This fast paced, action-packed, page-turning thriller is this author’s debut novel. With captivating characters, and a complex plot, readers will not This fast paced, action-packed, page-turning thriller is this author’s debut novel. With captivating characters, and a complex plot, readers will not be disappointed as they tackle the shocking twists and red herrings that will make this a book one cannot put down, until the very last page. At least, that is what happened to me.
Our heroine is Chelsey Calhoun who became a cop to follow in her late father’s footsteps. He was a police chief. Two years ago, she became a detective, and her first case was of a missing girl named, Ellie Black. But as this story opens, Ellie is found. What happened to her? And, where has she been for the past 2 years? And, why won’t she talk about it?
What complicates this case for Chelsey, is her memory of her own missing sister, Lydia, whose disappearance happened when they were teenagers. Not being able to solve the case of Ellie as a new detective, brings a whole new energy to Chelsey when Ellie returns. In fact, Chelsey’s mission has been to find and save missing girls, so what will she and/or has she learned on her quest?
But as more is revealed, readers can’t help but wonder, what happens when Ellie returns, and why is Chelsea suspicious of her? Could Ellie’s case be related to her missing sister, Lydia? What other layers will be unraveled as readers turn pages?
A word of caution. This won’t be an easy read. It is dark and haunting. There are multiple P.O.V.’s telling the story (which made it tough to follow, sometimes), and the story will be difficult to bear at times. (Trigger warning: monster men preying on women.)
Sometimes I was concerned about Chelsea’s decisions, but there was an interesting message that could not be ignored. Who holds the power, and what are they willing to do to keep it? And, how will Chelsea overcome this realization?
So many questions for readers. (No spoilers from me.) Just keep turning pages. The story may be imperfect, but it is a compelling read....more
“The world is filled with people living the most extraordinary, ordinary lives.”
When I saw this one at my local library, I thought at first, “you have“The world is filled with people living the most extraordinary, ordinary lives.”
When I saw this one at my local library, I thought at first, “you have got to be kidding me!” But then it made sense. This really seemed like an almost perfect premise. And, a truly quick read! Yes! It took me just a day to read.
How could you not like a story where two people meet on a train and their next kill orders are for each other for romance in this Mr. & Mrs. Smith way? (Think Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie when they liked each other.) And, they didn’t know that they were both assassins. But not only were they both assassins, but they were both assassins set up with kill orders to kill each other! How do you do that, after you meet each other on a train and practically fall for each other? (And, I’m not giving away spoilers, this is all told to readers from the get-go.)
So, obviously this is a rom-com mixed with suspense and assassins.
What we really have is 2 people who really are awkward, due to their careers and early lives. Here they are meeting. Their first encounter with each other. On a night train to Paris. How romantic is that?
But they both have pasts. Right?
They know they are damaged goods. But they finally found the one person they think can finally accept them. For themselves. But they also think they will never see each other again.
Fast forward six months. And guess what. Who is their kill target? Yep. Now what are they to do?
How about as readers enjoy a “killing” good time?
“My old life has ended. My new life is only just beginning.”
Just let the pages fly. Readers will not regret it....more
Full disclosure: I only decided to read and review this one because it was a donation to my Little Free Library Shed and I loved the Jack Ryan Amazon Full disclosure: I only decided to read and review this one because it was a donation to my Little Free Library Shed and I loved the Jack Ryan Amazon Prime series. Would I be happy with my decision?
Tom Clancy actually died on October 1, 2013. So, it is very important to note that he obviously no longer writes this series. (This book was published this year, 2024.) However, a lot of Tom Clancy fans, may look at the cover, which has his named emblazoned on it in large letters at the top, and not realize this fact. The marketers don’t hide the other fact that it also says at the very bottom in smaller letters, “By Andrews & Wilson.”
So, who are Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson? They are Navy veterans who happen to be a writing team. Brian is a nuclear engineer and Jeff is a vascular surgeon and jet pilot who conducted combat operations with an East Coast-based SEAL team. Their credentials seem to lend themselves to continuing Clancy’s characters and legacy.
