The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

April 23, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
Audiobook narrated by Rosalyn Landor
Publisher: Print – Avon, Recorded Books (Audio Publisher)
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

1814 promises to be another eventful season, but not, this author believes, for Anthony Bridgerton, London’s most elusive bachelor, who has shown no indication that he plans to marry. And in all truth, why should he? When it comes to playing the consummate rake, nobody does it better… – Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers, April 1814

But this time the gossip columnists have it wrong. Anthony Bridgerton hasn’t just decided to marry – he’s even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended’s older sister, Kate Sheffield – the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate’s the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams.

Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes do not make the best husbands – and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. Kate is determined to protect her sister – but she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony’s lips touch hers, she’s suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself.

Anthony was such a forceful personality in The Duke and I that I wasn’t sure how he’d be as a hero in his own book, The Viscount Who Loved Me. I shouldn’t have wondered. He blew away my expectations.

Just like The Duke and I, once again I listened to this novel via an audiobook. When Kate has her nightmare, Ms. Landor, the narrator, was so effective and so emotional, I know my mouth was hanging open in shock, I felt the chills go up my spine, and my breath caught in my throat. It was so REAL! And Anthony was wonderful with her. It affected him as well, and he was determined to help Kate. I know I’m jumping the gun by mentioning something later in the book but that scene was so amazing, and profound and effective, I had to start with it. That scene sealed this story with a rating of 5 stars.

Now, to go back to the beginning, Anthony decided it was time to find a wife. His choice would normally make sense, until a reader understands that he’s being driven by a traumatic event from his past. Here’s the point – it’s a real thing. It’s not his imagination. What is even more amazing is that Ms. Quinn actually explains why she had Anthony do as he did in the wrap up after the novel ends. I can personally attest to that emotional response because my own dad and his brother thought the exact same way. In the back of their minds as they married and lived their lives, there was an age concern, will they live past that milestone, or will genetics win out? It’s a powerful motivator for good or ill. Ms. Quinn used it as a very effective internal plot conflict and because I knew it was a real emotional response in real life, it made the story come alive and it felt very relevant.

The novel isn’t so dark and heavy handed, despite the first couple of paragraphs in my review. Those were the things that touched me deeply on a personal level. But the majority of the book is wonderfully romantic, and with the Bridgerton family playing Pall Mall, hilarity, hijinks and fun is a guarantee. Pay attention to the Mallet of Death because in the audio version there is a second epilogue and Pall Mall provides a significant backdrop that made me laugh uncontrollably too many times to count. I truly mean that. I laughed out loud, giggled, snorted and grinned from ear to ear so long, it hurt. Ms. Quinn has a wicked sense of humor!

What I find interesting about this story is that the intense moments when the true conflicts show up happen after the hero and heroine get married. It’s fascinating. In most romance books, they end after the hero and heroine get their HEA which usually has an ‘I love you’ and off they go. Not so with this novel. No, the author did something different. It’s when people move in together, when they see each other first thing in the morning and the last at night, when all the little quirks and personal habits start showing up and they react. That’s when the true learning of a married relationship starts. That’s what I believe Ms. Quinn does in this novel and it works. It’s wonderful and I can’t say enough good things about it.

The Viscount Who Loves Me is awesome, and whether you read it in print or listen to it in audio, Ms. Quinn has penned a wonderful romance that should not be missed.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

April 21, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
Audiobook narrated by Rosalyn Landor
Publisher: Print – Avon, Recorded Books (Audio Publisher)
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Simon Basset, the irresistible Duke of Hastings, has hatched a plan to keep himself free from the town’s marriage-minded society mothers. He pretends to be engaged to the lovely Daphne Bridgerton. After all, it isn’t as if the brooding rogue has any real plans to marry – though there is something about the alluring Miss Bridgerton that sets Simon’s heart beating a bit faster.

And as for Daphne, surely the clever debutante will attract some very worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable. But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, she soon forgets that their courtship is a complete sham. And now she has to do the impossible and keep herself from losing her heart and soul completely to the handsome hell-raiser who has sworn off marriage forever!

