The Beekeeper’s Bullet by Lance Hawvermale

November 6, 2019 By 29 Comments


The Beekeeper’s Bullet by Lance Hawvermale
(Wind in the Wire Book 1)
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical
Length: Full length (262 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3.5 stars
Review by: Poinsettia

American Ellenor Jantz lives in rural Germany in 1917, the Great War raging only a few miles from where she works as a beekeeper for a wealthy loyalist. When a British airman crashes behind enemy lines, Ellenor must choose between aiding him or handing him over to the German authorities, who have just moved a squadron of flying aces into the manor house where she is staying.

Injured pilot Alec Corbin-Dawes, Royal Flying Corps, finds himself at Ellenor’s mercy. Yet he is determined to make his way farther into Germany to rescue his sister within the next four days. How can he travel all those miles in time, now that his plane is downed, and still avoid capture behind enemy lines?

Ellenor’s life will never be the same.

Ellenor and Alec meet in a most unusual and certainly memorable way! When Alec’s plane crashes, Ellenor makes a life changing decision. Rather than handing Alec over to the authorities, she decides to hide him. While I completely agree with her decision, I was surprised at how quickly she threw her fate in with Alec’s. I had anticipated a bit more deliberation on Ellenor’s part. Yet, she quickly commits to not only helping Alec recuperate from his crash, but also in aiding his plans to go further into Germany. Ellenor doesn’t seem to have strong feelings about the war, and the German family who employs her are like family to her. I admit I was shocked at how quickly Ellenor turned away from it all to aid a man she knows nothing about. Even if this did strike me as a bit unrealistic, it did give the story a sense of urgency that piqued my curiosity and kept me turning pages.

Ellenor and Alec are very likable characters, but I must admit their romance didn’t feel quite right to me. Everything happened so fast. They were in a high-pressure situation, and their lives depended on trusting each other. That kind of intensity surely bonded them and could certainly be the beginning of a relationship. I just wish they’d had a bit more time to explore their budding feelings for each other. Despite my misgivings about the speed at which their relationship became serious, I do think they have the potential to be a great couple.

Mr. Hawvermale takes the suspense up another notch in the last third of the book. Alec and Ellenor are so close to completing Alec’s mission. However, unbeknownst to them, they have been followed by Gustav Voss, a captain in the German air force. I can’t give away details without spoiling the story, but I will say that Alec and Ellenor find themselves practically cornered by Voss. I had absolutely no idea how Alec and Ellenor would escape, and I was on the edge of my seat racing through the pages! I must say I was thoroughly surprised and pleased with how the situation played out.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to read The Beekeeper’s Bullet. Anyone looking for a historical romance filled with suspense would do well to pick up a copy.

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

One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker

November 6, 2019 By Leave a Comment


One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Historical
Length: Full length (545 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

Wyoming, 1876. For as long as they have lived on the frontier, the Bemis and Webber families have relied on each other. With no other settlers for miles, it is a matter of survival. But when Ernest Bemis finds his wife, Cora, in a compromising situation with their neighbor, he doesn’t think of survival. In one impulsive moment, a man is dead, Ernest is off to prison, and the women left behind are divided by rage and remorse.

Losing her husband to Cora’s indiscretion is another hardship for stoic Nettie Mae. But as a brutal Wyoming winter bears down, Cora and Nettie Mae have no choice but to come together as one family—to share the duties of working the land and raising their children. There’s Nettie Mae’s son, Clyde—no longer a boy, but not yet a man—who must navigate the road to adulthood without a father to guide him, and Cora’s daughter, Beulah, who is as wild and untamable as her prairie home.

Bound by the uncommon threads in their lives and the challenges that lie ahead, Cora and Nettie Mae begin to forge an unexpected sisterhood. But when a love blossoms between Clyde and Beulah, bonds are once again tested, and these two resilient women must finally decide whether they can learn to trust each other—or else risk losing everything they hold dear.

Back in the days of the empty prairies, two families built close to each other. They knew each other but they weren’t very friendly with each other. Things got even worse when one of the farmer’s was walking his property looking for varmints and found the other neighbor with his wife at the edge of the river. Almost without thinking the man lay dead on the river bank. He tells the neighbor lady what he’s done and why he did it. Then he goes into town and surrenders to the sheriff.