This 548-page novel, is part of the Jack Ryan series. Not to be mistaken for what any of us may have watched on the Amazon Prime series of the same name. This has moved Ryan forward as the now President of the United States. Yet, this storyline gives more “screen time” to Ryan’s daughter Katie who is now a Lieutenant Intelligence Agent.
The easiest way to describe this book is in free flow words. Fast. Intense. Suspenseful. Well-placed plot. Page-turner. Twists and turns. Thriller.
If you loved Clancy’s “The Hunt for Red October,” this one may work for you. Just don’t be intimidated by all the Naval acronyms!...more
This children’s book was quite the adventure. Four children crash-land when their pilot suffers a heart attack. They are alone and in peril in the lush Amazon rainforest. How will they manage on their own?
What the author does is provide a rich scene which will mesmerize young readers. Swimming with river dolphins. Discovering a ruined city. Eating bugs. What more could they ask for? Perhaps a mystery in which a map is discovered that the kids can follow?
Readers will enjoy the 4 young characters as they take off on their journey of self-discovery and immense bravery to tackle the unknown. There is a sense of warmth, love, hope and courage that permeates throughout the pages that makes this an enticing read....more
I read this one back in 2018, and thought I had already posted my review. Apparently not. So, here it is! This is the 3rd in the series, bCatching up…
I read this one back in 2018, and thought I had already posted my review. Apparently not. So, here it is! This is the 3rd in the series, but it can be read as a stand-alone, although readers will get more value from the book if they start at the beginning of the series.
Where do we come from?
Where are we going?
Yes, it's the new Dan Brown book, Origin. Yes, it's pulpy and ridiculous. But I have to say -- it was really entertaining, too.
Origin draws on current events and hot topics to make it more relevant to today's world. The author touches on subjects like "fake news", the advancement of technology and artificial intelligence, and the dark corners of the Internet. He may not be an amazing writer - whatever that means - but he does play on universal thoughts, fears and questions. It makes for a very compelling tale.
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone looking for excellent writing, well-developed characters and a whole lot of sense-making. But if you want to sprint through an almost 500-page novel at breakneck pace and escape from thinking for a while, then this is the book for you.
One last thing... there is a reference to “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck on page 447. I won't say more as it does provide an interesting explanation to everything about one of the characters through that reference. Those who have read “Of Mice and Men” or have seen the play, will understand when they get there. My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the latest in the Bones series by Reich featuring her forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan. And, as is typical, if you are a fan, readeThis is the latest in the Bones series by Reich featuring her forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan. And, as is typical, if you are a fan, readers won’t be bored as Tempe finds herself in the midst of an older building in Washington DC addressing arson and burn victims and attempting to unravel a mystery that may be more than recent history.
She also finds herself working alongside a new ally, Ivy Doyle, a telejournalist. She met Ivy reluctantly through her daughter Katy, as a favor. But as it turns out, they form a good alliance in attempting to learn more about the past of the building, the history, the property’s ownership and what really happened and why.
Reich keeps readers moving along quickly through her short chapters, and forensics and setting change of Washington, DC. The question will be, will readers be surprised by the twists and turns that she has a tendency to deliver? And, will readers be patient with her challenging relationship with Ryan?...more
You know you have read a lot of books when you pick up a book as if you are looking at it for the first time and begin reading it and realize it soundYou know you have read a lot of books when you pick up a book as if you are looking at it for the first time and begin reading it and realize it sounds familiar. I can’t begin to count on my fingers how many times I have done this to myself. Of course, it has to happen with classic Connelly. And, Bosch. I love Bosch.
So, when this book was deposited as a donation to my Little Free Library Shed recently, I couldn’t help but think, is this one of his stories I missed? Of course not. It is one, that I forgot I had read. And, now I am reviewing it.
This is where Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch is now working for the Open-Unsolved Unit, hoping to find a way to find closure for those “chorus of forgotten voices” and certainly justice for the unresolved cases. This is also an opportunity for Bosch to learn about the advances in forensic science that have been made since he retired 3 years earlier.