I can’t believe I’m the lucky duck who gets to review The Duke and I. For sure I thought, someone at some time must have already reviewed this book for LASR, but guess what? No one has! I can’t believe it! With the resounding success of the Netflix series, Bridgerton, I figured I was late to the party. I tried and tried to get the paperback through my local library but the wait was three months long. So, I checked the audiobook section and I couldn’t believe my good fortune. It was available!! And let me tell you something, if you haven’t heard the audio version of the novel, you are missing out. Rosalyn Landor did a splendid reading. Spectacular, really. So much so, that when I finally get to watch it on Netflix, I’m going to be comparing the acting to Ms. Landor’s rendition.

Here’s another personal tidbit. I do a lot of tedious data entry at my day job. I’m in an office by myself so I can listen to audiobooks to my heart’s content. My boss only walked in on me twice and both times I was laughing uproariously. Oops. But she just smiled, gave me a few more needed tasks, and off she went. Supposedly the audio version takes 12 hours to listen to. You could have fooled me. My day positively flew! I grinned, I chuckled, and I most definitely laughed out loud. This book is awesome! Yes, I realize I’m using a lot of exclamation points in this review but how else can I explain how excited I am about my reading/listening experience?

First, a reader meets Simon as a little child; an only child. My heart broke. His father was an arrogant posterior – unrelenting, unforgiving, and an all-around ogre. Thank goodness little Simon had a staunch protector in his nurse. Child psychologists all agree that trauma experienced at a young age tends to affect that person into adulthood. Simon’s character epitomizes that fact. He grew up to be sophisticated, extremely smart, is respected but thought of as very ducal. The author explains the reality. Again, my feelings were affected. Simon certainly qualifies as a tortured hero.

Now, let’s look at Daphne Bridgerton, the heroine. She’s the very opposite of the hero. She comes from a large, boisterous family and she’s only known love. She’s unusual because she speaks her mind and has a fresh, unpretentious way of looking at things. Having grown up with three older brothers, she is wise in many areas, yet innocent as she should be in the areas expected of a lady. But wow, can she throw a solid punch. I really liked the heroine’s personality.

The first half of the story is about their meeting, the courting, the scheming, and working around her two nosiest brothers, Anthony and Colin. The family dynamics are fascinating and Ms. Quinn wrote them into the novel in a seamless fashion as a natural turn of events in the everyday life of the Bridgerton clan. A reader sees ballroom dramas, raucous dinnertimes with a reference to mashed potatoes on someone’s chair, and a healthy dose of love and laughter between the siblings. It was quite delightful.

The latter half of the novel follows the ramifications of Simon’s bad experiences in his youth and how it affects the marriage that eventually takes place between he and Daphne. I felt so sad for Daphne. She goes from a family that harbors few secrets to a husband who is haunted by them. It gets very intense and I worried for Daphne at a few points. I could understand her point of view, but I understood Simon’s too. I had no idea how things were going to be resolved. Of course it is, that’s part of the very happy and satisfying happy-ever-after of which I was thrilled with. And for those that feel a book isn’t complete without an epilogue, guess what? The audio version has a SECOND epilogue! Yes! And not only is it amazing and wonderful and intriguing and at times humorous, it tied up the loose ends about those letters.

I realize that a narrator can only bring a book to life if the author who wrote it provides amazing material, and based on my experience, Ms. Quinn did an outstanding job. Well, of course she did, it’s now a Netflix sensation, right? Well, Ms. Landor’s narration combined with a great novel has completely wowed me. I’m very happy, thrilled and although late to the Bridgerton party, just as enthusiastic as the many fans out there worldwide. If anyone is like me who hasn’t read, or even listened to this book yet, what are you waiting for? There’s no time like the present. The Duke and I ( or as the TV has it, The Duke & I) is a great read no matter how you get it.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Hunted: A Short Story by Brandon Tolin

April 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Hunted: A Short Story by Brandon Tolin
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Shortly after the civil war a life weary and elderly hunter and trapper makes a fatal mistake during a hunting trip on the edge of civilization. The repercussions of this mistake will send the old man on a harrowing journey through an untamed wilderness where the elderly man begins to truly understand what fear can be as an unnatural legendary creature of folklore makes the hunter feel like the hunted.

Raise your hand if you think there’s something scary about being in the woods alone.

Bernard’s biggest character flaw turned out to be something that could quickly spiral out of control in such a remote setting. I’ll leave it up to other readers to discover what that flaw was and why it was so dangerous. What I can say is that it was delightful to read about someone as complex and sometimes even a little exasperating as this protagonist. There were times when I wanted to gently shake him out of the terrible habits he’d created for himself after years of living on the fringe of society. In other scenes, I wondered about what his early life experiences were like and how they shaped his odd but unique personality. He had such a complicated relationship not only with himself but also with other people that it made me wonder if his biggest flaw was something he was born with or something he learned early in life. Finding an answer to that question wasn’t half as important as getting the opportunity to ponder it in the first place.

