The Woman in the Photo by Mary Hogan

In The Woman in the Photo, Lee Parker digs into her family's history after her adoption records are unsealed and she sees a photograph of a woman. The photograph shows a woman, who looks like her, standing amidst a pile of rubble next to Clara Barton, the founder of the Red Cross. What she discovers will change her life forever.

I loved this book! It was inspired by a real life disaster in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where a dam in the mountains above the town bursts and floods the town.

The story alternates between the past, 1889, and the present. The past features Elizabeth Haberlin, a young woman of privilege and her life at an exclusive country club in the Allegheny Mountains near Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The present features financially strapped Lee and her adoptive mother as Lee digs into her family's past.

I especially like the sections that take place in the past. The setting and the language used by the author felt authentic to the time period. I loved reading about how the wealthy lived and how the young people of the time were expected to behave. The story also highlights the disparity between the wealthy and the working class of the area.

This story features a person from real life, Clara Barton. I love it when real life people become characters into fictional stories. The author includes a lot about Barton's history and how she founded the Red Cross. All of this information was fascinating.

This edition of the book includes an additional section at the back of the book, which contains information about the author, and the real life story on which the book is based, a reading group guide as well as a book synopsis of Hogan's other book. It's definitely worth the read.

I've also read Two Sisters and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I haven't written my review yet.

Highly recommended. I hope to read another book by this author.

For more information about this book, please visit the HarperCollins website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at William Morrow for this review copy. Sorry the review is so late.

The Woman in the Photo by Mary Hogan William Morrow (HarperCollins), ©2016. ISBN 9780062386939(Trade paperback), 406p.

Things Half in Shadow by Alan Finn

In Things Half in Shadow, the reporter for the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, Edward Clark, has been asked to use his knowledge about magic and magicians to expose mediums in the city of Philadelphia just after the American Civil War. He plans to expose Lucy Collins first, but when she learns of a secret in his past and plans to blackmail him, he has no choice but to team up with her. Soon they find themselves at the murder scene of a seemingly legitimate medium, Lenora Grimes Pastor, and work together to find her real killer.

To say I loved this book would be an understatement. I absolutely adored it! The author had me hanging on every word, from the first page to the very last. I found it immediately engaging and quite the page turner throughout. It's so well written and perfectly paced.

I especially love the way the book was written. The book starts out in the first person narrative with Clark looking back on his life, recording the events for his granddaughter. A perfect style for this story.

The historical information and subject matter were both terrific. I like reading historical fiction, but hadn't read any in quite awhile. This one had me feeling like I had been transported to a period in Philadelphia's history. As for the subject matter, even though I don't believe that ghosts exist or that mediums can talk to the dead on the other side, I found the storyline intriguing. Finn didn't change my mind in either of these matters (I don't think he meant to), but that didn't stop me from enjoying the book immensely.

I especially loved Clark as the main protagonist, but all of the characters were sensational. Lucy Collins, the Willoughbys, the Pastors, the Duttons, and everyone else. I love it when authors incorporate real-life people into the story. Here, Finn uses P.T. Barnum, the famous showman as a character interested in using a medium in his travelling show. Fantastic!!

The ending or at least part of it were a complete surprise. While I didn't have any ideas about how it would end, I certainly didn't see those events coming at all. The author hints at another book, possibly a series. I couldn't be more pleased.

Alan Finn is the pseudonym of Todd Ritter. I've read two other books by Ritter, Bad Moon and Death Notice. I adored them both. I'll have to track it down the other book in the Kat Campbell series.

Highly recommended!!! I hope to read many more books by this author.

For more information about this book, please visit Simon & Schuster website.

For more information about the author and his other books, please visit Alan Finn's or Todd Ritter's website.

Thanks to those nice people at Kaye Publicity for this review copy.

Things Half in Shadow by Alan Finn, Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster), ©2015. ISBN 9781476761725(Advance Uncorrected Proof), 434p.

The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor

The Girl Who Came Home tells the story of Maggie Murphy, a young Irish girl who set out from Ireland with 13 other members of her town to sail on the Titanic to a better life in America. Much later in life, Maggie finally opens up to her great-granddaughter about that ill-fated trip.

I loved this book. Told from two different time frames: 1912 and 1982, the book is based on true events using fictional characters. I especially love how the story unfolded, but I admit that it was really hard for me to read at times because it was so incredibly sad. I had to put the book down a number of times in order to compose myself before continuing.

Gaynor, the author, used entries from Maggie's journal as well as a few letters from Seamus, the boy Maggie left behind in Ireland, to tell parts of the story. I loved how restrained she was in doing so. It definitely wasn't overdone. She also included some real Marconigrams from the time period, some from the Titanic itself, at the beginning of different story parts.

I also loved the lovely little twist at the end about Maggie. I didn't see that coming, but it definitely made the ending a bit more uplifting. I don't want to say more than that for fear of giving too much away.

Although I hadn't seen any of the Titanic movies/TV specials/etc., I did see an exhibit of Titanic memorabilia. I loved the exhibit, but I don't think I truly appreciated the magnitude of the event or the suffering of everyone on board. Hearing/reading the personal account a survivor, albeit fictional, really accentuated all of that.

This edition of the book contains a P.S. section, which features information about the author, the story behind the book, a glossary of Irish terms, and some reading group discussion questions. The whole thing was worth the read, but I especially loved the story behind the story. It explained which parts of the book were based on real life events.

Highly recommended. I probably could go on and on about this book, but I'll leave it there. I'd definitely read another book by this author.

For more information about this book, please visit the HarperCollins website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at William Morrow/HarperCollins for this review copy.

The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic by Hazel Gaynor, William Morrow (HarperCollins), ©2014. ISBN 9780062316868(Trade paperback), 359p.

The Keeper of Secrets by Julie Thomas

In The Keeper of Secrets, child violin prodigy Daniel Horowitz has decided that he's not going to play the violin anymore unless his parents also allow him to play baseball with his friends. World renowned conductor, Rafael Gomez, who understands Daniel's feelings, develops a plan to inspire Daniel. He's determined to find a violin that once belonged to the Horowitz family. It's not just any violin. It's a precious Guarneri del Gesú violin, which was lost to the Germans during WWII. His plan takes the reader on a heartbreaking trip from modern-day Chicago, to the horrors of Dachau, and to the leaders and rules in communist Russia.