What I love about Connelly is his beautiful attention to detail. Basics in investigative police work – police procedurals at its best.
As Bosch takes on his first case, the reader gets an inside tour of the streamlined LAPD and all the advanced techniques used in comparative analysis of DNA, ballistics and fingerprints.
As a reader, I am soaking up the methods of modern forensics, and it is obvious that it is revitalizing Bosch, too. But we also get a taste of his old-fashioned police detective work in action, as well. As well as his gut instinct at following the clues. What we appreciate the most is his way of speaking for the dead.
In true Connelly fashion, this will be a page-turning, well-done read for fans. And those new to Bosch, will want to get to know him. But as in all series, it is always best to start at the beginning. The first Harry Bosch book was “The Black Echo.”...more
I love when an author has a purposeful name for their book, and we as readers get to spend some time with it trying “Where you are is where I belong.”
I love when an author has a purposeful name for their book, and we as readers get to spend some time with it trying to figure out what and why it was named the way it was, like this one.
With this book, could it be because Rafe and Jeremy as friends 15 years ago, got lost in the forest, and thus, as the lost boys, something changed because they were gone?
Or, could it have been when they were found, Rafe came back with no memory of what had happened to him, and thus he lost his story?
And, how will those two points even make sense to readers without continuing to turn pages?
Or, when Emilie came to Jeremy to find her sister, since now that is what Jeremy does, find lost girls, that perhaps they might have lost their stories, too?
Or, will Emilie’s entrance into the story be a catalyst to unraveling the mystery to Rafe and Jeremy, and possibly more?
Or, is there something about the forest of Red Crow that makes one wonder that maybe that is where stories end up? Lost?
Or, is there another mystery within this story that is bigger than we ever thought possible?
Well, I’d like to believe that with this little enriching, fairy tale of magic and mystery and love and (possibly) lost stories, it will capture readers in a way that makes those reading want to turn pages until answers are found.
And, because this is a story of unusually talented boys, now grown up, readers will undoubtedly want to know more about the main characters, Rafe and Jeremy’s back stories. And, will most likely be curious about the sisters, who are (possibly) lost and maybe…? (To say more would be a spoiler, and that is not my thing.)
I believe this is a story that is beautifully, and artfully told. With prose that guides readers through a unique magical realm that makes it hard to put this book down. And, that is what makes Shaffer such an exquisite storyteller.
The question remains, can we hope for a HEA ending? (Again, if you are looking for spoilers, you have come to the wrong place! ☺️) Just, take your chance on a little adult fairy tale.
Lastly...There may be some triggers within this story that are not always seen but may be alluded to (while some are obvious): domestic and family violence, adoption, depression, mental illness, death of parents, implied gay character....more
If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, readers just might find themselves attracted to Isaiah Quintabe, better known as IQ, a 26-year-old African AmericIf you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, readers just might find themselves attracted to Isaiah Quintabe, better known as IQ, a 26-year-old African American “private eye.” He takes on cases the police are less likely to involve themselves in. And, he is the star protagonist of this novel, which is this author’s debut.
Isaiah is a bit moralistic, who happened to love his older beloved brother named Marcus. This will be important for readers to understand because what occurred, molds IQ’s character.
We begin, when the author takes readers directly into a crime in progress. There is an obvious creepy guy with nefarious ideals towards an innocent teenage girl. And then there is IQ, a bystander witness. He goes into action with his deductive skills, recognizing that a possible crime is in process. He has interesting ways of processing this scene, and, quite the tools in his “toolchest” to thwart the crime.
Of course, IQ won’t stick around for the hero status, he’s not interested in the credit or the accolades. This is another aspect of IQ’s character that makes him so likable.
So, what happened in IQ’s past that makes him want to right the wrongs for the locals? What happened to Marcus? And what happened in IQ’s past that brought him to become this present kind of Los Angeles private investigator who is gifted like Sherlock Holmes?
