bit vague.  Despite this criticism, highly recommended.