I loved this book. The story was absolutely wonderful. It was filled with details about music, politics, families, secrets, survival and courage. The characters were fantastic, even the ones that were hard to read about. I especially loved how the story looped back and came full circle.

The book also contained a fascinating look into Russia, the Party and its leaders. All stuff that was pretty new to me, but I found it intriguing. The information about the concentration camps during WWII was horrific, while the details about the violins, how they are made, and how they sounded was all wonderful. I loved all of the references to music and keep thinking about how magnificent the soundtrack would be should the book be made into a movie.

There was one particular passage from the book that resonated with me. There was a conversation between Daniel and the maestro that talked about learning a new piece of music.

...it's in two languages, first the language of the brain, all the notes in the right order and the timing and the key and so on and so on. Then second, the language of the heart. This distinction, it is what separates all musicians. (page 20)

As a very mediocre flutist, I related to this passage.  I could learn all of the notes and such, but relating a "feeling" or learning that second "language" as a musician eluded me.  

I had reservations about reading this book at first because I thought that some of the details would be too hard for me to handle. And indeed, some of them were. Near the end of the book, I had to put it down for a few days before reading the ending. It was just too much. I don't want to give too much of the story away, but the ending made the whole book worth the read. I was glad that I didn't shy away from it despite the extremely heartbreaking parts.

Highly recommended. I'd definitely read another book by this author.

For more information about this book, please visit the HarperCollins website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at William Morrow/HarperCollins for this review copy.

The Keeper of Secrets by Julie Thomas, William Morrow (HarperCollins), ©2013. ISBN 9780062240309 (Trade paperback), 358p.

The Widows of Braxton County by Jess McConkey

In The Widows of Braxton County, Kate marries Joe Krause and moves to the family farm in Iowa. It's not like she pictured or hoped it would be. For one thing, she didn't know that Joe's mother, Trudy, would be living with them. It didn't help that Trudy didn't like Kate at all. Eventually, she learns of a long kept secret in the Krause family about a death long ago that still has the town gossiping.

I really enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it. I really liked the story format. It jumps back and forth between the past (1890) and the present (2012). I thought this was a perfect way to present these two part to the story that were in many ways quite similar. The author was able to reveal little bits and pieces in each, which made it all the more suspenseful.

The problems I had were mainly with Kate. She said she wanted her own life and get away from her grandmother. However, she also said she couldn't wait for her husband to take care of her. That didn't sound right to me, not when it was supposed to be 2012. Also, I wanted to give Kate a shake at her reaction after suffering mental and physical abuse at the hands of Joe. She said it was all her fault for approaching him at the wrong time. *big sigh* Again, that sounds like someone who's terribly naïve or someone who's from a previous time period where women had fewer options.

On the plus side, I really liked Will from the hardware store, and the neighbour, Rose. Both of them were good strong characters. I also liked Hannah, the first widow, from 1890.

The suspense about long kept secret was really good. However, I want there to be more to it. I felt a bit underwhelmed by it all. It wasn't that I didn't like the ending it was just that I wanted something more. It did, however, keep me interested and rapidly turning pages until the very end.

Jess McConkey is also known as Shirley Damsgaard.

This edition of the book contains a P.S. section, which features an article about the author, the story behind the book, a reading group guide, and information on her other books. It's well worth the read.

This is the first book I've read from McConkey. I do, however, have a few of her mysteries on my to-be-read shelf. I had no idea McConkey and Damsgaard were the same person.

Recommended.

For more information about this book, please visit the HarperCollins website.

For more information about the author and her other books, please visit Jess McConkey's website or Shirley Damsgaard's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at HarperCollins for this review copy.

The Widows of Braxton County by Jess McConkey, William Morrow (HarperCollins), ©2013. ISBN 9780062188267(Trade paperback), 358p.

A Half Forgotten Song by Katherine Webb

In A Half Forgotten Song, 14-year old Dimity "Mitzy" Hatcher has been raised by her wild and aloof mother. She's lonely and is desperate to belong. When Charles Aubrey, a famous artist and his family visit the area for the summer, Mitzy befriends his daughters. As Aubrey becomes interested in drawing Mitzy, she becomes obsessed with him. Many years later, Zach descends upon the village in search of information about the artist and a particular drawing that has caught his interest. As he searches for answers, he uncovers long buried secrets of those long ago summers.

I adored this book! Webb is definitely one of my favourite authors and I think this is my favourite book of hers to date. The descriptions of the works of art as well as the setting of the story were fantastic. I loved it all.

Like Webb's other books, this one alternates between the past and the present. In the past, Mitzy is a young girl; in the present Dimity is an old, reclusive woman. I really felt sorry for Mitzy as a child, but it's her life in her later years that had me in tears a number of times. This alone kept me glued to the pages. I had to know what happened to this woman in her life that left her so isolated and alone as she got older. The story was more incredible than I ever could have imagined. It definitely took a teenage crush and an obsession to a whole new level.

The story is very relatable, at least for women. I think most teenage girls have at least one intense crush in their adolescence. Thankfully, very few of them (us) take it to this level.

The ending and its implications were haunting. It still gives me shivers to think about it.

This edition of the book includes a PS section, which features notes about the author, a Q&A, the story behind the book, a Reading Group Guide, suggested further reading, and other books by Webb. I love these additions to books and always find them worth a read.

I've also read two other books by Webb: The Legacy and The Unseen. I loved them both.

Highly recommended. I can't say enough good things about this book. I'm definitely looking forward to her next book, The Misbegotten.

For more information about this book, please visit the HarperCollins website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at HarperCollins for this review copy.

A Half Forgotten Song by Katherine Webb, HarperCollins, ©2013. ISBN 9780062234520(Uncorrected Proof), 469p.