This short story contained numerous punctuation errors that I often found confusing and distracting. They were especially noticeable when it came to the author’s misuse of commas, although I noticed mistakes with several other types of punctuation marks as well. With another round or two of editing, this could have received a much higher rating from me as the storyline and character development themselves were well done.

The horror elements of the plot were scary and nicely written. Given the identity of the unnatural legendary creature of folklore mentioned in the blurb, I correctly assumed there would be some references to blood. Those scenes popped up a few times and were briefly graphic once or twice. I’m generally not a fan of gore, but I didn’t have a problem with them. They fit into the tone of the storyline nicely and were one of several techniques the author used to keep his audience on our toes.

Anyone who enjoys folklore or cryptozoology should check out Hunted: A Short Story.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , ,

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

April 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Publisher: Park Row
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Suspense/Mystery/Thriller
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to The Lost Apothecary…

Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance and the remarkable ways women can save each other despite the barrier of time.

Nella had thought that the first time she crossed the line from helping into harming that her fate had been set. And then Eliza Fanning comes into her life and her fate is rearranged, but is it for the better? What she – and Eliza – don’t realize is that their chance encounter will also shape the fate and future of someone in the far future. A woman named Caroline Parcewell, a woman dealing with her own demons.

I have to say that, although what I got was not anything like what I was expecting, I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Apothecary. Stories that alternate timelines are a favorite of mine. It’s fascinating to me how they seem to run parallel right up until that point where they become intermeshed with one another.

Of the three characters, twelve-year-old Eliza is probably my favorite. She’s stuck somewhere between child and young adult in a world where young girls become women overnight. I thought the author portrayed her well. She’s a smart kid with a good work ethic, however she still has her childish fears and ideas as well. Seeing her determination overcome her fears and worries as she helps Nella was one of the best parts of the novel.

Nella is a conflicted character. As much as she wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps and do no harm, betrayal in her past soured her on men. Especially men who lied, cheated, and betrayed other women. Her internal conflict really drives her and Eliza’s portion of the story. Her reluctant friendship with Eliza was her saving grace, I think.

I felt for Caroline and really loved that she decided to ditch her cheating husband and take their anniversary trip on her own. Honestly, I can’t blame her – she needed that escape. I related to Caroline more than any of the other characters due to her giving up so much for what she thought was good reasons, only to discover later she’d cheated herself out of what she’d wanted. Her drive and desire for answers also resonated with me and I lived for each little discovery she made.

One part contemporary mystery, one part historical fiction, with a dash of magical realism tossed in just for pizzazz, The Lost Apothecary is an interesting, engaging romp through both present-day London and the London of 1791. While I had gone in expecting something more action-packed and intense, the author still delivered an emotionally charged, engrossing story of three women separated by centuries and yet still tied together through time.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Man Called Teacher by David Poulsen

April 14, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Man Called Teacher by David Poulsen
Publisher: BWL Publishing Inc.
Genre: Historical, Action/Adventure
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

One man. One town. One almost forgotten crime. When the stranger who has answered the ad for the teaching position at Kecking Horse School climbs down from the stage on a sleepy Montana afternoon, things are about to change.

With Virgil Watt, cowboy, horse-breaker and the first black man in the history of the town by his side, the stranger quickly upsets the tranquility of the town’s leading citizens, administers a vicious beating to a couple of the town’s toughs and sets out to avenge a long neglected wrong. A reader of books, a lover of laughter, a lawman/lawbreaker with a .44 strapped to his leg–he is the man called Teacher.

This is really an easy and quick read. It was quick because I just couldn’t seem to put it down. I love westerns and this was a good entry into the genre. It’s a story told by what I first pictured as a rancher on the porch. A grizzled old rancher. As I got into the story, I realized the POV of the story (my narrator) was coming from a man who lived with his mama and worked in the general store, one of the few stores that exist in Kecking Horse. I’ll call my storekeeper the man from Kecking Horse because if the author ever actually had anyone call him by name, I can’t remember it.