His wife finds herself in a bad place. He’s going to jail for two years and he’s not sure if he wants her there when he comes back. Her neighbor lady hates her. And it wasn’t that special to start with, it was just something different. She misses society, the sounds of the city, and her friends.

The only surviving son of the dead man comes to help with farming, the oldest daughter works with him. His mother thinks she’s flighty and doesn’t get much done but she’ll work all day with him. The land and animals talk to her. If she says so, they think she’s nuts. In time she teaches the boy how to hear it. It settles down the mean spirit his father tried to teach him.

There is more trouble as the two households try to get along for survival sake. The two women tolerate each other but that’s about all.

Many of the household duties, garden duties and animal care were very familiar to me. They were things my grandparents did and many of them were done by my family, too. This was a good visit back in history as well as a good look at how two women missing husbands finally resolve their differences and decide to get along.

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

The Best Laid Plans: 21 Stories of Mystery: An Anthology by Various Authors

November 5, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Best Laid Plans: 21 Stories of Mystery: An Anthology by Various Authors, edited by Judy Penz Sheluk
A Superior Shores Anthology Book 1
Publisher: Superior Shores Press
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Contemporary, Historical
Length: Full Length (292 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Whether it’s a subway station in Norway, ski resort in Vermont, McMansion in the suburbs, or trendy art gallery in Toronto, the 21 authors represented in this superb collection of mystery and suspense interpret the overarching theme of the best-laid plans in their own inimitable style. And like many best-laid plans, they come with no guarantees.

Stories by Tom Barlow, Susan Daly, Lisa de Nikolits, P.A. De Voe, Peter DiChellis, Lesley A. Diehl, Mary Dutta, C.C. Guthrie, William Kamowski, V.S. Kemanis, Lisa Lieberman, Edward Lodi, Rosemary McCracken, LD Masterson, Edith Maxwell, Judy Penz Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Peggy Rothschild, Johanna Beate Stumpf, Vicki Weisfeld, and Chris Wheatley.

Crime doesn’t pay, especially for criminals who think they’ve found a loophole.

“Spirit River Dam” by Susan Daly told the tale of an art dealer who was brought a potential Tom Thomson painting for appraisal. The possibility of discovering an unknown, priceless painting by this artist was irresistible even when evidence began to mount that he might not have been the painter who made it after all. What I enjoyed the most about this tale were all of the plot twists in it. No sooner would I come up with a theory about what was really happening than the next scene would turn that theory on its head. This happened several times, and it kept me guessing until the very last moment.

I enjoyed all of the tales in this collection, but a few of them would have benefited from more development. “The Stonecutter’ by Edith Maxwell was one example of this. It was about a librarian named Eleanor who had an affair with a married man. When her lover began to feel guilty for cheating on his wife, she had to decide what she was willing to do to keep him. I was fascinated by how quickly their illicit romance developed, especially considering the fact that both of these characters were otherwise known to be very moral and upstanding citizens. This made the twist at the end a little hard to swallow. I liked what the author was doing with it, but it would have been helpful to more foreshadowing either about the Eleanor’s personality or what would become of their secret love.

As soon as I finished the first paragraph in LD Masterson’s “Deadly Dinner” and realized that the protagonist was murdering nursing home residents, I had to find out why Bixby would ever do such a thing. While his reasons for these choices should be left for each new reader to discover themselves, I was pleased with how thoroughly the author explained everything. Bixby was not a likeable character, but he sure was a fascinating one. This isn’t always an easy thing to pull off, so I enjoyed reading about someone I would never want to meet in real life.

The Best Laid Plans: 21 Stories of Mystery & Suspense should be read by anyone who loves this genre.

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

The Work of Art by Mimi Matthews

November 4, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Work of Art by Mimi Matthews
Publisher: Perfectly Proper Press
Genre: Historical
Length: Full length (392 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

An Uncommon Beauty…

Hidden away in rural Devonshire, Phyllida Satterthwaite has always been considered more odd than beautiful. But in London, her oddity has made her a sensation. Far worse, it’s caught the eye of the sinister Duke of Moreland—a notorious art collector obsessed with acquiring one-of-a-kind treasures. To escape the duke’s clutches, she’s going to need a little help.