The Doctor and the Diva by Adrienne McDonnell

In The Doctor and the Diva, Erika von Kessler, an opera singer and her husband, Peter, are struggling to have a baby. They consult Doctor Ravell, a Harvard-educated obstetrician, who is renowned for helping couples conceive. However, by this time, Erika is convinced that it's hopeless and she's desperate to go to Italy to pursue her operatic career. This story of love affairs, desires, and decisions, take the reader to various locals: Boston, South America, and Italy.

I loved this debut novel, which is based on a true story of the author's ancestor. It's so beautifully told with fantastic characters and wonderfully inviting locals. I loved that it was told from the various characters' viewpoints. The historical aspects were especially intriguing. McDonnell was able to convey details about the time period (early 1900s) that made me feel like I was actually there. The details and descriptions of Trinidad, Venezuela, and Italy were stunning.

The story itself was fascinating. I found it extremely interesting to read about fertility treatments at the time. I didn't realize that couples had options back then. I also loved reading about Erika's career and all of the details about the operas. I adore opera; too bad I can't listen and read at the same time because I have a number of CDs that would be perfect background music for this book.

I loved the characters, too. In some respect, I shouldn't have been able to relate to them. I don't have children and haven't had to make the agonizing decision between them and a career. But, somehow I did. I didn't always agree with their decisions, but I was able to understand why they made them. Thankfully, none of this stopped me from thoroughly enjoying this story.

One part I couldn't figure out was why Doctor Ravell failed to contact Erika for long periods of time, when he obviously had strong feelings for her.

Because of the subject matter, this book might not be for everyone.

Highly recommended.

For more information about this book, please visit Penguin's website.

For more information about the author, please visit Adrienne McDonnell's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Penguin for this review copy.

The Doctor and the Diva by Adrienne McDonnell, Viking (Penguin), ©2010. ISBN 9780670021888(Advance Uncorrected Proof), 422p.

The House Girl by Tara Conklin

The House Girl, tells the story of two women. Lina Sparrow, in the present, who is working on a reparations case for the descendants of slaves. Josephine, in the past, who is a house girl for Lu Anne Bell, the mistress on a tobacco plantation. Lu Anne is an artist, but there's some speculation and controversy, in the present, that Josephine might have been the real artist. Lina's job of finding a suitable plaintiff leads her to dig into Josephine's story and discover secrets of not only Josephine's life, but her own.

I loved this book. It was well written and extremely interesting. I enjoyed both parts of the story, but I think I enjoyed the one that takes place in the past a little more, mostly for reasons I explain below. The art and the whole the art world were particularly enthralling to me. I don't know a lot about art, but I found it captivating nevertheless.

To present this story, the author jumps back and forth between the past (1852) and the present day (2004). Secrets were uncovered and the details unfolded roughly at the same time in the story showing the symmetry between them. A perfect format for this type of story.

Both of the major women characters were strong, determined and very appealing. I especially loved Josephine's determination to get away.

I really enjoyed the letters Dot wrote to her sister. I've seen letters used many times in books and quite frankly I was a bit tired of it. I really wasn't looking forward to reading them. However, these were so well done, I felt like I was reading a piece of history. They had me totally hooked.

A couple of things about the story bothered me a little. First, when Lina was looking for a descendent of Josephine, she stumbled upon one a little too readily. Something like that could have and perhaps should have taken years. Second, the reparations case "wrapped up" a little too quickly. Perhaps this happens in real life, but it felt rushed to me. Because of these two things, I didn't love the present day story as much as I could have.

Highly recommended. I'd definitely read another book by this author.

For more information about this book, please visit the HarperCollins website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at William Morrow for this review copy.

The House Girl by Tara Conklin, William Morrow (HarperCollins), ©2013. ISBN 9780062207395(Advance Reader's Edition), 368p.

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

In Mistress of the Art of Death, a child has been murdered and others are missing. The Jews are being accused of this horrendous act. Simon of Naples, an investigator, and a young female doctor, Adelia Aguilar, are dispatched to investigate. Adelia's speciality is the study of corpses and she's hoping the bodies can lead to the identity of the killer. However, it's the late 10th century in England and females doctors are almost unheard of. Adelia must hide her profession lest she's accused of witchcraft.

I really enjoyed this one. The historical references were terrific. I haven't read too many (if any) books set in this time period, but the author's scene setting and use of language made me feel like I was actually there. I love both mysteries and historical fiction, but it's not often that a book features the best of both worlds. This one was exactly that. A real treat!

I didn't start out loving or even liking Adelia, but she definitely grew on me. At first, she seemed unapproachable, cold, and harsh. After awhile, though, I really started to like her. I don't know if she changed or I got used to her style. I also really liked Adelia's cook, Glytha, and her young grandson, Ulf, who helped out Adelia.

I did have a little trouble following what was going on at times, though, but I usually caught on within a couple of pages, so it wasn't too bad.

I generally keep track of the new words I encounter in books. However, I didn't bother doing that with this one. There were just too many and recording each of the new words would have seemed like work. I'm guessing that most of them were objects or expressions from the time period or region.

Ariana Franklin is the pen name of British writer Diana Norman. It funny that her website (see below) doesn't mention that. That same website also doesn't mention that she died in 2011. The last copyright was in 2010, so I guess it hasn't been updated since then.

Highly recommended. I'm going to keep an eye out for her other books. I'd love to read another one.

This book came to me through my bookclub. The Bookcrossing sticker on the front immediately caught my attention because I was a member of the Bookcrossing community for a long time. However, I haven't been active in many years. If you are interested, the Bookcrossing entries for this book can be found here. And, by the way, here's my bookshelf on the Bookcrossing website.

For more information about this book and the author, please visit the Ariana Franklin's website.

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin, Transworld Publishers (Random House), ©2007. ISBN 9780553818000(Trade paperback), 503p.

Lighthouse Bay by Kimberley Freeman

Lighthouse Bay features two love stories separated by 100 years. In 1901, Isabella Winterbourne is the sole survivor of a ship wreck off the coast of Queensland, Australia. With her she carries a jewelled mace, a gift for the Australian parliament. With her husband drowned, she's free to start a new life. That is, until the rest of Winterbourne family catches up with her. In the present day, LIbby returns to her home town of Lighthouse bay after the death of her lover. While there, she tries to reconcile with her sister, Juliet. Because of a tragic event, the two haven't spoken 20 years. Libby meets a man that is Juliet's sworn enemy. That doesn't make their reunion any easier. In order to move on, both Isabella and Libby have to let go of the past.