While readers contemplate this through their swift turning of pages, a case comes. And it involves someone who needs help, and perhaps some dogs. Is this a take on the Hound of the Baskervilles? If it involves protecting a dog, or any dog, I am all in, and I think readers will agree, as well!
Oh, and IQ has a sidekick that is similar to Dr. Watson, of Sherlock Holmes fame, in Juanell Dodson, a war veteran. Readers should just go with it and appreciate what he and other characters add to the story!
There is action. It is gritty. (A bit of foul language for the sensitive ears.) There is that Los Angeles scenery. The investigations are good. And, it almost feels like it is being written for the screen. Hmmm…wonder who has the rights?
And, Isaiah is a fascinating character to want to follow into a future series. Will the author continue to follow his Sherlock theme – perhaps adding a Moriarty type nemesis presence? I understand his next book is called “Righteous.” Maybe it might be worth checking out, too.
Whatever is decided, I liked that IQ also had his own dog named Ruffin. That makes him worthy and watchable in my eyes!...more
It seemed only fitting that I would take this older Bones (2013) with me to my first I.V. immunotherapy session to fight my cancer. Why not? Isn’t TemIt seemed only fitting that I would take this older Bones (2013) with me to my first I.V. immunotherapy session to fight my cancer. Why not? Isn’t Tempe Brennan, our favorite forensic anthropologist a fighter too? For whatever reason, I just feel at home in a Bones book. The characters feel like family, including her cat, Birdie.
Of course, going backwards, when I am already reading her most recent novels, reminded me that I had already read this one, but it was nice to re-visit it. It also reminded me how devoted she is to her cases. The importance she places on getting all the facts, her bossiness, her relentless pursuit for the truth, and her willingness to dive deep until she knows what really happened despite whether the victim was a “good” person or not. Because sometimes cops were just opinionated about the victims. And, she cared to know what really happened before putting the case to rest.
There is always good dialogue throughout, interesting banter, and of course, the never-ending tension with her soon to be ex-husband, Pete and what may come with her on-again-off-again partnership with Ryan. And, in this one, there will be some sadness that Ryan endures in this story, that will affect him deeply.
With this case, the more Tempe digs, the more she discovers, with the right amount of page-turning tension, which gives readers a very satisfying read.
As in all series, it is best to start from the beginning to get the full satisfaction of the characters back stories.
And, of course, as a treat, the author provides a “from the forensic files of Dr. Kathy Reichs” at the back of the book that should not be read until the end....more
For many fans of the late Michael Crichton, you might have been just as curious as I was when we heard that his widow, Sherri had released his notes fFor many fans of the late Michael Crichton, you might have been just as curious as I was when we heard that his widow, Sherri had released his notes for publication and collaboration with fellow author, James Patterson. Another possible novel from Michael Crichton? Of course, this isn’t the first one after his death. But it is one that apparently remained dormant on his hard drive for 20 years that needed an ending, according to Sherri.
So, why not hand it over to prolific author, Patterson? There is quite the gush acknowledgement by the widow at the end of the book, if interested.
With a story title like “Eruption,” and a book cover with a spouting volcano, I think it is fairly obvious to readers that we have an idea what we are in for from the beginning. What we don’t know is the underpinnings of what it all means. And, that is the tension of what the story wants to deliver to readers.
“The eruption was only days away.”
So, what does this mean exactly?
For the scientist characters working at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, how are they going to “vent the volcano,” warn the public, or what? And for those who have not heard the term, venting a volcano, that seems to suggest that they can safely direct millions of tons of lava wherever they (humans) choose. Wow! Didn’t know we had such power over nature! Did you?
But there is more. There is something that the Army has been doing that this eruption will unleash on to the residents. (No spoilers from me.) Will Mac and his team be able to save the Island in time? Maybe even the world?!
Sometimes I felt like I was reading a movie script. Hmmm…
Crichton was always one dappling in science. And, with Patterson’s thriller mystery voice, was he able to bring the two comfortably together?
Well, it was a bit of a strain, and when the disaster finally hit, it was almost like a relief – you know, like, we were expecting it, so, it finally came! Now we can get on with life.
