| Cindy Vallar
Author, Columnist,
& Editor
|
 |
| Cindy Vallar
Author, Columnist,
& Editor
|
|
Recommended Books to Read
There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away. Emily Dickinson
I
find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set,
I
go into the other room and read a book. Groucho
Marx
Two decades ago, I became a book reviewer for Appraisal: Science Books for Young People. Later, I also joined the staff of Library Media Connection, Ivy Quill Reviews, and Simply E-Books. Today I review books for Historical Novels Review and Pirates and Privateers. Below are some of the gems from amongst the books I've reviewed.
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Blood Kin Children of the Mist Daughter of My People Diamond Duo Gabriel's Story Harvey Girl Hurricane Moon Medicine Prince Across the Water The Rogues The Romanov Bride The Stricklands There Is a Wideness Till Morning is Nigh Unresolved |
Edge of Town Gingham Mountain 
High on a Hill Lawman Who Loved Her River Rising Wings of Morning Fiction
History
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For my reviews on pirate books, check out The Bookaneer.
Historical Fiction BLOOD KIN
Henry Chappell
Texas Tech University, 2004, ISBN 0-89672-530-8In early 1836 Isaac Webb joins a company of Texas rangers, hoping to meet up with the rest of Sam Houston’s rebel army before the final battle with General Santa Anna’s army. Along the way, Isaac encounters a pregnant widow named Catherine, who haunts his dreams. Although the war ends, peace doesn’t last long, for the Comanches raid western homesteads, killing the men and kidnapping the women and children. Isaac’s ranging company reforms to confront this new enemy, and in the process Isaac becomes a man. Circumstances bring Catherine and him together again, but opposing ideas on how to deal with the Comanches force them to make decisions neither wants.
This haunting novel of early Texas portrays the good and bad in people with clarity and realism. Decisions have consequences, and the characters, especially Isaac, mature as they cope with those consequences. Chappelle depicts this period of turmoil fairly, allowing his characters to show the prejudices on all sides. Blood Kin is an absorbing, but realistic introduction to the early history of the Texas Republic.
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, November 2004)
CHILDREN OF THE MIST
by Nigel Tranter
Hodder and Stoughton, 1993, ISBN 0-340-55898-9Condemned without trial. Executed with no questions asked. Women branded and children delivered into slavery. Their name banned from utterance for nearly 200 years. All acts committed in the name of justice and with the blessing of King James VI. Nigel Tranter weaves a poignant tale of the machinations that led to this royal condemnation of Clan MacGregor and the subsequent hunting with fire and sword in Children of the Mist.
In 1589, Alastair MacGregor of Glenstrae becomes clan chief and faces the difficult task of controlling his people while maintaining peace with the powerful Campbell of Argyll and the vexatious Clan Colquhoun. The first hint of trouble arrives on Alastair’s doorstep with the arrival of Black Duncan of the Cowl whose father beheaded Alastair’s father in the name of justice and acquired the forfeited land nineteen years earlier. Uncertain of Duncan’s motives, Alastair decides to visit the king, who is Ard Righ, chief of all chiefs. Alastair befriends several influential men of the court and meets the king, but leaves without knowing whether James VI will aid him or not. Circumstances unfold that require him to seek out the Earl of Argyll, and while Alastair never trusts him, he must accept his assistance. It is an uneasy alliance that portends tragic results for Alastair and his clan.
From the opening chapter Nigel Tranter transports the reader back in time to the wild and treacherous Highlands of Scotland. He elicits anger and frustration, hope and heartache while he unravels the intrigues brought about by an English queen without heirs, a Scottish king who covets her crown, and a cunning earl who manipulates and betrays a naïve and illiterate Alastair MacGregor to gain the power behind the throne.
(Originally reviewed for Word Weaving)
DAUGHTER OF MY PEOPLE
by James Kilgo
Berkley, 2000, ISBN 0-425-17266-XIn rural South Carolina in 1918, the social taboos in existence prior to the Civil War are still adhered to, but Hart Bonner has broken one. He’s fallen in love with Jennie Grant. He’s white and she’s a cousin of mixed race. When Jennie makes the mistake of being uppity, the entire county learns of their affair. Tison, Hart’s older brother, disapproves of such scandalous behavior, but he becomes fixated on Jennie. The mounting tension between the brothers propels them, Jennie, and the family down a path that has far-reaching and unforeseen consequences for everyone involved.