An Unlikely Hero…

Captain Arthur Heywood’s days of heroism are long past. Grievously injured in the Peninsular War, he can no longer walk unaided, let alone shoot a pistol. What use can he possibly be to a damsel in distress? He has nothing left to offer except his good name.

Can a marriage of convenience save Philly from the vengeful duke? Or will life with Arthur put her—and her heart—in more danger than ever?

Just as the title suggests, this book was a work of art. This is my second novel by Mimi Matthews and with it came high expectations. I’m thrilled to say it didn’t disappoint.

I personally enjoy historical romance stories and have read quite a few, but I considered Work of Art refreshing. The two leading characters, Arthur and Philly were well suited for each other and made for an inspiring love story. I was riveted to my seat while reading the suspense provided by the sinister Duke of Moreland. I enjoyed the detailed descriptions which made it feel like we were witnesses in the story. There were several well developed characters that added to the richness of the plot.

I have to confess, traditionally after writing a review, I’ll go to Amazon out of curiosity to see what the review percentages are. It always intrigues me when I love a book and find out that others in fact did not, or vice versus. It reminds me how reviews really are subjective to the reviewer. With that said, this time my curiosity got the better of me and I peeked before I wrote my review. I wasn’t surprised to see that a huge percent enjoyed this book as much as I did.

I honestly couldn’t put the book down which made for an exceedingly long night. While I might be tired today, it was worth forgoing my sleep to reach the happily ever after ending. I adored the honesty between Arthur and Philly that propagated a friendship which turned to true love.

This was a wholesome love story between two genuinely kind hearted individuals that deserved to find love and happiness after the tribulations that they individually endured prior to meeting. I strongly encourage readers to pick up this book. It left an everlasting impact in my heart.

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

Seduction on a Snowy Night by Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries, Mary Jo Putney

November 4, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Seduction on a Snowy Night by Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries, Mary Jo Putney
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (322 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

This winter, steal away with the reigning queens of Regency Romance
. . . to a surprise snowstorm, the comfort of a blazing fire, and the heat of a lover’s kisses . . .

A CHRISTMAS ABDUCTION by Madeline Hunter
Caroline Dunham has a bone to pick with notorious rake Baron Thornhill—and a creative plan to insure his undivided attention. Yet once in close quarters, she finds herself beholden to their smoldering connection . . .

A PERFECT MATCH by Sabrina Jeffries
Whisked away from a wintry ball by the officer she knew only through letters, Cassandra Isles struggles with her feelings for the commanding Colonel Lord Heywood. For he, secretly a fortune-hunter, must marry for money to save his estate—and Cass, secretly an heiress, will accept nothing less than
love . . .

ONE WICKED WINTER NIGHT by Mary Jo Putney
Dressed as a veiled princess, Lady Diana Lawrence is shocked to discover that the mysterious corsair who tempts her away from the costume ball is the duke she once loved and lost. Now snowed in with Castleton at a remote lodge, will she surrender to the passion still burning hotly between them?

Three bold stories of women and the men the love.

All three stories are well written and enjoyable. I was snagged in right away. My one quibble was they were short stories and I wanted more. The characters are rich and multidimensional.

In Madeline Hunter’s A Christmas Abduction, Caroline opts to kidnap the man she believes is nothing but trouble. But he’s not who she thinks he is. I liked how both characters grew through the story and became better people. I loved the way they grew closer, too.

I’m a sucker for Sabrina Jeffries’s books, so reading A Perfect Match, was a delight. Cassandra wants to marry for love, not money. When she’s whisked away by Lord Heywood, she thinks he’s out for her cash. I liked the misunderstandings and the bumps along the way as they realize the inevitable. The writing is crisp and I couldn’t help but smile as I read their story.

One Wicked Winter Night by Mary Jo Putney features Diana and Anthony. This is a classic story of the one who got away and is now back. She never quite forgot him and when he kidnaps her, she’s got a choice to make. I liked watching her squirm and struggle. Her character is relatable because she’s human. I love a good second chance story, too, so this one ticked all the right boxes.

If you’re interested in a great read for a chilly afternoon, then this might be the book you’re looking for. Grab a copy today.