To be honest, I wouldn’t have given this book a second look hadn’t I been reading an article in my local newspaper about it. Fantasy isn’t really my gTo be honest, I wouldn’t have given this book a second look hadn’t I been reading an article in my local newspaper about it. Fantasy isn’t really my genre, even if I love magical realism, this isn’t the way I love to read it or see it play out.
But it shared that this book was based on ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. I recently re-visited that one earlier this year and loved it. My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
So, here I am. Attempting to make sense of it. But as I read it, I was wondering where the similarity was to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. I could definitely see the fantasy retelling of Antony and Cleopatra. Was that supposed to be it?
I believe fantasy lovers will enjoy this plot. It is fast paced with a competition that is key to the plot. (Think Hunger Games.) Still, if readers are interested in getting information, it is slow to be revealed leading to many twists along the way.
In many fantasy realms, power and abuse of power is key, as well as what characters will do to gain it. So, what characters are willing to do, will be the moral question of the day in a story like this.
And, as I mentioned, this is not my thing, so I found myself bored, uninterested, disappointed, and ready to close this book and be done.
I believe, I am an outlier. Please read other reviews in which fantasy lovers will most likely feel more engaged with the plot. Like my Goodreads friend, Sara Machado and her beautiful review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......more
Oh Alex, you had me at page 4. And, then you did it again. You kept at it with every chapter. What were you doing to me? My pulse couldn’t stop racingOh Alex, you had me at page 4. And, then you did it again. You kept at it with every chapter. What were you doing to me? My pulse couldn’t stop racing. I kept checking my Apple Watch to make sure I wasn’t hyperventilating from all the excitement, as you kept me hanging and wanting more from all the little shocker reveals at the end of each chapter.
Ryan and Ali(son) are so in love. They are at the end of their high school year, and they want to have this instant romantic evening together before they head off to their separate colleges. And, just as they might be able to have that loving teenage moment together at their favorite hang-out secluded spot, a storm hits.
But wait readers, there is more!
As they head for shelter to Ali’s car, did someone knock Ryan out, or are we imaging it?
And then, readers find Ryan waking up, Alison and her car are gone and it is daylight. Chapter ends.
And, thus this is how it is throughout the book. Moments like this with explicit tension.
Something dramatic happens at the end of each chapter where readers are left hanging with a piece of news hoping for some explanation…but not necessarily getting it. Yet!
And, that is where readers feel like they are attending a masterclass in expert plotting.
By chapter 2, readers find themselves fast forwarding 5 years later. What happened? Ryan has changed his last name and although he is evading his past, it seems to be catching up to him. Why?
Readers are still left wondering what happened to Alison that fateful night 5 years earlier. And, what happens when Alison’s car is found 5 years later? And, what happens when some (thing?) is found in Alison’s car that isn’t Alison? And, who is after Ryan now?
Will the past ever be resolved?
And, will Karen ever get some sleep? (That’s me! Spoiler reveal: No.)
So many questions…
I couldn’t turn pages fast enough to keep up with the twists and turns in this fast-paced, riveting story that will have readers guessing what really happened on that night long ago. And, if readers think they know…don’t be so sure of yourself!...more
I have to admit, I like this Follett best. Not that I didn’t enjoy his first story of the trilogy, “The Pillars of the Earth.” I just prefer the storyI have to admit, I like this Follett best. Not that I didn’t enjoy his first story of the trilogy, “The Pillars of the Earth.” I just prefer the storyteller in him here.
He has a way of creating characters that feel real.
This story is set on the eve of WWI. A bit of personal tragedy set against the backdrop of world tragedy.
He builds his narrative suspense in a way that makes readers enjoy being inside this historical fiction novel wondering what the interplay will be – will they or won’t they?