Kilgo’s first novel compels the reader to turn the page, to savor each word that he’s written. He transports the reader back to a poverty-stricken south that still reels from the devastation of war. If you close your eyes, you can hear the clop of horses, the racket of the rare automobile, the insects chirping, or the yapping of the hounds. You sweat from the sweltering heat or shiver from the icy cold. This is the type of book that you curl up with on a rainy day, and when you finish reading, the characters and the setting will haunt you for many days to come.
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review)
DIAMOND DUO
by Marcia Gruver
Barbour, 2008, 9781602602052Bertha Biddle loves Thaddeus Bloom, but doesn’t know how to capture him. When gorgeous and mysterious Annie Monroe steps off the train in Jefferson, Texas, in 1877, the men have eyes only for Annie. That’s when Bertha knows how to solve her problem. She’ll get Annie to teach her how to woo a man.
Thaddeus, too, faces a dilemma, but he’s already in love. He doesn’t believe it’s fair to ask Bertha to wait until he finishes college. It’s not that he wants to continue his education, but how can he disappoint his father, who has sacrificed and dreamed of his oldest son being the first to earn a college degree?
Although based on an unsolved murder, this isn’t a historical mystery. Rather it’s the story of people who lived in and around an east Texas town where steamboats bring strangers both good and bad. Gruver expertly captures what it’s like to live in Texas, yet the joys and sorrows, trials and troubles her characters face are ones with which readers everywhere will identify. Faith plays an important part in the story, but Gruver weaves it into the events that unfold so it never seems to intrude.(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, November 2008)
GABRIEL'S STORY
by David Anthony Durham
Doubleday, 2001, ISBN 0-385-49814-4I reckon we’re nowhere. This declaration comes from Gabriel Lynch at his first sight of 1870’s Kansas, a flat prairie with few trees and soddies, houses built from dirt cut from the earth. Raised in Baltimore, Gabriel is angry that his father died, his mother has remarried, and she has brought his brother and him West to farm. When reality fails to live up to his stepfather’s description of their property, Gabriel’s resentment grows and is fueled by the blatant prejudice he encounters because he is an African American. It takes glimpses of a lone Indian and cowboys attempting to turn stampeding cattle for him to believe that adventure was skirting the edges…offering occasional glimpses that tempted with promises more mythical than the thin tales of cheap novels.
Mr. Durham captures the blandness that is Kansas with such clarity that Gabriel’s emotions seep into the reader as muddy rain seeps through a soddy. The old adage “Be careful what you wish for” permeates this coming-of-age story, for Gabriel tastes adventure, but not in the way he expects. This is not a “Hollywood” western, but a realistic portrayal of the hardships, rewards, and violence – made more vivid by what is left unsaid – inherent in living in a place where the forces of nature and man can wreak devastation in the blink of an eye.
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novel Reviews, May 2001)GINGHAM MOUNTAIN
Mary Connealy, Barbour, 2008, 9781602601413Sour Springs, Texas. Last stop for the orphan train. Last hope for two orphans nobody wants. Nobody but Grant, that is. Once an orphan himself, he provides them with shelter, food, and clothes, but the most important thing he gives is love.
Hannah Cartwright assumes Grant is like other “fathers,” who just want children to work until they drop. When her attempt to keep Grant from adopting the children fails, she takes the job of schoolmarm to watch over the children. She has a knack for teaching, but not cooking or sewing, so Grant’s children concoct plans to help her and get her to like him. The only problem is Shirt Lady, another newcomer, has designs on Grant herself, even though she hates children.