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

The Burning Land by Bernard Cornwell

October 28, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Burning Land by Bernard Cornwell
The Saxon Stories #5
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical
Length: Full length (336 pages)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

In a clash of heroes,the kingdom is born. At the end of the ninth century, King Alfred of Wessex is in ill health; his heir, an untested youth. His enemy, the Danes, having failed to conquer Wessex, now see their chance for victory. Led by the sword of savage warrior Harald Bloodhair, the Viking hordes attack. But Uhtred, Alfred’s reluctant warlord, proves his worth, outwitting Harald and handing the Vikings one of their greatest defeats. For Uhtred, the sweetness of victory is soon overshadowed by tragedy.

Breaking with Alfred, he joins the Vikings, swearing never again to serve the Saxon king. Instead, he will reclaim his ancestral fortress on the Northumbrian coast. Allied with his old friend Ragnar–and his old foe Haesten–he aims to invade and conquer Wessex itself. Yet fate has different plans. The Danes of East Anglia and the Vikings of Northumbria are plotting the conquest of all Britain. When Alfred’s daughter pleads with Uhtred for help, he cannot refuse her request. in a desperate gamble, he takes command of a demoralized Mercian army, leading them in an unforgettable battle on a blood-soaked field beside the Thames.

In The Burning Land, Bernard Cornwell, “The reigning king of historical fiction” (USA Today), delivers a rousing saga of Anglo-Saxon England–an irresistible new chapter in his thrilling Saxon Tales, the epic story of the birth of England and the legendary king who made it possible.

Has Uhtred abandoned Wessex forever?

Before reading this tale, I strongly recommend reading the previous four books of the series in order to better understand the characters and their actions. Again, as with the preceding books, this story contains graphic violence.

The Burning Land is definitely a dark chapter in Uhtred’s life. Uhtred has fought for Wessex countless times. Instead of receiving the rewards and gratitude he deserves, Uhtred is met with mistrust from Alfred and jealousy from Alfred’s advisors. A lesser man would have left Wessex long ago, but even though he has no love for Alfred, Uhtred remains true to his oath to the king. I admire Uhtred for standing by a king who continually denies him the credit he deserves. However, even Uhtred has his limits. When Uhtred is finally pushed to far, he lashes out in anger and makes a grave mistake. In this moment, I hoped that Alfred would show Uhtred some mercy and understanding, not only because Uhtred had recently suffered an immense personal loss, but also because he was deliberately provoked and not entirely to blame in the situation. Unfortunately, I found myself disappointed by Alfred yet again. Uhtred flees Wessex and becomes an outlaw.

My heart broke for Uhtred as I read. Even though the previous books had hinted at some of the darkness coming in Untred’s story, it didn’t make it any easier to bear. His loss is deep and something that continues to pain him in his old age as he recounts the story of his life. Uhtred makes several bad decisions in his grief, and I have a feeling that some of those will come back to haunt him. When Uhtred leaves Wessex, he goes to Ragnar. It was wonderful to see them together again, but the reunion felt bittersweet. I knew Uhtred’s time with Ragnar wouldn’t last because Uhtred has forgotten a promise he made years ago. Once Uhtred is reminded of this promise, I knew he would leave Ragnar to keep it.

Even though Uhtred has left Wessex, Alfred still manages to manipulate Uhtred from afar, which of course only leads to more resentment from Uhtred. I find this extremely frustrating. I wish Alfred could understand that he would get much further with Uhtred if he would only talk to him and show some appreciation for all that Uhtred has done. I’ve said it many times, and I’ll say it again. I would love these two men to have an honest conversation. I know they admire and respect each other more than they will ever admit publicly, but they just can’t seem to move beyond their personal differences. It truly is a shame. I can only hope they find a way to resolve their differences before it is too late.

I’m completely captivated by this series, and I can hardly wait to see what fate has in store for Uhtred next! I highly recommend this gripping series to fans of historical fiction.

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The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott

October 28, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott
Publisher: Knopf
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (325 pgs)
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

A thrilling tale of secretaries turned spies, of love and duty, and of sacrifice–inspired by the true story of the CIA plot to infiltrate the hearts and minds of Soviet Russia, not with propaganda, but with the greatest love story of the twentieth century: Doctor Zhivago.