There are a lot of good old stories like this and it’s true I enjoy them all. But this one’s a little different. The narrator of the story seems as if he’s right on the porch with you recalling something that happened in his life. The plot of the story is somewhat different as teachers usually weren’t tough guys back in the days of the old west. Teachers were usually women and not the ones carrying the guns. There is also some humor in this story. There would have to be in a town called Kecking Horse. A town named only because someone couldn’t spell. But the ability to keep the reader so drawn to the story must be in the writing. The same writing that made Teacher and the man from Kecking Horse seem real. Made the man from Kecking Horse’s narration help you see the characters and walk back through his life.

David Poulsen has several other books published. Check them out.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Exiled by Christopher Charles

April 13, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Exiled by Christopher Charles
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Can anyone ever truly outrun his past?

Back in the 1980s, Wes Raney was an ambitious New York City Narcotics Detective with a growing drug habit of his own. While working undercover on a high-risk case, he made decisions that ultimately cost him not only his career, but also his family. Disgraced, Raney fled-but history is finally catching up with him.

Now in his early forties, Raney has been living in exile, the sole homicide investigator covering a two-hundred-mile stretch of desert in New Mexico. His solitude is his salvation-but it ends when a brutal drug deal gone wrong results in a triple murder. Staged in a locked underground bunker, the crime reawakens Raney’s haunted and violent past.

For eighteen years Detective Wes Raney has been in exile – living and working over a massive part of the desert in New Mexico as the only murder investigator. For the most part his job is mindless and while it’s taken a long time he has mostly made peace with his solitude and new life. But then he comes across a scene that brings him back to his Narcotics days in New York and his old life, a drug deal gone wrong resulting in a triple homicide. Can Raney balance the resurgence of old memories and old demons with the delicate peace he has found?

Overall I found this to be a really engrossing and excellent read. This is effectively two stories wound into one book. The book (almost each chapter) flip between Raney’s New York life back in the mid 80s and his current life in New Mexico in the present. I thought this aspect to the story was really well handled and even though there is jumping back and forth in the timeline I didn’t find it jarring or confusing and that really pleased me.

While it’s perfectly obvious from the first page that the events and outcome of Raney’s undercover operation in the 80s results in him spending twenty odd years alone, in exile and completely disconnected in New Mexico, I still felt myself a little disappointed with how the 1980s timeline wrapped up. It might be slightly unfair of me (after all it’s clear up front there was no happy ever after or sweetness to Raney’s leaving New York), but I still feel Raney got a pretty rough deal and I felt pretty indignant on his behalf. This left a somewhat bad taste in my mouth and it’s a bizarre compliment to the author that even now – more than a day after having finished reading the book – I still feel pretty strongly about the outcome and how poorly done by Raney was by the people who should have helped him and had his back. This is the sort of writing and book that sticks with you well after you’ve finished reading it and that is a massive compliment, even if I’m indignant and annoyed on the main character’s behalf.

The current timeline was much more satisfying – though far more standard as well. The plot for this story was interesting and unfolded really well to my mind. I enjoyed the secondary characters and thought the pacing was fast enough to keep the momentum up but still realistic and logical. I believe this is a stand alone book – most of the loose ends were tied up and while it’s definitely not a cliff hanger or a clear bridge leading the way to a sequel, I have to admit I’ll be keeping an eye out on this author and picking up the next book should one appear.

Readers looking for a simple, neat or “happy” mystery mightn’t find this quite suits what they’re looking for. But there is plenty I thoroughly enjoyed about this story. A different and really interesting (and flawed) main character, a gripping and realistic mystery and an excellent writing style had me reading this book very quickly and enjoying it a lot even when I was outraged on the protagonist’s behalf. A good read and an author I plan to keep an eye out for.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Remembering Rose by Sheila Claydon

April 12, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Remembering Rose by Sheila Claydon
Publisher: BWL Publishing
Genre: Suspense/Mystery/Thriller, Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Rachel has a husband who adores her, a beautiful baby daughter, and an extended family she can rely on, so why isn’t she happy? She doesn’t know and nor do the people who love her. Only Rose understands but she is trapped in another century. To help Rachel she has to breach the boundaries of time itself as well as risk exposing the truth of her own past.

When echoes from that past begin to affect other people in the village of Mapleby, things suddenly become a lot more complicated. Can Rachel put things right without giving away Rose’s secret?

Family is forever.