Set in 1870, this is a fast-paced, heartwarming story filled with humor and romance. There’s even a bit a mystery woven in, for Shirt Lady isn’t who or what she pretends to be. The only drawback is the occasional intrusion of characters from an earlier story in the “Lassoed in Texas” series, but Connealy eventually ties them into the main story. A delightful, entertaining book you’ll want to read again and again.(Originally reviewed for Historical Novel Reviews, May 2009)
HARVEY GIRL
by Sheila Wood Foard
Texas Tech Univ., 2006, 0896725707Clara Massie's 14th birthday isn't the celebration she imagined. Farming in the Ozarks of 1919 is hard work, and her dad sees her book learning as "gettin' above your raisin'." Rather than face another whipping, Clara flees to St. Louis, Missouri, where cousin Opal is a waitress in a Frannk Harvey restaurant that serves good meals to railroad passengers. At first reticent to help Clara become a waitress because she's too young, Opal gives Clara hints on how to get the job. She trains as a Harvey girl in Belin, New Mexico, but a slip of the tongue eventually leads to trouble. While serving meals to the suffragettes in Las Vegas, the hotel's china bowl is stolen. In the ensuing investigation, Clara is fired and reluctantly returns home. She has no intention of remaining on the farm; she must find a way to get her sister, who suffers from tuberculosis, to New Mexico where she has a chance to survive.
The 21st century ceases to exist once the reader opens the pages of this young adult novel. The author deftly recreates life on a poor farm, the trepidation of your first interview, and the excitement of starting your first job. Clara matures and grows, although at times her old self intrudes, just as in real life. Foard served as a docent at the Belin Harvey House museum and interviewed Harvey girls, research which adds immeasurably to the story. She takes a few liberties with her historical timeline, but the reader doesn't notice because she seamlessly interweaves history with fiction. Photogrpahs depicting Harvey Houses and their staff, and information about the real Harvey girls, are icing on the cake.
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, August 2006)HURRICANE
by Janice A. Thompson
RiverOak, 2004, ISBN 1589190293Six years after leaving Galveston, Brent Murphy finds himself on a train bound for the Texas island. He doesn't understand what draws him home, but he knows he cannot avoid a confrontation with his father, who considers his son a failure. While Brent delays this meeting, the hurricane of the century strikes Galveston on 8 September 1900, killing 6000 people and destroying most of the island. Brent faces his past, and in so doing, finds his life inextricably linked with the island and its people.
Hurricane is also a story of courage and the will to survive in spite of overwhelming death and devastation. Intertwined with Brent's story are those of Sister Henrietta Mullins and the orphans in her care, Everett Maxwell and his yearning for a story that will sell newspapers, and Emma Sanders on her first day as a hospital nurse.
On my first visit to Galveston in 2003, I saw a film entitled The Great Storm. The pictures of the devastation wrought were awesome and haunting, made even more so when interspersed with personal remembrances and historical details. Janice Thomson has taken the facts and recollections and woven them into a powerful inspirational novel. This montage of glimpses into characters' lives and thoughts, unveiled in a sequential timeline from four days before the hurricane to one year later, refuses to let the reader sit on the sidelines. Hurricane evokes tears, prayers, sorrow, and rejoicing as the reader endures the storm just as the islanders did more than a century ago.
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, May 2005)
MOON MEDICINE
by Mike Blakely
Forge, 2001, ISBN 0-312-86704-2Honore Greenwood, by his own admission a genius, fled France for America after slaying a man who raped the woman he loved. At ninety-nine, Honore looks back on his life and shares his adventures with the likes of Kit Carson, Charles and William Bent, and other frontiersmen who tamed the American West during the 1840s. He travels the Santa Fe Trail, becomes caught up in war with Mexico, fights the Apache while befriending the Comanche, and falls in love with Gabriela, who must wed another.
This is a wonderful tale of the American frontier and the men who forged the trails so settlers could follow. Honore's blunt honesty grates at first, but as his character grows and matures, he becomes quite a likeable fellow. When he cheers and weeps, so does the reader. This mingling of adventure, romance, and confrontation brings to life a time of difficulty and danger, and does so in a realistic way that transports the reader back in time to stand with Honore as he lives what others only dream of. The characters he meets along the way, whether Mexican, American, Comanche, Apache, or of some other culture, are shades of gray with good and bad traits that make them living beings. I look forward to reading more of Honore's adventures in the sequel.
