The Light over London

Title:  The Light Over London

Author:  Julia Kelly

Publication Information:  Gallery Books. 2019. 288 pages.

ISBN:  1501196413 / 978-1501196416

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "It was the discovery the Cara loved most:  digging through the forgotten, the memorialized, the tossed-aside, and the cherished.

Favorite Quote:  "When Cara couldn't unearth the history of a piece, she spun stories for herself. It was easier than thinking about her own mistakes and the regrets she carried. While she worked, she could escape into the comfort of someone else's life for a few hours."

2017. Cara. Recent divorce. Recent loss of her parents in a car accident. Recent new job with an antique dealer. Recent relocation to a rental house. A lot in Cara's life has changed recently. A lot exists that she must still work through and reconcile with. Her support is her grandmother. Despite the love between her and her grandmother, Cara knows there are secrets that must be talked about. Enter stage left - A handsome new neighbor who happens to be a history professor.

1941. Louise. An only child. A young woman whose path in life seems to be chosen for her - an expected marriage to a local boy and life in the same small village - Haybourne, Cornwall - in which she has lived her whole life. A dream of a life beyond the expectations. Her support comes from her more outgoing cousin Kate. Enter stage left - A handsome pilot who says all the right things. Surrounding all of them is the war.

The history. Louise makes an impulse decision to run away and volunteer for the war effort. A recognition of her aptitude lead to becoming a gunner or "ack-ack" girl. The "ack-ack" stands for anti-aircraft artillery. It took a crew of specialists to work each anti-aircraft station on the ground. The women joined the war effect through the Auxiliary services including the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS). Allowing women on mixed-gender ack-ack crews was a new decision. Only the men were allowed to load and fire the guns; the women comprised the rest of the team.

The connection from 1941 to 2017. Louise kept a journal. Cara comes upon the journal which taking inventory of an estate whose contents are to be sold. The journal is worthless in the sale, but it captures Cara's imagination. She sets on a mission to discover the writer and to restore the journal to the owner or at least her family. Cara's other connection is her knowledge that her grandmother was also part of the war effort, and the secrets she refuses to talk about relate to the war.

The book, like many others, goes back and forth between Cara's story and Louise's story. Louise's story is more about her relationship with a soldier than about the ATS service. The book really has no surprises. It is pretty clear from the beginning where Louise's story with the pilot is going and where Cara's relationship with her new neighbor is going. The secret that Cara's grandmother has been keeping does not come as a shock either. While the history of Louise's story is more interesting, Cara's story itself is the more compelling. I do wish there was a surprise or more of a focus on the history, but an entertaining story that led me to learn a little more history.

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Once Upon a River

Title:  Once Upon A River

Author:  Diane Setterfield

Publication Information:  Atria/Emily Bestler Books. 2018. 480 pages.

ISBN:  0743298071 / 978-0743298070

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "There was once an inn that sat peacefully on the bank of the Thames at Radcot, a day's walk from the source."

Favorite Quote:  "A river no more begins at its source than a story begins with the first page."

The river in question is the River Thames. It is not as it flows through London but by an ancient inn a ways away. This is a place where stories are told, and sometimes stories happen. This particular story involves an injured man and, more importantly, a small child. This child - a girl - appears lifeless. Until she awakens.

So begins this story of what is deemed a miracle and, more importantly, a mystery. Who is this girl? How did she come to this place? Three possible answers arise. A young mother's daughter has been missing for two years. A farmer stands ready to welcome a granddaughter he never knew he had. A lonely woman sees her sister. Who is right? Where does the girl belong?

The cover, the setup, and the description are beautifully atmospheric. The writing creates a vivid visual of this place - the inn and the river - and a sense of isolation. The book creates a sense of something coming - an impending revelation or climax. However, for me that never happens. Like Bellman and Black, this book creates a wonderful atmosphere and builds an anticipation. However, that moment never comes.

To some extent, the book describes itself. "Something happens and then something else happens and then all sorts of other things happen, expected and unexpected, unusual and ordinary." Some things happen, but the pacing of the book is very very slow, particularly since it does not build to a more dramatic conclusion. The book seems to slowly wander and meander through the story as the river does through the countryside.

The other issue is that the "something" that happens happens to a lot of people. The book has a lot of characters, each with its own complete story line it seems. The inn keeper and her husband. The wealthy couple navigating through marriage and the loss of a child. The farmer who is in search of his lost son. The lonely woman who longs for company. The young boy who dreams of running away. The young girl herself. All the stories could possibly be untangled and stand on their own.