One of the reasons I wanted to read this book is that Kate Morton, who is one of my favourite authors, is a close friend and supporter of this author. Morton's recommended carried lots of weight for me. I'm so glad I decided to follow her advice, because I really enjoyed this one.

With books like this, I sometimes favour one story over the other, but in this case, I liked both equally as much. The whole book was well written and filled with great characters and interesting storylines. I really liked reading about Australia in the present and the past. It sounds wonderful.

My favourite character was Isabella. I really felt sorry for her before the shipwreck. Her first husband was horrid! Matthew, the older man who takes her in in Australia, was a much better match for her. However, I didn't get a really good sense of who he was. He figured prominently in the story, so I should have been able to figure him out. I guess he just didn't grab me.

I also liked Libby, but her estrangement from her sister hit too close to home for me. It brought back some unpleasant memories and made me a little uncomfortable. It made me realize, though, that family estrangements aren't uncommon and that life does go on.

I have two minor complaints about the storyline. First, I really wanted the stories to be more connected. Without that strong connection, either story could have stood on its own. Second, I thought Libby was supposed to be looking for the Winterbourne mystery, yet she didn't do much to find it. I know she was focusing on starting over with her life and Juliet, but the mystery part, the part I found really interesting, sort of got lost. I guess that ties in with my first complaint. Had she done more to solve the mystery, it would have tied the two stories together more. So, perhaps I only have only complaint. ;)

I encountered some new-to-me words while reading the book. Here they are:
slattern (page 56): an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman's standards of hygiene and grooming
unctuous (page 56): creepy
venality (page 199): corrupt

Highly recommended. I'd definitely read another book by this author.

For more information about this book, please visit Simon & Schuster's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Simon & Schuster for this review copy.

Lighthouse Bay by Kimberley Freeman, Touchstone (Simon & Schuster) ©2012. ISBN 9781451672794(Advance Reader Copy),415p.

Seduction by M.J. Rose

In Seduction , Victor Hugo's daughter, Didine, drowns and he is devastated. Years later, he tries to connect her by holding a number of séances. While trying to contact, Didine, he makes a number of other contacts, including Jesus, Shakespeare and the Devil. It's this last contact that could lead to his ruin. In the present, Jac L’Etoile, a mythologist, is invited to Jersey by Theo Gaspard. The two had met as teenagers while in therapy in Switzerland, but haven't seen each other in years. Jac wants to investigate the area's Celtic roots, but he wants her to look into something much more sinister and dangerous.

I really enjoyed this book and the way in which it was presented; split between the past and present. When stories are presented like this, I generally like one part more than the other. In this case, I like the present story more than the past one. While I enjoyed reading Hugo's journal, written in the first person, in which he relays his séance and other-worldly encounters to Fantine, I didn't really enjoy the character of "The Shadow of the Sepulcher". A bit too bizarre for me. Overall, though, the story was really good.

As with many books from Rose, this story deals with reincarnation. While I don't know much about it, I find it utterly fascinating. I occasionally wonder about my past lives (which I don't remember) and try to reconcile that notion with my Roman Catholic upbringing. It's an interesting thought, if nothing else. I'm not much of a believer when it comes to séances, so that part of the story didn't resonate with me.

Jac is such a great character. She's a mythologist and skeptical about reincarnation yet has this amazing ability to remember past lives. I loved reading about her and her abilities, but I didn't quite understand some stuff that was happening this time around. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll leave it at that and hope that I'll understand it better in the next book. I really enjoyed reading about her brother, Robbie, and her therapist, Malachi, in the last book. I wish they'd played a bigger part in this one.

This book is part of a series, however, I think it can be read mostly as a standalone book. I do, however, think readers will get a bit more out of the book if they've read the first book (The Book of Lost Fragrances) featuring Jac and her brother Robbie.

I love it when authors use real people in their books. I didn't know much about Victor Hugo at all when I started reading this book. Rose focused on such an interesting aspect of his life that it prompted me to read more about him.

There are a few new-to-me word used in the book. Here they are with their meanings:
mesmerism - hypnotism
manse - large house
menhir - single standing stone
centimes - currency subunit (French)
dolmens - ancient stone structure/tomb
jejune - boring
cabochon - round gem
taboret - low cylindrical stool
craven - cowardly

I did have a little trouble with the electronic copy I downloaded. It's unfortunate, but it affected my reading and enjoyment of this book quite a bit. Part of it was user error and misunderstanding of how eBooks work while the other part, I'm guessing, had to do with my particular model of eReader. I won't go into the details here, but reading this book was a little frustrating. I'm hoping that other readers have better luck that I did.

I've read two other books by Rose. Here are my reviews of those two books: The Book of Lost Fragrances (another book featuring Jac L'Etoile) and The Hypnotist. I enjoyed them both.

Recommended. I'd definitely read another book by Rose and am looking forward to the next book featuring Jac L'Etoile.

This author/book is currently on a virtual book tour with Historical Fiction Book Tours. For more reviews and guest posts, be sure to visit the other stops on the tour.

For more information about this book, please visit Atria's (Simon & Schuster) website.

For more information about the author and her other books, please visit M.J. Rose's website.

Thanks to those nice people at Historical Fiction Book Tours for this eCopy.

Seduction by M.J. Rose Publication Date: May 7, 2013 Atria Books Hardcover; 384p ISBN-10: 1451621507

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

In Ordinary Grace, Frank Drum's world is rocked when tragedy descends upon small town New Bremen, Minnesota, in 1961. His teenaged worries seem small compared to the bigger issues he now faces. The secrets, lies and betrayal that are uncovered force him to grow up and face decisions that will test his nerve.

I love this book! The whole mood and setting of the book was terrific. It sort of reminded me of the TV show The Waltons with the character and his casual narration looking back on his teenage years in simpler times. There are many tragedies that descend upon this family and small town, but the action isn't graphic or gratuitous. The unrest that is normally associated with that 1960s decade either hasn't started yet or hasn't made it yet to this small town.