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, December 2001)
PRINCE ACROSS THE WATER
by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris
Philomel Books, 2004, ISBN 0-399-23897-2In August 1745, Bonnie Prince Charlie lands in Scotland to regain the British throne for his father. Parliament had ousted his grandfather, James II, in favor of the Protestant branch of the Stuarts. When the call to arms comes, Duncan MacDonald is eager to go, having listened to his grandfather’s war stories his entire life. His father, however, refuses Duncan’s request. He must stay behind to tend the cows and care for his mother and younger siblings. So does his cousin Ewan, a year older than Duncan, but neither lad intends to stay behind forever. Daily they practice with their swords, and when they learn of Ewan’s father’s death, they set out to join the Prince’s army at Culloden. As they line up on the field of battle, neither imagines the horrors and tragedies to come.
The outcome of the Rising of 1745 had a profound impact on Scottish Highlanders and their way of life. This is a vivid and brutal, but realistic, retelling of the rising, the tragedy of Culloden, and its aftermath. Seeing it unfold through a fourteen-year-old’s eyes makes the telling all the more poignant. Duncan’s immaturity, loyalty, fear, and courage make him a teenager with whom readers will identify, for his struggles mirror our own as we grow to adulthood. In spite of two minor errors—the length of time it takes to traverse the Highlands and the MacDonalds of Keppoch arriving at Glenfinnan before the Camerons—this is an excellent and captiviating introduction to a period in history few people know about but should.
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, February 2005)
THE ROGUES
Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris
Philomel Books, 2007, 9780399238987The Highlands of the 19th century, sometime after 1815, are no longer a safe place for regular folk to live, for the landowners have found something more valuable to them than people – sheep. The estate factor, William Rood, and his henchmen soon come to Roddy Macallan’s village to oust the tenants, burn their farms, and slaughter whatever livestock won’t bring a profit. Roddy and his family flee for their lives. They head for Glasgow in hopes of finding either work or a ship that will take them to America. But that requires precious coin, which they don’t have, until Roddy remembers The Blessing, a gift from Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Roddy returns to his demolished family home to search for The Blessing. A sliver of moonlight reveals its location, but his joy is short lived. The laird confiscates The Blessing and orders his factor to silence Roddy. Allan Dunbar, also known as the Rogue, intervenes. He takes Roddy under his wing and soon the two outlaws formulate a plan to recover The Blessing with the help of the laird’s niece, who despises her uncle.
From the Highlands to Glasgow to Cape Fear, this riveting adventure takes the reader back to the days of the Clearances. Shock, despair, anger, and hope are but a few of the emotions this tale evokes. Roddy goes from fun-loving child to mature adult who stops at nothing to be reunited with his family. Written for young adults, this heartrending tale will appeal to readers young and old.
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, February 2008)
THE ROMANOV BRIDE
In the first two decades of the 20th century, two worlds collide in Russia. The fall of the Romanovs and the massacre of Tsar Nicholas and his family make headlines. The Romanov Bride, though, tells the story of another family member, Grand Duchess Elisavyeta (Ella), the older sister of Tsarina Alexandra. Raised to help those in need, Ella finds she must put aside her desires to follow the dictates of her husband. She loves him, but, scarred by the horrors of his father’s assassination, he is unable to return that love. When revolutionists murder Sergei, Ella reexamines her life and gives up her riches and power to become the abbess of a convent that caters to the needs of those less fortunate.
Robert Alexander
Viking, 2008, 978-0-670-018819-9After the tragic and needless death of his wife and child during a peaceful march to see the tsar, Pavel seeks only revenge. He becomes a revolutionary who aids the cause by killing Romanovs and those who work with them. When he agrees to assist in the slaying of Grand Duke Sergei, Pavel’s life becomes intertwined with Ella’s.
What makes this account of the Romanov tragedy so compelling is that the reader lives the events from two opposing perspectives. Alexander brings to life the privileged world of the ruling family and the poverty they refused to see. How different Russia might have been “if only…” is vividly portrayed within these pages. The Romanov Bride is a poignant recounting of tragic and horrible events that will bring tears to your eyes. The ironic twist of fate at the end makes this a tale as haunting as the murders in the “House of Special Purpose” in Ekaterinburg in 1918.
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, May 2008)THE STRICKLANDS
by Edwin Lanham
University of Oklahoma Press, 2002 , ISBN 0-8061-3419-4Life during the Great Depression is hard, particularly for those living in Oklahoma. The Stricklands are one such family. Facing imminent loss of their land because of a WPA Works project, Jay and Pat take different paths to survive. One brother turns to crime. The other becomes a union organizer intent on uniting the white, black, and Indian tenant farmers against those who exploit them.