At the height of the Cold War, two secretaries are pulled out of the typing pool at the CIA and given the assignment of a lifetime. Their mission: to smuggle Doctor Zhivago out of the USSR, where no one dare publish it, and help Pasternak’s magnum opus make its way into print around the world. Glamorous and sophisticated Sally Forrester is a seasoned spy who has honed her gift for deceit all over the world–using her magnetism and charm to pry secrets out of powerful men. Irina is a complete novice, and under Sally’s tutelage quickly learns how to blend in, make drops, and invisibly ferry classified documents.

The Secrets We Kept combines a legendary literary love story–the decades-long affair between Pasternak and his mistress and muse, Olga Ivinskaya, who was sent to the Gulag and inspired Zhivago’s heroine, Lara–with a narrative about two women empowered to lead lives of extraordinary intrigue and risk. From Pasternak’s country estate outside Moscow to the brutalities of the Gulag, from Washington, D.C. to Paris and Milan, The Secrets We Kept captures a watershed moment in the history of literature–told with soaring emotional intensity and captivating historical detail. And at the center of this unforgettable debut is the powerful belief that a piece of art can change the world.

The story of how Dr. Zhivago was published. You won’t believe it.

This is the first novel by Lara Prescott and it reads like a first novel. I loved the cover and the idea of a book about the writing and publication of Dr. Zhivago had my attention. The writing flows well enough, but this book didn’t quite grab me in the way I’d expected. The characters are plenty and at times it was hard to keep them straight. I did have a few characters I really liked and they showed up about halfway through, so that kept me reading.

There were moments when the story was tedious and I got lost. I admit I put this book down more than once and struggled to get back to it. The switching between story lines was a tad confusing and irritating when I wanted to follow one or the other. It was jarring to go back and forth.

The woman who is the inspiration for Lara is interesting. I liked Sally and her situation with Irina. This kept me reading.

This might not have been the perfect book for me, but it might work well for you. If you want to read about the publishing of Dr. Zhivago or the craziness during the cold war, then this might be what you’re looking for. Give it a try.

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The Bartered Body by J.R. Lindermuth

October 25, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Bartered Body by J.R. Lindermuth
Publisher: Milford House Press
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Historical
Length: Full Length (158 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

Why would thieves steal the body of a dead woman?

That’s the most challenging question yet to be faced by Sylvester Tilghman, the third of his family to serve as sheriff of Arahpot, Jordan County, Pennsylvania, in the waning days of the 19th century.

And it’s not just any body but that of Mrs. Arbuckle, Nathan Zimmerman’s late mother-in-law. Zimmerman is burgess of Arahpot and Tilghman’s boss, which puts more than a little pressure on the sheriff to solve the crime in a hurry.

Syl’s investigation is complicated by the arrival in town of a former flame who threatens his relationship with his sweetheart Lydia Longlow, clashes with his old enemy former burgess McLean Ruppenthal, a string of armed robberies and a record snowstorm that shuts down train traffic, cuts off telegraph service and freezes cattle in the field.

It will take all of Syl’s skills and the help of his deputy and friends to untangle the various threads and bring the criminals to justice.

Anything can be useful if it ends up in the right hands.

Sylvester was an intelligent and thorough investigator. I enjoyed seeing him investigate all of the clues about what was really happening in his community. He didn’t leave a single stone unturned no matter how little it seemed to be related to the case at hand, and that made him a fascinating sheriff to read about. His dedication to his work and his strong emotional bond to the people he served only made me like him even more. I couldn’t have picked a better sheriff for this town.

This book had such a large cast of characters that I struggled to keep track of everyone.Just about everybody was introduced in the beginning, but their relationships to each other weren’t always made clear immediately. The combination of getting to know a few dozen different folks and remembering how they all knew each other made it hard to be sure of who was who, especially for the characters who only popped up occasionally.

The mystery itself was well written. I appreciated the way the plot introduced various hints about who may or may not have been responsible for the theft of the corpse as well as everything that happened after that scene. It gave me exactly enough information to come up with my own theories about who the culprit was and why they did it without making anything too obvious.

This is the third instalment in a series. It can be read on its own or out of order.