Frank Drum is a wonderful narrator. I loved that the story was told from his point of with him looking back on his life when he was a teenager. It really felt like he was sitting in front of me relating the story. He wasn't filled with angst and didn't make rash decisions that I often associate with teenagers. He was mild-mannered...more like Jim-Bob Walton and less like Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye. I think some of the wisest statements I've heard came from the youngest Jake, near the end of the book. He really got to me in the end. Who would have thought someone so young and quiet would turn out to be filled with wisdom?

The other main characters in the book were varied and a little eccentric. I loved that they weren't stereotypical or syrupy. They were: Frank's Methodist minister father, who's haunted by the war; Frank's artistic mother, who doesn't exactly act like a minister's wife; his older sister Ariel, who's off to Julliard; and his younger brother Jake, who seems to grow up before our eyes. There were also some peripheral characters who stood out for me: Lise and Emil Brandt as well as Karl.

I often wonder how an author picks which character is going to tell the story, especially when the protagonist or narrator is a child or in this case a teenager. It definitely would have been a whole different story had it been told from another character.

I also liked that the story took place not too far from here, Minnesota. It's not quite my backyard, but at least it's a state that I've been to that isn't too different from where I live.

New word: surcease (page 71): cessation or stoppage

I adore the following quotes. They made me love the book more and will definitely be added to my list of all-time favourites. I'm amazed that I found three I love from just one book.

Loss, once it's become a certainty, is like a rock you hold in your hand. It has weight and dimension and texture. It's solid and can be assessed and dealt with. You can use it to beat yourself or you can throw it away. (page 175)

...there is no such thing as a true event. We know dates and times and locations and participants but accounts of what happened depend upon the perspective from which the event is viewed. (page 306)

The dead are never far from us. They're in our hearts and on our minds and in the end all that separates us from them is a single breath, one final puff of air. (page 307)

This is the first book I've read by this author. He also writes a mystery series featuring Cork O'Connor, but haven't read any of them. This book is a standalone and is not part of that series. There's a mystery element to the story, but it's not strictly a mystery.

Highly recommended. I hope he writes another standalone book like this one.

For more information about this book, please visit Simon & Schuster's website.

For information about the author and his other books, please visit William Kent Krueger's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Simon & Schuster for this review copy.

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger, Atria Paperback (Simon & Schuster) ©2013. ISBN 9781476740126(Trade paperback), 307p.

The Salt Road by Jane Johnson

In The Salt Road, Isabelle (Izzy) Treslove-Fawcett has inherited an amulet, along with a mysterious note, from her father. It leads her on a journey to Morocco to find the amulet's origin and solve the mystery that her father eluded to in the note. Once there, she meets an antiques trader, Taïb, learns about the history of the Tuareg people and uncovers the amulet's amazing past.

I had read Johnson's other book, The Tenth Gift and really enjoyed it, so I was really excited when I first heard about this one. However, this one took me a couple of tries before I got into it. The first time I got about 1/4 of the way through before I lost interest. The second time I persevered even though my interest waned periodically. All of that left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, I loved the history in this story. Johnson gave vivid, gorgeous details about the area, the history and the people. That was enlightening and fantastic! However, the story didn't move along fast enough for me and a few of the details were bothersome.

Like The Tenth Gift, this book is set in Morocco, a beautiful area with a rich history. The story involved and highlighted a injustice that plagues the Tuareg people. While it was sad, yet fascinating, I felt that Johnson came on a little too strong at times. It bordered on preachy.

The story is told using two different storylines, one in the present featuring ; Izzy and Taïb; the other Mariata and Amastan in the past. This format was pretty good fit for the story. However, other than their common location, I had a hard time seeing any connections between the two stories. Eventually, a connection becomes apparent, but it's really late in the book and it's fairly simple. Maybe I read too many mysteries, because I was expecting a more complicated link.

I was also confused about time frame for the storyline set in the past. Because I didn't know about the Tuareg people and their "traditionally nomadic pastoralist lifestyle", I had assumed that those crossing the desert on foot (for days and days and days) or using camels as their main mode of transportation had done it a very long time ago. I was thinking a century or so ago. Because of this assumption, parts of the story didn't seem to fit and confused the hell out of me. Now that I've finished the book, it makes more sense, but it didn't while I was reading.

A couple of other things about the story bothered me. Once Izzy became involved with Taïb, she totally lost contact with her travelling/climbing partner, Eve. Of course, at times she couldn't contact her, but there were times that it seemed like she forgot about her entirely. To me, that seemed weird, inconsiderate, and not believable. Also, Izzy had the feeling that she didn't belong in her parents world, but once she got to Morocco, everything started to feel right. I can understand that, however, Johnson's description of it felt a little wishy-washy and too romanticized for my tastes.

The book contained some new-to-me words. I didn't bother listing the ones that were defined in the glossary. Here's a sampling: friable (page 1): crumbly
louche (page 7): disreputable
inimical (page 10): adverse
susurrus (page 26): whisper
palanquin (page 52): seat carried on poles
acrostics (page 73): written lines with certain letters forming a new word
alacrity (page 75): swiftness
col (page 81): low point of mountain ridge
lugubrious (page 88): sad
abseil (page 106): rappel (descend by rope)
sigil (page 159): seal or signet
suffusing (page 174): permeating
obdurate (page 317): stubborn

The glossary at the back of the book was nice to have, but I didn't know it was there until well after I started the book. Once I found it, I referred to it often. I love learning new words, but having to look up so many annoyed me a little.

Johnson also included a list of "sources and bibliography" as well as other information which inspired this book. It's pretty interesting. It was obvious that she'd done a tremendous amount of research.

I've also read Johnson's The Tenth Gift (my review) and really enjoyed it.

Even though I had a few problems with the story, I'd still recommend this book to others, who are looking for a story set in that part of the world.

For more information about this book, please visit the Random House website.

For more information about the author and her other books, please visit Jane Johnson's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Random House for this review copy.

The Salt Road by Jane Johnson, Doubleday Canada (Random House), ©2010. ISBN 9780385669979(Hardcover), 386p.