Originally published in 1939 shortly before Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, reviewers expected The Stricklands to win the Pulitzer. Fate decreed otherwise and this heart-wrenching story soon disappeared from bookshelves. Lawrence R. Rodgers, an Associate Professor of English at Kansas State University, pens an introduction outlining the historical, regional, and literary context for this compelling novel.
Lanham, himself a native of Oklahoma, realistically portrays the people, place, and time affected by economic depression. His story transports the reader back in time and captures poor folks’ struggle to survive in a world that garners them little in spite of their hard work. Love, greed, power, betrayal, and prejudice collide within these pages without any sugarcoating. Yet in spite of adversity and tragedy, hope for a better life and world remains.
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review)
THERE IS A WIDENESS
Mark McAllister
RiverOak, 2004, ISBN 158919010-6Depression came to East Texas long before the Stock Market crashed, but Luke Robertson supports his ailing mother and younger sister after his father dies. When oil is discovered, he takes a job in the oil fields. Before his mother dies, he promises to take care of Marty. But that is before March 18, 1937. Shortly after three o’clock that afternoon over three hundred children and teachers die in an explosion at the high school in New London. Devastated, Luke leaves Texas forever.
Ten years later something compels Luke to return to the cemetery where his sister is buried. There he meets Russ, the caretaker. To Russ, the words on the headstones are just names. In anger, Luke tells his long-buried story so Russ will know who each of the children were and how their loss impacted him and the entire town. Russ, however, has his own secrets, one of which ties directly into the deaths of Marty and her friends.
There Is a Wideness is a powerful and inspirational retelling of the devastation wrought in 1937. The reader feels Luke’s agonizing despair, Russ’ frustration, and both men’s struggles to find peace and renewed hope. Mr. McAllister’s story evokes strong emotions, in part because his own mother stood outside the school the day it exploded. His book, which vividly transports the reader back to a Texas oil town of the thirties, dares the reader to put it down.Visit Mark McAllister
Learn more about the New London, Texas School Explosion
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, November 2004)
TILL MORNING IS NIGH
Leisha Kelly, Revell, 2007, 9780800718879December 1932. Money is scarce, the children are sick, and memories are raw. Christmas approaches, but so does the anniversary of the death of Mrs. Hammond. Her children must cope with that, as well as their father’s drinking and inability to cope with her loss. The children often spend their time with the Worthams, who have also taken in a waif whose mother abandoned her for a singing career. When Mr. Hammond disappears, the Hammonds fear he’s dead, too, until a mysterious “angel” intervenes.
Kelly superbly recreates life during the Great Depression. This inspirational and compelling holiday story doesn’t tie everything up with a neat little bow, but it will warm your heart and bring to mind traditions of Christmases past. She includes several holiday recipes for readers to enjoy. What gave me pause was my uncertainty of the audience for this book, but the magic of Christmas makes this a tale to treasure.
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, February 2008)THE UNRESOLVED
by T. K. Welsh
Dutton, 2006, $16.99, ISBN 9780525477314Fire! This is the greatest fear of passengers and crews of ships, both now and in the past. On 15 June 1904, fear becomes reality for fifteen-year-old Mallory Meer of Little Germany on New York City’s Lower East Side. She is one of more than 1300 passengers aboard the General Slocum bound for Locust Grove when fire spreads rapidly through the steamship. Mallory and her baby sister are among the 1,021 who die amidst the panic and confusion as people try to escape while the crew attempts to extinguish the flames.
Her unexpected death compels Mallory to recount what happened – her excitement of a secret tryst with Dustin Brauer, her disappointment when Bingham Goldstein’s bullying ruins her first kiss. With so many dead, everyone knows someone who died; sadness turns to anger after Bingham accuses Dustin of starting the fire. This injustice, the Slocum’s owners’ cover-up of oversights, and love for her grieving family spur Mallory to induce those who know the truth to speak.