Rachel’s character development was handled beautifully. To be honest, I didn’t like her very much when I first met her because of how negative and critical she was about everything in her life. It was only once I realized that these parts of her personality were symptoms of her postpartum depression and I saw glimpses of who she was before she’d had a baby that my opinion of her began to shift. This was an intelligent way to show how this illness affects not only the new mother but everyone else around her. I truly enjoyed seeing how she coped with her overwhelming feelings and what her loved ones did to help her feel better.

The beginning and middle of this book were well-written and entertaining. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in how rapidly everything was wrapped up in the ending. There were some fantastic subplots that never had enough time to be fully developed. Even the main storyline felt rushed in the last few chapters, especially when it came to Rachel putting all of the clues together and figuring out what Rose wanted from her. If not for these issues, I would have happily gone with a much higher rating.

Some of the most interesting scenes were the ones that showed the audience the many similarities between Rachel and Rose’s lives. Some families repeat the same patterns for generations without necessarily being aware that this is happening. For example, both Rose and Rachel were spoiled youngest children whose parents let them get away with things that would have never been tolerated if their much-older siblings had tried the same stuff. I’ll leave it up to other readers to discover the other similarities for themselves, but I thought this was all nicely explained.

Anyone who likes genealogical or historical mysteries should give Remembering Rose a try.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Where Are You, Agnes? by Tessa McWatt

April 9, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Where Are You, Agnes? by Tessa McWatt
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Non-Fiction, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Agnes Martin was born on the Canadian prairies in the early twentieth century. In this imagining of her childhood from acclaimed author Tessa McWatt, Agnes spends her days surrounded by wheat fields, where her grandfather encourages her to draw what she sees and feels around her: the straight horizon, the feeling of the sun, the movement of birds’ wings and the shapes she sees in the wheat.

One day, Agnes’s family moves to a house in a big city. The straight horizon and wheat fields are gone, but Agnes continues to draw what she sees and feels around her. No one except her grandfather understands what she is trying to capture ― not her mother, who asks, “Where are you, Agnes?” when she sees her daughter engrossed in her drawing; nor her siblings, who think her art is ugly. Still, Agnes keeps trying to capture what she sees inside her mind.

Agnes Martin grew up to become a famous abstract expressionist artist. Tessa McWatt has written a beautiful story of Agnes’s childhood and how it might have shaped her adult work. Zuzanna Celej’s watercolors adeptly capture Agnes’s world, including hints of the grid paintings that she was later known for, against the backdrop of prairie and city landscapes.

Where do artists find inspiration for their work? Sometimes it begins in childhood.

It’s rare to find a picture book that works just as well for older kids as it does for the little ones! The multiple layers of the plot were what made it possible for it to be understood one way by a preschooler and an entirely different way for a preteen. I was impressed with how the author pulled this off. It certainly wasn’t an easy task to accomplish.

This tale skipped over several of the most important details of Agnes Martin’s life. I ended up needing to google her in order to jog my memory and put all of the pieces together. It wasn’t clear to me if the author assumed everyone already knew those facts or if she didn’t think they were important to include for the age groups she was writing for. Either way, it was confusing at times even though I’m already familiar with the twentieth century Canadian art scene and was very interested in the subject matter in general. This was something that would work best for readers who are already fans of this painter’s work or who are willing to do a little homework ahead of time.

With that being said, I did appreciate the subplot involving grief. It was sensitively written and had some thought-provoking things to say about what happens to the emotion of love after someone dies and why it’s so important to seek out the beauty in life wherever you may find it. Those scenes could be the starting point of so many conversations about death, grief, and how to move on afterwards.

I’d recommend Where Are You, Agnes? to art lovers of all ages.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

April 8, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: Historical, Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

In this Newbery Honor book, a thirteen-year-old boy struggles to survive on his own in the wilderness of eighteenth-century Maine.

When Matt’s father leaves him on his own to guard their new cabin in the wilderness, Matt is scared but determined to be brave and prove that he can take care of himself. And things are going fine until a white stranger steals his gun, leaving Matt defenseless and unable to hunt for his food. Then Matt meets Attean, a Native boy from the Beaver tribe, and soon learns that people called the land around him home long before the white settlers ever arrived. As Attean teaches him more about his own culture, Matt must come to terms with what the changing frontier really means. Now with an introduction by critically acclaimed writer Joseph Bruchac about the historical context and the relationships between Native peoples and white settlers in the eighteenth century.

Matt knew life alone in the wilderness of Maine wouldn’t be easy, but he had no idea just how many challenges he would face.

