Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

July 16, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (355 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Set in the 1950s against the backdrop of Grace Kelly’s whirlwind romance and unforgettable wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco, New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb take the reader on an evocative sun-drenched journey along the Côte d’Azur in this page-turning novel of passion, fate and second chances…

Movie stars and paparazzi flock to Cannes for the glamorous film festival, but Grace Kelly, the biggest star of all, wants only to escape from the flash-bulbs. When struggling perfumer Sophie Duval shelters Miss Kelly in her boutique to fend off a persistent British press photographer, James Henderson, a bond is forged between the two women and sets in motion a chain of events that stretches across thirty years of friendship, love, and tragedy.

James Henderson cannot forget his brief encounter with Sophie Duval. Despite his guilt at being away from his daughter, he takes an assignment to cover the wedding of the century, sailing with Grace Kelly’s wedding party on the SS Constitution from New York. In Monaco, as wedding fever soars and passions and tempers escalate, James and Sophie—like Princess Grace—must ultimately decide what they are prepared to give up for love.

Lights, camera, romance!

This is a sweet romance set in Monaco, during the whirlwind courtship of Princess Grace and Prince Ranier. The author had me at the prince and princess. But once I got into the story, I couldn’t put it down. I liked the characters and the story. Talk about getting swept away.

Sophie is an independent girl. She isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and also not afraid to fall in love. I liked how she didn’t just fall for James. She made him work for it. That’s wonderful. She’s very contemporary in a time where women weren’t as forthright. So it was refreshing to read her story.

James… I liked how he was drawn to Sophie. I like when the hero can stand up to and beside the heroine. I also liked how he was so smitten with her. He and Sophie are a good couple and I rooted for them.

I also liked how the story of Grace and Rainier were woven in. I felt like I was right there in Cannes and along on the junket with them. It’s a fanciful story.

If you want something that’s got a lot to make you think about, then this might not be the book you want. It’s not heavy. For me, that was perfect. I wanted a breezy read. I got it.

If you want a book that’s sweet, has a satisfying ending and will leave you wanting a bit more, then this is the beach read you need.

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

Brides of Banff Springs by Victoria Chatham

July 15, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Brides of Banff Springs by Victoria Chatham
Publisher: Books We Love Publishing
Genre: Historical, Paranormal
Length: Full length (161 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Dryas

In the Dirty Thirties jobs were hard to come by. Having lost her father and her home in southern Alberta, Tilly McCormack is thrilled when her application for a position as a chambermaid at the prestigious Banff Springs Hotel, one of Canada’s great railway hotels, is accepted.

Tilly loves her new life in the Rocky Mountain town and the people she meets there. Local trail guide Ryan Blake, is taken with Tilly’s sparkling blue eyes and mischievous sense of humor, and thinks she is just the girl for him. Ryan’s work with a guiding and outfitting company keeps him busy but he makes time for Tilly at every opportunity and he’s already decided to make her his bride.

On the night he plans to propose to Tilly another bride-to-be, whose wedding is being held at the Hotel, disappears. Tilly has an idea where she might have gone and together with Ryan sets out to search for her.

Will they find the missing bride and will Tilly accept Ryan’s proposal?

In 1935 a young woman Matilda ‘Tilly’ McCormack leaves everything behind in Medicine Hat, Canada to come to the well-known The Banff Springs Hotel for a job as a housekeeper. While she stands on the railroad station, she misses the last car to the hotel and was worried about how to get to her job in time. She meets Ryan Blake, who works for the hotel transporting guest’s luggage and guiding the tourists via horseback around the beautiful area. He offers to take her with him in his cart. Tilly was instantly attracted to him. A great quote about how their relationship is going to develop is, “I think I’m going to have to marry you”.

Tilly is a perfect match for him. She is tender, hardworking, with a spine of steel. She lets Ryan know in no uncertain terms that she has her own opinions and she should have a say in matters. She makes friends easily, especially her roommate Felicity ‘Flics’ takes her under her wing and introduces her to some of the other workers. What surprises everyone is how she became friends with one of the guests, Burma Evans. Although they do not have much in common Tilly feels sorry and somewhat responsible her welfare. What really made Tilly mad and sorrowful is seeing the situation between Burma and her fiancée. This is a great example of how every woman is treated the same no matter their cast in life.