I walk away feeling like I missed something. Was this a mystery? Was it a book about the supernatural? Was it a metaphor? I still have a vivid image in my mind of the river and the cold, but no real idea how to interpret the rest.

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Gods of Jade and Shadow

Title:  Gods of Jade and Shadow

Author:  Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Publication Information:  Del Ray. 2019. 352 pages.

ISBN:  0525620753 / 978-0525620754

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Some people are born under a lucky star, while others have their misfortune telegraphed by the position of the planets."

Favorite Quote:  "Words are seeds, Casiopea. With words you embroider narratives, and the narratives breed myths, and there's power in the myth. Yes, the things you name have power."

Casiopea Tun is the poor relation. She is being raised by a single mother, whose family does not approve of the choices she has made. Circumstances and economics have forced Casiopea and her mother to live with the family. They are treated as the servants of the house somewhat like a Cinderella.

Casiopea dreams of more, and in this, she is very much unlike Cinderella. The dream is not of a prince charming, but of independence, escape, and a future that lies beyond the small town in the Yucatan in which they live. This is the very "real" story of a young woman finding courage and strength to live that dream.

She is, however, very much forced into this choice by a god. One day she opens a box in her grandfather's room and gives rise to Hun-Kamé, the "Lord of Shadows and rightful ruler of Xibalba." Xibalba is the Underworld, and Hun-Kamé is the god of death. A fued with his brother left him defeated and only a set of bones in a locked box. Casiopea's grandfather is the keeper of the box.

Now released, Hun-Kamé is out for revenge and out to regain his throne. In this quest, he requires Casiopea's help. Casiopea, despite her fears, has no choice but to help. So begins a grand adventure that traverses the Yucatan and eventually makes it way to California.

This story is based on the Popul Vuh, a text of Mayan mythology about brothers, twins, the underworld, and a fight filled with tricks and treachery. The text dates from the sixteenth century and is purported to be the story of Creation. The title translates literally to "the Book of the Mat" for the woven mats people sat on to hear the text recited. The text has been referred to as the Mayan bible, but its history is not that of scripture but as a documentation of the universe as the people understood it.

Gods of Jade and Shadow sets its story in the Jazz Age, which is an interesting, almost modern, touch to a story that is ancient ancient mythology.

The book is violent at times, but, at the same time, has a light-hearted and sweet note. The fight amongst gods is a the background. So is the undercurrent of a brewing love story. Ultimately, this is, however, Casiopea's story, and she is a strong, female hero. She is often the one doing the saving rather than waiting to be saved. The final test is also hers to endure and decide. The final decision is completely a deliberate and conscious choice.

The presence of a strong female protagonist makes this book. Caseiopea and Hun-Kamé proceed from location to location on their quest. This episodic structure makes the book a very quick read. Casiopea's age and the adventure based plot give the book a young adult vibe. The basis in Mayan mythology points me in a direction to read a little bit more about that mythology. All in all, a dose of fun and adventure that is much needed.

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Home for Erring and Outcast Girls

Title:  Home for Erring and Outcast Girls

Author:  Julie Kibler

Publication Information:  Crown. 2019. 400 pages.

ISBN:  0451499336 / 978-0451499332

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Even when Mattie's great big dreams had troubled Lizzie, she'd envied her something fierce, for Lizzie came from nightmares, too fearful to dream."

Favorite Quote:  "It's possible to long for home, even when you don't have one."

The Berachah Industrial Home for the Redemption of Erring Girls was founded in 1903 on the outskirts of Arlington, Texas by Reverend James T. Upchurch and his wife Maggie May Upchurch. The word berachah means blessing in Hebrew.

The concept was a revolutionary one. The home was to provide support and guidance for "erring girls" / "fallen women". The home took in young women, often pregnant, and provided a home, education, and work. There were two stipulations. The girls were to "err" no more, and the babies would not be given up for adoption but raised by the mothers. The home operated until 1935. All that remains of the home today is a cemetery which contains about 80 graves. Many are simply labeled "infant" to the point that the cemetery is referred to as the Lost Cemetary of Infants.

Inspired by this history, Julie Kibler brings to life the Berachah Home in this fictional story. The book uses the approach of two time periods - a current day character who stumbles upon the history of the home and two women - Lizzie and Mattie - who were residents of the home.

Cate Sutton is a university librarian with a history and a past that results in a solitary life. In her new job, she stumbles on to the cemetery that is the only remaining monument to the home. That sets her on a search to uncover more. At the same time, she stumbles upon a tenuous friendship with a student, who has a hidden history and past of her own.