A bit of romance, intrigue, a murderous mission, a war backdrop. So much to take in, that readers can’t help but turn pages and know that Follett is taking us a long on a suspenseful journey worth every moment until the last page leaves us fairly appreciative and satisfied....more
This is the author’s debut novel. He has already garnered or been shortlisted for several awards. He is the recipient of the 2021 Michael Gifkins PrizThis is the author’s debut novel. He has already garnered or been shortlisted for several awards. He is the recipient of the 2021 Michael Gifkins Prize, and shortlisted for the 2023 Ngaio Marsh and Ned Kelly Awards.
A Michael Gifkins Prize is an award for an unpublished novel for writers holding New Zealand citizenship or who are permanent residents of New Zealand. He is originally from New Zealand, but currently lives in Paris, France.
A Ngaio Marsh award are literary awards presented annually in New Zealand to recognize excellence. And a Ned Kelly Award are Australia’s leading literary awards for crime writing in both the crime fiction and true crime genres.
This is a story addressing real-world issues in an interesting, but compassionate way through the portrayal of small-town life.
When children go missing, Lorraine Henry, a middle-aged record clerk in rural New Zealand, serving at a small-town police station where her Maori husband Frank once worked, before he died is concerned. But it doesn’t seem to be a priority for the police.
Still, Lorraine is troubled and hoping the police will move on it. They do, eventually. But slowly. They send Detective Justin Hayes to investigate. But when her nephew, Bradley goes missing, it becomes more personal for Lorraine.
Justin and Lorraine work together to try and find answers. It is what they discover that creates a stylish, multi-layered debut worth investigating by readers.
A thrilling atmospheric plot with well-developed characterization. That also hits on sensitive social issues worth understanding....more
Sometimes I am surprised when I discover I haven’t read a Baldacci. And, then I am even more surprised when it is a stand-alone, like this one.
And, wSometimes I am surprised when I discover I haven’t read a Baldacci. And, then I am even more surprised when it is a stand-alone, like this one.
And, what makes this one so interesting, it is an older novel, written just a year after Baldacci gained notice with his first novel, “Absolute Power” which spent about 4 months on the New York Times best-seller list, at the time.
This one, in true Baldacci fashion only takes 5 pages before the action is clearly set with a plane crash that kills everyone on board. It doesn’t take long for readers to meet our main protagonist, lawyer, Sidney Archer, whose life will be inevitably changed because of it.
And, what did her husband have to do with this plane crash? And, why are their more dead bodies being dropped amongst the pages of this story?
Will teaming up with FBI Agent Lee Sawyer help to uncover the truth?
This story will feel like a roller coaster ride through dangerous people and secrets. There are some places within the story where readers will need to suspend disbelief, but other than that (which may be a big ask at times), it feels like we are watching an action movie in which Baldacci is in charge – or should I say, total control, every step of the way. Just let yourself go with it. If, willing....more
I had read this last year, but for whatever reason, never posted my review. So, while I was in the library a few weeks ago, I saw the bookCatching up…
I had read this last year, but for whatever reason, never posted my review. So, while I was in the library a few weeks ago, I saw the book again, and I thought I should re-visit it so that I could include my review this time.
This is one of those books that if you had chores you were planning to do, forget it until the next day, or even the day after tomorrow, because this will be a book that will be hard to put down.
Wonderful plotting. High tension throughout. Even with mixed reviews, readers will either love the story or not.
The twists challenged me, the characters were believable, the murder books were our main character’s case notes that kept the story moving. The action was immersive and it was definitely a character driven story. Harry Duncan is our main character, an ex-cop, now consultant on the case, that readers will enjoy following from beginning to end....more
As a former CIA counterterrorism analyst, this author brings a sense of authenticity to her story which kicks off from the nail-biting first page.
ReaAs a former CIA counterterrorism analyst, this author brings a sense of authenticity to her story which kicks off from the nail-biting first page.
Readers are first introduced to Jill Bailey, a CIA analyst whose son is kidnapped and won’t be returned unless she vets a source named Falcon. And, if she ever breathes a word about this event, he will be killed. So, to save her son she quits her job, changes her name and convinces her husband to leave the state.
Only, when they settle in, she finds a note… YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE.
So, who did this to Jill? And, why?