The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye

The Gods of Gotham takes a look at mid-19th century New York city and the forming of the NYPD. Timothy Wilde, a bartender, is left disfigured and homeless after a fire. His brother Valentine, gets him a job with the newly formed NYPD. While on the job, he runs into a young girl, who's covered in blood. Rather than turning her in to the House of Refuge, he takes her home. Once there, she tells him this unbelievable story about buried bodies. He makes it his mission to uncover the facts of the story and if necessary track down the killer.

I really enjoyed this story, but it didn't start out that way. It took me two tries and about 40 pages to get into the book. While it was beautifully written, the language and terminology Faye used tripped me up more than once. Even after I started getting into the book, the terminology slowed down my already slow reading pace. The "flash terminology" (glossary) section at the beginning of the book helped define some of the terms used, but having to refer to it again and again bothered me a little. I think I would have enjoyed it even more had I been able to get past all of this.

Despite that, there was lots I really liked about the book. Faye really set the scene and described what life was like in New York at that time. I haven't been there, but her descriptions were believable. Seeing how the NYPD was formed was fascinating, too. It's hard to imagine what a city that large would have been like without someone to officially keep the peace. I also found the storyline fascinating. I think that above all, made me stick with the book.

The sections about the anti-Irish sentiment were enlightening. I knew that some existed, but I didn't know the reason or the extent of it.

The maps of New York city on the endpapers were wonderful. However, they were hard to read. Because I'm not at all familiar with the layout of the city (now or then) I really couldn't make much out on them. I found some of the spots that were talked about in the book, but not all of them. I tried to follow along when one of the characters was on the move, but wasn't able to find all of the street names. As you can imagine, this also slowed me down. I still love the maps, though. Very cool.

As I said above, the book is beautifully written, right down to the acknowledgements at the back of the book. The Historical Afterward, also at the back, talked more about New York and some of the real people in the book. It's definitely worth the read.

This book contained a few new-to-me words. I didn't bother list the ones that were already in the glossary. Here's my list:
piebald (page 15): spotted
palaver (page 88): fuss
sounder (page 107): herd of wild swine
strammel (page 107): straw
aguey (page 323): feverish

Highly recommended.

For more information about this book, please visit Penguin's website.

For more information about the author and her other books, please visit Lyndsay Faye's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Penguin for this review copy.

The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye, Amy Einhorn Books ((G. P. Putnam's Sons) Penguin)) ©2012. ISBN 9780399158377(Hardcover), 414p.

The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman

In The Midwife of Hope River, Patience Murphy is a midwife in West Virginia during the Depression, just after the stock market crash in '29. She, like all of her patients, is struggling just to by, yet she helps anyone who's in need. However, she's very leery about getting to close to others fearing that her secret troubled past will one day catch up to her. After some time, she begins to soften a little to those around her and soon discovers that good things can come out of that.

Overall, I really liked this book. The story was interesting and dealt with many issues of the time including, extreme poverty, racial tension and the Ku Klux Klan. The first time I picked up the book, I wasn't sure I liked the writing. It felt clipped rather than flowing. I put the book down for a bit while I read another book. When I picked it up the second time, the writing didn't bother me as much and I really got into the book. I loved that the chapters were short. It meant that I could read a whole chapter when I got a few minutes.

I liked Patience and loved reading about her work and her varied past. However, her constant self-doubt, got a little old. I also grew a little tired of her looking over her shoulder so often. I supposed it was warranted, but even the littlest things got her wondering if her past was coming back to get her. I also really liked Bitsy and feisty attitude. I loved how quickly she picked up what Patience was teaching her about midwifery.

I learned quite a few things about midwifery and women in labour. Harman, the author and midwife, gave vivid descriptions of the birthing process. I was extremely fascinated by the details she brought into the story. I don't have any children, but I did attend the hospital birth of my niece, so I was a little familiar with the goings-on from that point of view. While I'm not at all squeamish about such things, I can see how some of the details might make others cringe a little.

I loved reading about the issues that Harman wrote about. It was interesting to see how people lived during the depression. I also enjoyed the birthing stories. Some were joyous, some were unremarkable (if there can be such a thing), while others were really sad. After awhile, I didn't really want to hear any more bad ones. It got to be a bit too much.

After reading about so much sadness in the book, I really wanted things to work out for Patience. I liked the ending of the book, but it was a little hokey and not that believable. I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone, so I won't say more than that.

The P.S. section at the back of the book features some information about the author, a Q&A with her, discussion questions for book clubs as well as some interesting information about midwives and childbirth. I always find these sections well-worth the read.

Recommended.

For more information about this book or to browse inside, please visit the HarperCollins website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at HarperCollins for this review copy.

The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman, HarperCollins, ©2012. ISBN 9780062198891(Advance Reader's Edition), 381p.

The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan

The Painted Girls is the fictional account of the real-life van Goethem sisters, Marie and Antoinette, who lived in Paris in the late 19th century. With their father recently deceased and their laundress mother drowning her sorrows in absinthe, the girls need to contribute to the household's measly income. Marie trains to become a ballet dance with the Paris Opera, while Antoinette seeks out small parts as an extra. It's through the ballet that Marie meets Edgar Degas and ends up modelling for him. Eventually both are exposed to the grittier side of Paris and all of its temptations.

There's been tons of buzz about this book and it's easy to see why. It's so good. I loved it! The story of the relationship between Marie and Antoinette as well as the glimpse into 19th century Paris was spectacular. Even though it's fiction, I loved that it was about real people. I was especially pleased that Buchanan included newspaper clippings from Le Figaro to introduce or fill in parts of the story. It makes it all seem more real and believable.

The story is presented from two different viewpoints, Marie's and Antoinette's. The alternating chapters were a perfect vehicle to get the story across. Their voices came across so well, I could almost hear them talking. So well in fact, that a few times I caught myself reading with a French accent. In my head, of course, not out loud.

I really enjoyed learning a little about Degas. I didn't know very much about him, other than he did paintings of ballerinas. This book has inspired me to learn more about him and his work. I was also interested in reading more about the sisters themselves and looked them up as well. There was one other part of the book that had me intrigued. That's the idea that facial features and the criminal mind could be linked. Fascinating stuff.