Matt is in a tough situation. He and his father have worked hard to build a new cabin for their family. However, his father needs to go back to Massachusetts and retrieve the rest of the family. Matt will have to take care of the cabin and garden for months while his father is gone. The garden is especially important as the family will depend on a good harvest to survive the winter. It is a heavy weight for a young boy to bear.

At first, things go smoothly enough. Matt follows his father’s instructions and settles into a comfortable routine. I admire his bravery and sense of duty. However, when Matt’s gun is stolen, he finds himself with limited options for obtaining food and no way to defend himself. As if that weren’t bad enough, a disastrous encounter with bees leaves Matt injured and sick. Matt’s story could have ended there, but he is found by Saknis and his grandson, Attean, members of the Beaver tribe.

Matt and Attean have an interesting relationship. At first, Attean clearly wants nothing to do with Matt. Attean only visits Matt because Saknis wants Attean to learn to read English. Matt isn’t exactly fond of Attean either, but he is grateful to Saknis for his help after the incident with the bees and wants to show his appreciation, so he agrees to teach Attean. The lessons do not go well. At first, both boys are stubborn and unwilling to look past their differences. However, the walls between the two gradually begin to break down. Attean enjoys the stories that Matt reads, and Matt learns to make snares and a bow and arrows. Matt finds himself looking forward to his treks through the forest with Attean. The tension between the two eases as they take the time to learn from each other and eventually become friends. When Matt’s father isn’t back at the appointed time, Matt is faced with a difficult choice. Will he risk facing winter alone in the cabin, or leave with Attean and his family?

I read The Sign of the Beaver when I was young, and I found the plot to be just as captivating as an adult. I especially enjoyed reading this book with my children and watching them experience it for the first time. We were all on the edge of our seats as Matt and Attean faced bees, a bear, metal traps, and the arrival of winter. I will say that the portrayal of the Native Americans is somewhat problematic. I highly recommend reading the introduction before reading the novel as it addresses some of these issues. Despite these issues, I believe at its heart The Sign of the Beaver is a story of friendship and definitely worth reading.

I truly enjoyed rediscovering The Sign of the Beaver. It is a tale of friendship and adventure sure to capture the imaginations of readers young and old alike.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig

March 30, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig
Publisher: William & Morrow
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

A scholarship girl from Brooklyn, Kate Moran thought she found a place among Smith’s Mayflower descendants, only to have her illusions dashed the summer after graduation. When charismatic alumna Betsy Rutherford delivers a rousing speech at the Smith College Club in April of 1917, looking for volunteers to help French civilians decimated by the German war machine, Kate is too busy earning her living to even think of taking up the call. But when her former best friend Emmeline Van Alden reaches out and begs her to take the place of a girl who had to drop out, Kate reluctantly agrees to join the new Smith College Relief Unit.

Four months later, Kate and seventeen other Smithies, including two trailblazing female doctors, set sail for France. The volunteers are armed with money, supplies, and good intentions—all of which immediately go astray. The chateau that was to be their headquarters is a half-burnt ruin. The villagers they meet are in desperate straits: women and children huddling in damp cellars, their crops destroyed and their wells poisoned.

Despite constant shelling from the Germans, French bureaucracy, and the threat of being ousted by the British army, the Smith volunteers bring welcome aid—and hope—to the region. But can they survive their own differences? As they cope with the hardships and terrors of the war, Kate and her colleagues find themselves navigating old rivalries and new betrayals which threaten the very existence of the Unit.

With the Germans threatening to break through the lines, can the Smith Unit pull together and be truly a band of sisters?

A war, women and danger…it’s all in this book.

I’ve never read anything by Lauren Willig before this book and I’m glad I rectified that. This was an interesting book. It’s not for everyone, in that it describes war times and could be a trigger for some readers, but honestly, it’s a fascinating read.

The plot moves along well and kept my attention. I rooted for these women. They’re in a difficult place trying to make the world better, in their own little fashion. I liked the variety of characters, despite the fact that there are a lot of characters and it can be a little confusing trying to keep them all straight. Still, the story plugs along just fine and kept me interested.

There is a lot of description about war and the destruction that comes with it. As I’ve noted, this might be a trigger for some readers, as there is mention of injury, death and the death of children. Read with caution, but do let the story take you away.

If you’re interested in a book that’s a good mix of history, war and a little bit of romance, then this might be the book you’re looking for.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
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