There are three different relationships going on at the same time, each one showing an example of how each circumstances and personalities can affect a relationship. The first couple is Tilly and Ryan. Their relationship is incredibly strong, both of them finding love in each other’s arms. They are not embarrassed to show the world how they feel.

The second relationship is Fliss and Saul, who is a bellhop at the hotel. They are not allowed to show their wedding rings or their feelings. Then there is the third relationship between Burma Evans, a rich socialite who has plans to marry Frederic Vanderoosten, a handsome young man who is full of charm until he gets what he wants.

I really enjoyed this book because of the wonderful characters and the wonders of the environment and the culture. It’s enjoyable being able to see the different relationships and knowing that each one has its own problems but the way each one supports the other will determine how things will turn out. If you enjoy a sweet romance book this is a great book for you.

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Say No to the Duke by Eloisa James

July 12, 2019 By 1 Comment


Say No to the Duke by Eloisa James
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full length (288 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Could she possibly refuse a duke’s hand—in favor of a sardonic, sinful rake?

Lady Betsy Wilde’s first season was triumphant by any measure, and a duke has proposed—but before marriage, she longs for one last adventure.

No gentleman would agree to her scandalous plan—but Lord Jeremy Roden is no gentleman. He offers a wager. If she wins a billiards game, he’ll provide the breeches.

If he wins…she is his, for one wild night.

But what happens when Jeremy realizes that one night will never be enough? In the most important battle of his life, he’ll have to convince Betsy to say no to the duke.

I knew this book was going to be fun. I’ve been following The Wildes of Lindow Castle for a while and every single book in the series is a winner. Say No to the Duke continues the saga about a very unusual family, and as always, I giggle and snicker at various times because of their antics and/or dialogue.

This can be a standalone read. Indeed, I’d forgotten a certain part so I was still enjoying it. However, when I got to the part where Jeremy figures things out, I was stunned. I believe my jaw dropped and my eyes popped because suddenly I DID remember what had happened previously and I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Seriously? All this time? And for the price that was paid – oh did I get steamed. It was totally a fist-bump moment when Betsy (a/k/a Boadicea) let her actions speak for her feelings. I would have done it twice for good measure. I wasn’t alone in feeling that way, Lady Knowe did too. I really liked Betsy’s aunt. Because of all that, I changed my mind a bit – reading the previous book in the series, which is another great read btw, can enhance a reader’s enjoyment with this one.

In the previous book, Jeremy was instrumental in helping the main characters through their plot twists and conundrums, but now the stakes are higher. His feelings of annoyance in the past blossoms into something wonderful – feelings that make him uncomfortable, like lust, and fascination and possessiveness (in a good way) and the poor guy doesn’t know what to do. Until he stops and pays attention to himself, to finally understand, to realize he is worthy of love and he wants it, with Betsy. To see a tortured hero finally see a light at the end of the tunnel is a glorious thing, but he’s not a pushover by any means. His strength is tested but he perseveres. He has an estranged father and their meeting was momentous and really important to what comes later in the novel. I rather liked Jeremy’s dad.

Lady Tallow is a secondary character that left a sour taste in my mouth, figuratively speaking. She was so nasty. I respected Thaddeus immensely because he had some very good qualities, but I wanted to hug him when he reacted to something Lady Tallow said. I hope someday he’ll get his own HEA – he’s a bit stuck-up but a good egg.

As far as internal conflicts, Betsy’s happiness is still being poisoned by something that was said when she was 14 years old. It’s amazing the lengths some will go to ensure they don’t get hurt ever again. The heroine had an epiphany and it was quite wonderful to read as it came about. Jeremy, like I said, is estranged from his dad, but there is the matter of his PTSD from the war. That is a huge hurtle to overcome, or at least deal with it in a healthy manner, and it does play a significant role in the plot thread.

There is a villain which was well written because I completely agreed that the person was a twisted, sorry soul. I had no sympathy whatsoever and was glad when Jeremy and Betsy figured things out. Not only that, but I was so happy when the family stood in support of Jeremy. Awesome scenes!