The Bartered Body should be read by anyone who enjoys thought-provoking mysteries.

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

When Dad Showed Me the Universe by Ulf Stark

October 23, 2019 By Leave a Comment


When Dad Showed Me the Universe by Ulf Stark
Publisher: Gecko Press
Genre: Childrens, Historical
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Tonight Dad wants to show Ulf something very special: the universe. Of course, they can’t possibly embark on such a daring adventure unprepared, so they wrap up warm, gather provisions, and then off they go. It’s a long walk, but eventually they get there. Along the way, they learn that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination, and sometimes the biggest lessons happen when you least expect them.

Explaining the universe to a small and easily distracted child certainly isn’t easy.

I loved the fact that this was written so unmistakably in young Ulf’s perspective. A six-year-old’s understanding of the world can be a unique one. Ulf was old enough to comprehend some of the things his father was saying about the universe but still young enough to come up with his own whimsical interpretations of other moments. The combination of what he understood and what he didn’t made me smile. This genuinely felt like it was told by a young, impressionable child, and that was exactly what the plot needed.

The humor in this tale was handled beautifully. This wasn’t something I was expecting to find at all, so stumbling across it only made the storyline sweeter. Sometimes funny moments sneak up on a person when they least expect it. It was a great deal of fun to see that happen in a picture book that was otherwise about pretty serious topics.

Speaking of more serious subject matter, I was also impressed with how the father handled his son’s questions about what they were going out to see on their evening walk. He covered several complicated topics so smoothly that they seemed much easier to explain than they would be in real life. His excitement about astronomy and science in general was contagious. I’d sure like to read more stories about the places he took Ulf if the author ever decides to write about that.

I’d heartily recommend When Dad Showed Me the Universe to anyone who loves science or the way kids think.

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

The League of Wives by Heath Hardage Lee

October 22, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The League of Wives by Heath Hardage Lee
The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the U.S. Government to Bring Their Husbands Home
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
Genre: Historical Non-Fiction
Length: Full Length (336 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

The true story of the fierce band of women who battled Washington―and Hanoi―to bring their husbands home from the jungles of Vietnam.

On February 12, 1973, one hundred and sixteen men who, just six years earlier, had been high flying Navy and Air Force pilots, shuffled, limped, or were carried off a huge military transport plane at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. These American servicemen had endured years of brutal torture, kept shackled and starving in solitary confinement, in rat-infested, mosquito-laden prisons, the worst of which was The Hanoi Hilton.

Months later, the first Vietnam POWs to return home would learn that their rescuers were their wives, a group of women that included Jane Denton, Sybil Stockdale, Louise Mulligan, Andrea Rander, Phyllis Galanti, and Helene Knapp. These women, who formed The National League of Families, would never have called themselves “feminists,” but they had become the POW and MIAs most fervent advocates, going to extraordinary lengths to facilitate their husbands’ freedom―and to account for missing military men―by relentlessly lobbying government leaders, conducting a savvy media campaign, conducting covert meetings with antiwar activists, and most astonishingly, helping to code secret letters to their imprisoned husbands.

In a page-turning work of narrative non-fiction, Heath Hardage Lee tells the story of these remarkable women for the first time. The League of Wives is certain to be on everyone’s must-read list.

These women had guts. Period.

I can’t imagine being in the shoes of the League of Wives. Each woman’s husband has been captured in Vietnam and the wives don’t know what happened to them. Talk about stress. Like I said, I can’t imagine how they handled it.

The author handles this topic, the POWs and MIA soldiers in Vietnam with a special touch. The writing flows well and I got caught up in the struggle of each woman profiled. I had no idea how much Ross Perot or Bob Dole did for these soldiers and their family. I learned a lot through the reading of this book. A reader who lived through this era might not learn as much, but that shouldn’t be a deterrent.

This isn’t an easy read. Now I know that sounds strange. I just said the writing flows well, but then I said it’s not an easy read? The author shows how these women went through the wringer and how they did (or sometimes didn’t) handle the stress of their situation. It’s hard to read about women struggling to cope. They’ve got kids, family and their determination to get their husbands home. It’s a lot to handle. Some did. Some didn’t.

Give this book a try. It’s worth the read. Recommended.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
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