Favourite quotes:

He touched me on the shoulder lightly, and in the touch I felt sadness that girls grow into women; that men crumple, hobbling over walking sticks; that flowers wither; that trees drop their leaves. The graceful childish back Monsieur Lefebvre, more than a year ago, felt driven to touch was gone and with it Monsieur Degas's interest in me modeling for him. He wanted only the heart and body of a little dancer, aged fourteen. (page 252)

The book contained a number of new-to-me words. Of course, there were lots of ballet terms, some of them familiar to me; others were more obscure. I looked a few of those up, but mostly concentrated on the others. I hope someone will correct me if these are incorrect, especially with the translations. Here's a sampling:
sou (page 5): small French coin
postiche (page 14): a small hairpiece
abonné (page 18): season ticket holder/subscriber
coryphée (page 26): leading ballet dancer
faubourgs (page 28): suburbs
sylphs (page 41): slim, graceful girl
lunette (page 217): crescent-shaped object
claque (page 226): paid audience
porringer (page 261): soup bowl

In the author's note, Buchanan explains more about the real-life characters, It's well worth the read. The acknowledgement section is also enlightening. It's where the author explains some of the research she undertook to tell this story.

I also read Buchanan's other book, The Day the Falls Stood Still (my review). It remains one of my favourite all-time books.

Highly recommended. I can't wait to see what Cathy has in store for us next.

For more information about this book or to browse inside, please visit the HarperCollins Canada website.

For more information about the author and her other book, please visit Cathy Buchanan's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at HarperCollins Canada for this review copy and for inviting me to participate in this blog tour.

The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan, HarperCollins, ©2013. ISBN 9781443412346(Uncorrected proof), 353p.

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

In The Secret Keeper, 16-year-old Laurel witnesses her mother brutally stabbing a man to death in their yard. Laurel doesn't recognize the man and is baffled as to why her loving mother, Dorothy, would do this. Fast forward 50 years, Laurel is now a famous actress. Her Mother, in poor health with a failing memory, is about to celebrate her 90th birthday. Laurel knows that she has one last chance to find out the truth about that man and how he came to die right in front of her eyes. Skipping between past and present, Morton tells their story taking the reader through WWII England to the present day.

I absolutely adored this book. I've read two of Morton's other books; this one is her best yet! I'm in such awe of her storytelling abilities. How does she come up with these stories and characters? It's nothing short of amazing. The suspense, particularly in the chapter endings, had me reading past my bedtime more than once. There's an overall sadness to the book with some very disturbing events, but it's such a wonderfully written book, I would read it all again in a heartbeat.

The present day story followed Laurel as she tries to solve the mystery, while the parts in the past followed Dorothy (Dolly), Vivien and Jimmy as they lived through the Blitz and went on with their lives the best they could.   Usually, in books like this, I typically like the historical part better than the present day parts. However, in this case, I liked them both equally.

I generally find that long books like this (450+ pages) have a middle section that lags a bit and loses my interest. Not so with this book. Each and every page held my interest until the very last page.

Speaking of the end, this book contains one of the best endings I've ever read. Really! I couldn't believe what was happening. In fact, I had to read a few sections at the end more than once to make sure I'd read them right. Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant. It's going to take some doing to top it. While the ending didn't make me cry, I did hug the book for some time after I finished it. I really wasn't ready to let go of the story or these characters, not after that spectacular ending.

New words:
charabanc (page 75): coach for pleasure trips
eisteddfods (page 79): Welsh festival of music and poetry
moue (page 81): pout
plimsolls (page 87): shoes
fulsomely (page 126): excessively complimentary
pilchard (page 140): small ocean fish
obsequious (page 190): flattering
fossick (page 199): rummage or look for something
stultifying (page 265): very boring
anodyne (page 328): bland
muniments (page 331): documents that support claim
fervid (page 332): showing enthusiasm
theistic (page 361): belief in God
upbraided (page 387): scold
moribund (page 405): declining

I read two other books by Morton: The Forgotten Garden (my review), and The Distant Hours (my review). I loved them both and would highly recommend them both.  I also have The House at Riverton on my to-be-read bookshelf.

Highly recommended. It's not only the best book I read this year, it's earned a spot on my list of all-time favourite books. I can't wait for Morton's next book.

For more information about this book, please visit Simon & Schuster's website.

For more information about the author and her other books, please visit Kate Morton's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Simon & Schuster for this review copy.

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton, Atria Books (Simon & Schuster) ©2012. ISBN 9781439152805(Advance Reading Copy), 463p.

The Unseen by Katherine Webb

In The Unseen, two letters found on a long-dead soldier's body, lead Leah on a quest to solve the mystery surrounding Hester Canning, a reverend's wife, who lived in a Berkshire village in the year 1911. Hester is quite naive and can't figure out why her husband isn't more interested in her. That's about to get a whole lot worse as their lives are turned upside down when Cat, their new maid, and Robin, a visiting theosophist, arrive on the scene. In the present day, Leah searches for clues using the letters as a starting point. What she finds is a fantastic story with plenty of secrets, deception, murder and fairies.

I loved this book. Webb is a wonderful storyteller. I loved the way she used the present day and the past to tell this story. A perfect fit for this type of story. She loaded the present day parts with little clues as to what's going to happen next for the reverend and his wife. This foreshadowing made it really suspenseful and hard to put down. There were lots of interesting side stories that weren't exactly part of the main plot, but I enjoyed reading them nevertheless.

The characters were wonderful. I especially liked Hester and really felt sorry for her. She was so naive when it came to her husband, Bertie, and their marriage/relationship, but how was she supposed to know. I suspect that in that time period certain subjects were not discussed. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll leave it at that. I also liked the free-spirited Cat with the troubled past.

I've seen letters used like this a lot in other fictional works. In some cases, the letters are too heavily relied upon and it doesn't work. Thankfully, Webb uses them brilliantly. These two letters are extremely intriguing as they only give the characters in the present little bits and pieces to work with. They have to really work to find out the rest of the information.