The scene with Thaddeus’s mom, the Duchess of Eversley, Lady Knowe, Betsy and Jeremy and a couple of others at the auction, was a hoot. There was a lot of grinning leading up to that part and certainly during it. I enjoyed Ms. James’ humor and I am of the impression that the author had just as much fun writing those scenes as much as I liked reading them.

The final chapter acts like a pre-epilogue to the epilogue. I did sniffle a bit but so did Betsy. The two combined made for a perfect, wonderful, special happy ever after and I sighed with satisfaction.

Say No to the Duke is a delight, full of charm, wit and passion. The romance is cheerfully rocky with a payoff that made me happy. This is an excellent addition to the series and Jeremy is going to fit right in with the Wilde family. I give this novel a solid recommendation to both historical romance readers and fans of the author because it’s splendid entertainment.

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

Da Vinci in Love by Maysam Yabandeh

July 12, 2019 By 1 Comment


Da Vinci in Love by Maysam Yabandeh
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Historical, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (25 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The identity of the lady portrayed in Mona Lisa, the masterpiece of Leonardo Da Vinci, and the secret behind her mysterious smile, is one of the biggest unanswered questions in art history. This is the story of her, and her romance with her creator, the young Leonardo. The story takes us from the land of true lovers, India, to the far east, the heights of mysterious wisdom in China, and sheds some light on the puzzling love story of Mona Lisa and her painter, Leonardo Da Vinci.

There’s a story lurking behind every painting if you know which clues to look for.

I was pleasantly surprised by the dialogue. It felt much more modern than I would have originally assumed it would. While it was unusual to see characters using twenty-first century slang in the past at first, somehow this stylistic choice suited them perfectly. The past and the present were so jumbled up together anyway in the various scenes that it did make sense for everyone to use the same sort of modern phrases.

The time jumps were confusing to me. It took a while to understand what was going on in them and why the audience was suddenly being introduced to a new cast of characters. I would have preferred to have smoother transitions between them as well as for the narrator to explain more clearly what was going on. It wasn’t until the story was nearly finished that I began to piece together how everything was connected. Even now, I’m not entirely sure I got it right despite the fact that the writing itself was quite pretty.

One of the things I liked the most about this tale was how open to interpretation it is. Just like when a group of people admire the same painting, not everyone is going to understand this storyline in an identical way. Once I figured out that this seemed to be what he was saying, I enjoyed the process of figuring out what the characters meant to me and how I’d interpret the things they said and did.

Da Vinci in Love should be read by anyone who enjoys discussing the meaning of art.

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

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

July 11, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Historical, Non-Fiction
Length: Full Length (249 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.

Imprisoned for over two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism—but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.

One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her.

A vivid, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful re-creation of Lale Sokolov’s experiences as the man who tattooed the arms of thousands of prisoners with what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also a testament to the endurance of love and humanity under the darkest possible conditions.

Harrowing, heartbreaking and moving.

There are lots of books that stay with the reader far after the last page. I’ve read books lately that are heartbreaking. It’s good that they’ve touched a nerve. This book… I’m not sure where to start.

The writing flows well and drew me right in to the story. I wanted to know what would happen to Lale. My heart went out to Lale. I’ve done research and learned about the Holocaust, but this book put things into perspective. Lale did, yet didn’t, have faith and I could understand why. I liked Gita, too. Despite what she’d been through, she never lost her faith. They were a beautiful thing in the midst of such a disgusting event. Even when Gita was at her worst, Lale saw her best. That’s love. That’s the stuff romance should be made of.

I read this book in the course of a day and it was quick, yet hard to read. I have to admit, the note in the back of the book where the author talks about the real Lale, the real man, was the most heartbreaking. This real man went through hell more than once, yet he never quit. I loved the line about how he had to get the words out to the author so he could see Gita (she’d passed away by then). I don’t know how you can’t read this book and not feel for this man.

If you want a book that will make you think, feel and probably cry, then this is the book for you. Recommended.