This spellbinding young adult novel, based on a true story, overwhelms the reader with the tragic loss of so many lives and the sudden end to the promising life of one young girl. She tells her story without looking through rose-colored glasses and confronts the truths even when they hurt. Mallory will haunt you just as she does those she leaves behind.
THE EDGE OF TOWN
by Dorothy Garlock
Warner Books, 2001, ISBN 0-446-52769-6Raising her brothers and sisters and doing daily farm chores don’t leave Julie Jones much time for a social life. She yearns for someone to court her, but she’s just a country girl, not one of those flappers who live in town. Her world, however, turns upside down when several new faces appear in Fertile, Missouri.
Evan Johnson, a veteran of the Great War, returns to protect the family farm from his drunk and abusive father. Birdie Stuart is a widow looking for a new husband. Corbin Appleby, the new police chief, searches for a rapist and murderer. The manner in which their lives intersect with those of Julie and her family threaten to rip asunder the ties that bind Julie to her family and to Evan.
The characters in The Edge of Town are ordinary people with all the foibles and traits that breathe life into them. The story transports readers back to the years just prior to the Great Depression in a Midwestern town where city dwellers and farmers intermingle but don’t always look at their community through the same eyes. Readers in search of a wonderful old-fashioned romance won’t be disappointed, and those looking for mystery will find more than enough to fill their plates.
(Originally published in Historical Novels Review, August 2001)
HIGH ON A HILL
by Dorothy Garlock
Warner Books, 2002, ISBN 0-446-52946-XProhibition, bootleggers, moonshine, mobsters--these are volatile ingredients during the Roaring Twenties. When they intersect in a small Missouri town, Annabel Lee Donovan's life changes forever.
Annabel, daughter of a bootlegger, yearns for the day her father retires. She's tired of moving, but fears Henderson is just another stopping-off place. Corbin Appleby, a former sheriff, arrives in town to locate a friend's brother and help a colleague. Falling in love with Annabel takes him by surprise, yet he's not the only one with eyes for Annabel. Marvin Carter wants her for himself, and he won't take no for an answer.
The twists and turns in this romantic tale force the reader to turn the pages. For those who read Ms. Garlock's The Edge of Town, where she first introduced Corbin, reading High on a Hill is like meeting an old friend. The depth of the characters, the inclusion of a poignant secondary love story, and the immersion into a time that captures the imagination are like spice added to an apple pie. Without them, this would be an ordinary tale. With them, this is a book to savor and enjoy.
(Originally published in Historical Novels Review, August 2001)
THE LAWMAN WHO LOVED HER
by Mallory Kane
Harlequin Intrigue, 2001, ISBN 0-373-22620-9This contemporary romance is a spellbinder. Mallory Kane deftly weaves a tale of love and suspense where you will wish for a hero of your own like Cody while rooting for Dana to let go of the past and follow her heart. Gerard is a vicious yet intelligent villain that you will want to tear apart with your own hands. Unless you have the time to read this book in one sitting, don't pick it up. It's impossible to put down!
(Originally reviewed for Ivy Quill Reviews - click here for full review)
RIVER RISING
by Dorothy Garlock
Warner, 2005, ISBN 0-440-69394-4With her car stuck in the mud on the outskirts of Fertile, Missouri, April Asbury slogs through pouring rain, scoots under a barbed-wire fence, and flees an angry bull to reach the safety of a small farmhouse. Meeting handsome Joe Jones, the bull’s owner, sets off April’s alarm bells, but his kindness and teasing tug at her heartstrings. Thus begins her new life as Doc Forbes’ nurse. But this charming town has secrets. With the unending rain, the river threatens to flood. As the water rises, so do prejudices against those who live near the river. Yet nothing threatens Fertile as much as a bitter widow’s plan to destroy the legacy of her husband, and in doing so, she will ruin the lives of innocent residents.
Once again, Ms. Garlock captivates readers with a tale involving this quaint town and the people who live there. Her three-dimensional characters, with all their strengths, frailties, laughter, and warped thinking, make this depression-era town a living place that readers will want to visit and remember for years to come.
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review)
WINGS OF MORNING
by Kathleen Morgan
Revell, 2006, ISBN 0800759648Regan MacLaren loves her husband, but an argument on their wedding night results in his departure, and the next day she finds herself a widow. Her brother-in-law claims Iain Campbell shot Roddy in the back, and Walter convinces Regan they must right this wrong. Regan has second thoughts and sets off to stop Walter.