Lizzie and Mattie come to the Berachah Home for the same reason that many others did. There was simply no other option if they were to survive and perhaps protect their children. The two form an instant bond that lasts throughout their lifetime. The two make very different choices for their lives, yet throughout, the bond of friendship - a family found - remains.

Through Lizzie and Mattie, the book explores the work of the Berachah Home - its workshops providing dignity of work, its faith based teachings, its sometimes contentious presence in the community, and its ability to create a family and a sanctuary for women who had no other. It also explores the other end of this story in that "everyone might be worth saving, but not everyone can be saved."

Both the current day story and the story of the past put forth an emotional connection. The "surprise" of Cate's story is not really a surprise. The only connection of her story to Lizzie and Mattie's stories is that of acceptance - by family, by friends, and by certain parts of society. That connection too is at best tenuous.

As is common with books using this structure, I find the story of the past the more compelling and more emotional one. In addition, that story does what I love about historical fiction. It introduces me to history I did not know, and it motivates me to go and research that actual history. The fiction creates the introduction, and the research teaches me the history.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Bad Axe County

Title:  Bad Axe County

Author:  John Galligan

Publication Information:  Atria Books. 2019. 336 pages.

ISBN:  1982110708 / 978-1982110703

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "The clammy hand of state representative Cyrus Johnsrud (R-Portage) has released her elbow and is drifting down her spine, stopping to savor each vertebra through the fabric of her gown."

Favorite Quote:  "... nobody is cutting you slack for your pain from the past. You're in charge here. You're the boss ... You can either do this job or you can't. We need you to do do it ... but if you can't separate the past from the present, even the people who support your are going to freak..."

Bad Axe County is place in rural Wisconsin. This is book one in what is planned to be series. The main character is Heidi Kick, the first female sheriff of the county - at least an interim sheriff. Heidi is Bad Axe County born and bred.

She is a police officer despite, or perhaps because of her traumatic childhood. When Heidi was in high school, her parents were shot dead on their farm. It was ruled a murder suicide with her father accused of killing her mother before he shot himself. Heidi never believed it, but she survived. Now, Heidi is a police officer, a wife, a mother, and she still does not believe the story told about her past. She wants to prove it otherwise. She may have survived the trauma, but she has never recovered.

That is the background and the past coming into Heidi's present. That present also holds secrets of its own. There are many in town who would like to see her fail. There are many with secrets of their own. It is Heidi's job and quest to unravel it all.

All this angst and intrigue manifests itself in an ice storm and in a missing teenager. That is the current mystery of the book. This mystery goes in a direction I completely do not see coming especially in a setting like rural Wisconsin.

Without saying where this book goes, I will say the topic really surprises me. I had no idea, and it sent me researching. It turns out that the issue is a very real problem in the area, and it endangers some of the most vulnerable in our society. The fact that the mystery centers around a missing teenage girl should give you a clue as to the nature of the crime. Trigger warning:  The book does depict horrific and violent treatment of young women.

The book does not depict the physical beauty or grand natural vistas of Wisconsin. Rather, it focuses on the human-created terror and despair. It leaves a one-sided image of corruption and violence. I hope future books show some of the peace and beauty the images of Wisconsin conjure up for me, if only to contrast with the actions of the characters. It would reinforce the point that good can survive in the most inhospitable surroundings just as evil can thrive in a serene, bucolic setting.

Both the story of Heidi's past and the current mystery of the missing girl lead to an action packed book travelling the back roads of Wisconsin. The two stories, however, travel in tandem and have only a tangential connection. Even Heidi's marriage and children become a background to the action of the book.

Perhaps, the back story is there to establish Heidi as a character. Perhaps, it is something that will be explored further up in subsequent books. Regardless, I find myself much more interested in the current day mystery and the social issues it leads me to research and learn more about. For that reason, I may look for the next in the series.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Call Your Daughter Home

Title:  Call Your Daughter Home

Author:  Deb Spera

Publication Information:  Park Row. 2019. 352 pages.

ISBN:  0778307743 / 978-0778307747

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "It's easier to kill a man than a gator, but it takes the same kind of wait."

Favorite Quote:  "Listen to what I tell you ... If you reach a point in life where it feels there is only dark around you, that's 'cause there is. You got to find the light. A hole can be a haven, but you can't stay in a hole forever. What's dark must come to light. Every person needs the sun."

The 1920s in Brancheville, South Carolina was a time of racial and economic divisions. Those differences and divisions permeate this book but are not the story of this book. This is a book about women and about mothers. It is about mothers' love that transcends race, religion, and culture.