There's so much happening in the past that at one point I completely forgot about the present day characters and how they started on this investigation (i.e. the soldier's letters). That's not to say that I didn't enjoy reading the parts with Leah and Mark, it's just that I enjoyed the historical parts more.

New words:
plonk (page 343): term for wine that is inexpensive and/or poor quality (UK)
somnambulist (page 384): sleep walker
theosophist (various pages): a believer in theosophy, which is a religious system based on intuitive sight

This edition of the book contains some extra information such as The Story Behind The Unseen, a Reading Group Guide and more. All of it was worth the read, but I was particularly intrigued by the fact that the story was first inspired by the Cottingley Fairies.

I read Webb's other book, The Legacy (my review) earlier this year and loved it. I can't wait for her next one.

Highly recommended. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.

For more information about this book or to browse inside, please visit the HarperCollins website. I'd like to thank those nice people at HarperCollins for this review copy.

The Unseen by Katherine Webb, William Morrow (HarperCollins), ©2011. ISBN 9780062077882(Trade paperback), 447p.

The Taker by Alma Katsu

In The Taker, Dr. Luke Findley meets Lanore, a strange young woman who needs his help to escape after she murders a man. He's taken with her and helps her even though he's not quite sure why. He's even more drawn in after she slices herself open only to have the wound immediately heal itself. As they spend more time together, Lanore slowly tells Luke her story of love and betrayal...one that started about 200 years ago in Maine.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the first in a planned trilogy. I admit that I had to start the book twice before finishing it. When I tried the first time, I loved what I was reading, but somehow got sidetracked, put the book down and didn't pick it up again. When I picked it up again several months later, I didn't remember anything I had read and had to start again at the beginning. I'm so glad I did because as much as I was enjoying the book the first time, I enjoyed it even more the second time.

The book was mostly historical fiction with a little supernatural fantasy thrown in. It started out in the present day with Lanore and Luke, but quickly jumped back in time to the early 1800s when Lanore was with Jonathan. It went back even further, to the mid-1300s, as she delved into Adair's (her keeper) beginnings. Through her, Luke learned all about Adair, Jonathan and their immortality.

The present day portions, written in the third person, were pretty good, but nothing really special. However, the story got really interesting with the historical parts, written in the first person. They were presented in such a way that it felt like Lanore was relating her story to Luke. In fact, several times she broke the narrative with a little aside so you knew that she was still conveying the details to him. It was brilliantly written. I loved it!!

The book contained such great characters. I loved Lanore (more so in the past than present), Adair, Jonathan and Alejandro, but didn't quite understand Uzra. She was ethereal and existed mostly on the outskirts of the story. Maybe I just didn't get to know her that well. Also, in the present day parts, I didn't really like Luke that much. He struck me as kind of wishy-washy.

I have read and enjoyed some historical fiction in the past, but very little of the supernatural stuff. The latter isn't really my cup of tea, so I was glad it didn't take centre stage in the story that often. Even so, those parts didn't stop me from really enjoying this book.

New words:
preternatural (page 22): going beyond nature/supernatural
incorporeal (page 93): spiritual
bacchanalia (page 137): ancient Roman festivities
cabochons (page 172): round gem
catamite (page 228): young partner of a gay man
swive (page 255): to have sex with somebody
interlocutor (page 308): a participant in a discussion
odalisque (page 311): enslaved woman in a harem
ignoble (page 334): dishonourable
quotidian (page 347): commonplace
chador (page 369): dark robe worn by Muslims
troth (page 378): solemn vow
arrondissement (page 404): area of a French city

Highly recommended. I'm really looking forward to the next book, The Reckoning; the second book in the series.

For more information about this book, please visit Simon & Schuster's website.

For more information about the author and her other books, please visit Alma Katsu's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Simon & Schuster for this review copy.

The Taker by Alma Katsu, Gallery Book (Simon & Schuster) ©2011. ISBN 9781439197059(ARC), 437p.

Day After Night by Anita Diamant

Day After Night tells the story of four young women who survived the Holocaust: Shayndel, a Polish Zionist; Leonie, a French beauty; Tedi, a Dutch Jew; and Zorah, a concentration camp survivor. They were held captive in the Atlit internment camp until one day they were rescued. Rather than wither and dwell on their horrible pasts, they form friendships and start anew while trying to move on with their lives, even though they are imprisoned. This fictional story is based on the true story of the rescue of over two hundred prisoners from the Atlit internment camp in October 1945. The camp/prison was run by the British military and was situated on the Mediterranean coast south of Haifa.

I adored this book! It's definitely one of the best books I've read all year. The characters were so real and even though their backgrounds and stories were varied, they shared something in common....they all survived. The book starts out by telling the stories about the individual characters, but then branches out with stories about the camp itself and the other prisoners. The final section of the book gives the details of the escape/rescue. I easily kept track of the main characters, but I got a little lost towards the end of the book with the rescuers and guards and had to back track a little. The epilogue was superb! I loved reading about what happened after the rescue.

This subject matter is a little unusual for me. I generally stay away from WWII related stories or any war time stories for that matter. I'm just starting to read more about that time period, but haven't gotten too far. Also, I have read just a few stories about the Jewish experience, but really nothing about their plight during the Holocaust. Most of the stuff I've read was positive and uplifting. Because of this, I don't really have enough background to fully understand what was going on or what the implications were.

I loved that I learned a few things while reading the book. Like I said above I haven't read a whole lot about Jews, so some things specific to them were new to me. The whole story was enlightening, but I also learned about Zionists, Palestine and that Yiddish and Hebrew were different languages. I think I knew this, but not for sure.

New word: Palmach (used in various places): elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Jewish community. They planned and executed the rescue.

Favourite quotes:

Weeping is terrible for the complexion, but it is very good for the heart.(page 93)

Highly recommended. I'm looking forward to reading The Red Tent also by this author. I've had the book on my shelf for some time, but haven't gotten around to it.

For more information about this book, please visit Simon & Schuster's website.

I borrowed this book from my friend and neighbour, Susan.

Day After Night by Anita Diamant, Scribner (Simon & Schuster) ©2009. ISBN 9781439197141(Trade paperback), 292p.