The Scottish Highlands in 1566 are a dangerous place for a woman riding alone during a storm. When her horse spooks, she hits her head and is dragged far from home. On regaining consciousness, she finds herself under the care of Iain Campbell and his mother. But Regan doesn’t realize he’s her enemy; she doesn’t know who she is. As she struggles to remember, she falls in love with Iain. Intrigues and political struggles soon intrude into the Highlands, complicating and endangering Regan’s life.
Morgan weaves a charming tale that seamlessly intertwines clan life with romance and the struggle to heed God’s wishes. History, however, plays a minor role, and as a result, the story could easily take place in another time without endangering the storyline.
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review)
A DEADLY EXCHANGE
by Sheryl Stafford
iUniverse, 2001, ISBN 0-595-15677-0Don't bother picking up this book unless you can devote the time to read it in one sitting. Ms. Stafford snares you with the first harrowing chase and doesn't release you until you close the back cover. The life experiences of the author and her husband make A Deadly Exchange seem real. Both have sailed around the Bahamas numerous times, and Commander Stafford was a pilot broken by the Viet Cong after his plane was shot down during the war. As you read this book you will find yourself aboard the Spencers' sailboat instead of being safe in your own home. Your heart will beat rapidly from fear and terror as Alex and Matt confront the head of the cartel and his men, none of whom have any redeeming qualities.
(Originally written for Ivy Quill Reviews - click here for full review)
THE LAST TO REMEMBER: A Sharyn Howard Mystery
by Joyce and Jim Lavene
Thomas Bouregy & Co/Avalon Books, April 2001, ISBN 0-8034-9468-8The Lavenes have created a wonderful cast of characters that make for a most engaging murder mystery. The twists and turns spiced with a few red herrings will keep readers intrigued, compelling them to turn the page until the puzzle is solved. They will root for Sharyn even when she seems to face insurmountable odds, because despite her foibles, she is an old-fashioned, honorable sheriff. And her interactions with Nick and Lennie make a most amusing interplay of human emotions that promise more spice to come in future cases for Sharyn and the Diamond Spring Police Department to solve.
(Originally reviewed for Ivy Quill Reviews - click here for full review)
SOLDIER'S HEART
by Gary Paulsen
Delacorte Press, 1998, ISBN 0-385-32498-7This compelling and realistic depiction of war is based on a true story. Paulsen's writing is crisp and fast-paced, and this soldier's story will haunt readers long after they finish reading the novel. Highly recommended.
(Originally reviewed for The Book Report)
Written for Young Adults, but adults will also enjoy this gritty story of the Civil War.
UNTIL OUR LAST EMBRACE: A Sharyn Howard Mystery
Joyce and Jim Lavene
Thomas Bouregy & Co/Avalon Books,December 2001, ISBN 0-8034-9508-0This fourth installment in the series is by far the best one yet. The dynamics between Sharyn and Nick heat up while those involving Winter promise that he will be a villain to despise when he and Sharyn finally have their showdown in a future installment. Unraveling the twists and turns of Darva's death will prevent readers from closing the book. Those who haven't read the previous books need not worry. Until Our Last Embrace contains enough information to allow anyone to enjoy this delectable mystery, and the sinister teaser at the end promises that readers will return for the next case Sharyn Howard tackles.
(Originally reviewed for Ivy Quill Reviews - click here for full review)
THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS
Helen Rappaport, St. Martin’s, 2008, 9780312379766On 17 July 1918, in Ekaterinburg, Bolsheviks brutally murdered Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their children: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexey. While this book focuses primarily on the events and players during the time the family lived at the “House of Special Purpose,” Rappoport explores the responses of various leaders – Woodrow Wilson, George V, Kaiser Wilhelm, and Vladimir Lenin. She captures the time, place, politics, and events through the use of Russian and English primary sources, many rarely consulted in previous works. Although there are no footnotes, this is an absorbing account from personal perspectives that puts the reader in the midst of it all, from the boredom of inactivity to the horror of what happened in the cellar of the Ipatiev House that night.
(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, May 2009)
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