For the next four years everything seems fine. Until she is contacted by an investigative journalist named Alex Charles who has been given her name by an unknown source about Falcon.
Will Jill finally open up about what happened? Will Alex be able to write the Pulitzer Prize winning story? Will Jill be able to right this terrible wrong she thrust upon the country when she allowed Falcon in?
When readers think they know everything, think again. Readers will experience quite the rollercoaster ride of twists and turns in the final third of the story, so hang on to your seat. But the biggest plot twists to come, will be revealed at the end. And the most likely question readers will be asking themselves will be…
I have always appreciated Larson for his storytelling. The non-fiction writer who writes as if it we were rea“I invite you now to step into the past.”
I have always appreciated Larson for his storytelling. The non-fiction writer who writes as if it we were reading a suspense novel waiting for the climatic moment to occur. Only he isn’t writing a fiction novel, he is writing about truth in history – a time in the past that we get to live within the pages. We are just feeling it and experiencing it as if it were alive and real and happening to us in real time. Only it is history playing out for us, not a suspense novel.
Unfortunately, as the author begins writing this story, he finds himself in a conundrum as he compares the Civil War to January 6, 2021. He shares that he is “appalled” but also “riveted” by “today’s political discord, which incredibly has led some benighted Americans to whisper of secession and civil war.” Did those same people on January 6, 2021 really know what they were talking about when they spoke about what it was like during the Civil War?
As always, Larson’s research takes us there. This story covers a five-month period, the drama between Abraham Lincoln’s election in November 1860 and the attack and surrender of Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina.
Larson has a way with his narrative that takes us directly to the past. Plopping us within the setting and making us feel present.
However, as thorough as his research is, this wasn’t his best book, for me. Even as I took my time reading it, in-between my other novels.
Black Americans and Abolitionists are hardly mentioned. You would think this would be important considering the time in history. Still, I recognize the author has chosen to limit his book to a five-month time period. And, the focus on Fort Sumter. Is that his excuse? But still, it seemed that a lot of past history characters are hardly fleshed out, and that has not been typical of the author in his past books. Obviously, I am conflicted here.
If anything, maybe this book will open the door for readers to be curious about the Civil War and want to explore other history books.
Also, there is undoubtedly good history to be read here, with sources, acknowledgments and a vast bibliography, notes and index that takes us to 565 total pages. And, no doubt a reminder that we need not want to repeat history again.
By the end of this book, we can’t help but question ourselves in today’s world, because that is where we live…
Are we indeed heading towards a civil war of differences politically that could lead to real bloodshed again?...more
“I think my dear friend Amelia Earhart said it best, ‘Everyone has oceans to fly, if they have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe. But what do “I think my dear friend Amelia Earhart said it best, ‘Everyone has oceans to fly, if they have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe. But what do dreams know of boundaries?”’-Olivia West
This tale which was actually inspired by true life events, is told in two timelines. First spotlighting the adventures of spunky Livy West as she shows what women can do by joining an all-male flight contest in 1927 to fly across the Pacific. And, second, Wren Summers as she awkwardly learns how her life will change as she addresses in 1987, her inheritance of a remote piece of land in Hawaii.
At first, Wren’s reaction is to want to sell the land, because she is desolate and miserable and needs the money. But there is something magical about what exists in her late great-aunt’s barn that hints at a tragic piece of aviation history.
The question is how will this land and what Wren discovers tie back to Olivia West? And, what will Wren find that could change the trajectory of her own life? Including the love of a dog named Pa’a?
Will these stories eventually come together so that readers can unravel the mystery?
The Hawaiian landscapes could be a character in this story, they were so beautifully presented.
This is a delightful historical fiction story that features second chance moments, that shine a light on women’s accomplishments, while pushing boundaries, helping to find family, and lastly, a special dog, that somehow, captures this reader’s heart.
And without giving away anything, it is always nice when you can appreciate that by the time you reach the end, even if the story was slow at times, you feel right with the overall experience of the story.
“Because the people and the places, the beauty and the heartbreak, they were all part of the scenery – all part of one imperfect and splendid journey.”...more
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