This is the story of three very different women and the heartaches they bear and the choices they make to protect the ones they love.

Annie is the lady to the manor born. She is the matriarch to the Coles family. She is mother to four grown children - two men and two women. She is a successful business woman in her own right and, at the same time, the Southern belle at the side of her husband. She has seen much in her life, and yet much that should have been evident escaped her notice until now. The question is what will she do now that she knows?

Gertrude is white and poor, married to an abusive drunk. She too is a mother to four children - four young children. Her single sole purpose is to survive and to protect her children from that which she has suffered. She is willing to do whatever she has to save her children.

Retta is a first-generation, freed slave. She works for Annie and is a friend to both Annie and Gertrude. She is in a strong, loving marriage made perhaps even stronger by the losses of their past.

Seemingly, these women have nothing in common, and yet, they are united. That is the theme of this book. What unites these women is their combined strength in standing up for and in protecting their children. "Can't always stand to the side... Sometimes you got to try to change what you don't like."

The story is told through the alternating voices of these three women. It is slow paced and character driven until towards the end. The ending is one I do not see coming but which connects the dots and seems clear when the revelation does arrive. Reader warning: This book does go into issues of abuse against women and children.

"Sheriff said to me, before he left, that maybe people get what they deserve. But I don't believe that's true. My mama didn't deserve to forget the family who loved her, any more than we deserved to see her suffer, any more than Retta and the Missus deserved their heartache. People get what they get." These women get what they get and yet manage to create a life and a family. It is the characters and voices of these women that make the book come to life and create the emotional connection that make this a memorable read. "Men can't bear what women must. They jump to cry insanity as cause for a woman's unhappiness; the utterance of the unutterable must be dementia. It's just too much to consider otherwise."

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Mrs. Everything

Title:  Mrs. Everything

Author:  Jennifer Weiner

Publication Information:  Atria Books. 2019. 480 pages.

ISBN:  1501133489 / 978-1501133480

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Her cell phone rang as they were on their way out of the movies."

Favorite Quote:  "She'd lost her taste for fiction. Sometimes she thought it was because spending even a few hours in an imaginary world would make it too tempting for her to consider other versions of her own story, other ways it could have unfolded. A different ending, a truly happily-ever-after."

Mrs. Everything, as the title implies, is a story of women. It is a story of a woman trying to do everything and be everything that society expects her to. It is a story of that continuing for a long time until finally she cannot. It is a story of a woman making the choice to go her own way and of the impact that leaves on her family.

The story begins with Jo. It is a story that begins at the end. It begins with a diagnosis that signals an ending. It offers a final opportunity to make things right, to impart lessons, to heal wounds, and to soothe a conscience:

• "Women had made progress ... but she wondered whether they would ever not try to have it all and do it all all and do all of it flawlessly. Would the day ever come when simply doing your best would be enough? Her generation hadn't managed it, and neither had her daughters."
• "We lose ourselves ... but we find our way back ... Wasnt' that the story of her life ... You make the wrong choices, you make mistakes, you disappear for a decade, you marry the wrong man. You get hurt. You lose sight of who you are, or of who you want to be, and then you remember, and if you're lucky you have sisters or friends who remind you when you forget your best intentions. You come back to yourself, again and again. You try, and fail, and try again, and fail again."
• "She wished she'd spent more time teaching her girls that women should forgive themselves, showing them how to take care of themselves with kindness. The world was hard enough, would beat them up enough without them adding to the pain."

The story begins with sisters, Jo and Bethie. The names, of course, make me think of Little Women. Coincidental or not? I have no idea, but misplaced in this setting. The correlation, intended or imagined in my mind, does not work here.

The story is also Jo and her own daughters - the decisions, the choices, the heartbreak, and the love as it can only exist between mothers and daughters.

I appreciate the premise of this book. I even somewhat agree with the thought of women who still try and do it all and be everything to everyone. I even see the futility of that.

Yet, I end up not the reader for this book for a couple of reasons. I am not a reader for books with a lot of sexual display or discussion, and this book has both. I am also not a fan of the drug use and discussion that finds its way into this family story. Mostly, though, the book loses me because I find it to be over dramatized. To me, the need to include drama after drama and a little bit of everything that could face a woman in the book diminishes the challenges that the title of "Mrs. Everything" poses. There are challenges enough in daily life without reaching out for the extremes. The extremes leave the lasting impression rather than the strength of the women navigating the challenges.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.