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

Jamestowne by Tim Black

July 11, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Jamestowne by Tim Black
Tesla’s Time Travelers, #3
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Middle Grade, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Length: Short Story (137 pages)
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

With Nikola Tesla at the controls, teacher Nathan Greene and the time-traveling teens journey back to 17th century Virginia to witness the founding of Jamestowne. As the famed Serbian-American scientist brings the classroom portable in for a landing, two young Native Americans witness the portable’s descent from the sky. The boy and girl quickly return to their village and the girl tells her father, Chief Powhatan, that People of the Sky have landed. Called “playful one,” Powhatan’s daughter, Pocahontas, is known to tell imaginative stories of her own creation. Still, as a precaution, Powhatan sends his brother and a group of warriors to investigate his daughter’s claims.

As Greene and his students trek across a grassland in the direction of the English settlers’ landing site, Chief Opechancanough and his warriors surround the time travelers and take them hostage, leading them to Powhatan’s village where Mr. Greene faces execution.

So begins the third adventure of the students of Cassadaga Area High School, whose latest trip includes meeting the famed adventurer John Smith and witnessing the beginning of the first English colony in North America, all while being chased through time by the most dangerous Native of the 17 century.

There are some parts of history that can only be rediscovered by visiting the past for yourself.

The descriptions of Powhatan culture were fascinating. I appreciated the fact that Mr. Black went into so much detail about what life in this tribe was like for people of all ages. It made it easy for me to picture what an average day for them involved and why they were so confused and irritated by some of the decisions the European characters made.

This tale never really had a clear narrator. There were a few difference characters that kept popping up regularly, but the plot moved among them without ever making it clear to the audience which perspective or perspectives we should be giving the most attention to. My preference would have been for Pocahontas to take on this role, but any main character would have done nicely as long as it was clear who was in charge of keeping the storyline moving forward.

One of the things I appreciated the most about the plot was how careful the characters were to avoid changing the past. This is always a temptation with time travel, but it’s terribly risky. I liked the fact that the characters were aware of that risk and did everything they could to let history unfold the way it had in our timeline regardless of how much they wished they could change certain things.

This is part of a series, but it can be read as a standalone work.

Jamestowne should be read by adult and young adult history buffs alike.

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

The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan

July 9, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Non-Fiction, Historical
Length: Full Length (400 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

AT THE HEIGHT OF WORLD WAR II, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was home to 75,000 residents, consuming more electricity than New York City. But to most of the world, the town did not exist. Thousands of civilians–many of them young women from small towns across the South–were recruited to this secret city, enticed by solid wages and the promise of war-ending work. Kept very much in the dark, few would ever guess the true nature of the tasks they performed each day in the hulking factories in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains. That is, until the end of the war–when Oak Ridge’s secret was revealed.

Drawing on the voices of the women who lived it–women who are now in their eighties and nineties– The Girls of Atomic City rescues a remarkable, forgotten chapter of American history from obscurity. Denise Kiernan captures the spirit of the times through these women: their pluck, their desire to contribute, and their enduring courage. Combining the grand-scale human drama of The Worst Hard Time with the intimate biography and often troubling science of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, The Girls of Atomic City is a lasting and important addition to our country’s history.

A piece of history not often mentioned, but worthy of remembrance.

I picked this book up because I’d read Radium Girls and I wanted another book in the same vein.  I’m glad I found this book. I learned a lot about the Oak Ridge facility and Tubealloy. I knew some things about the Manhattan Project, but this brought it all home.

Someone had to make the materials for the bomb. These men and women did, but they weren’t allowed to talk about it. I can’t imagine living and working in a situation where you can’t talk about what you do and if you do talk, you can get into a lot of trouble. Craziness.

The author sticks right to the main players and lets the ladies and men of Oak Ridge do the talking. I was sucked right into the story and couldn’t put it down.

Like I said, I learned things I didn’t know–such as women involved with the creating of Tubealloy and mentioning more than once that the bomb, as well as the ingredients, were dangerous. There were women who should’ve been included on the Pulitzer Prize for that event.

If you want a book that will make you think, remind you it’s good not to have to deal with mud and show the possibilities of Americans during the second world war, then this might be the book for you.

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

The Refugee by Tony D. Jones

July 8, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Refugee by Tony D. Jones
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Historical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (228 pages)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Orchid

Val is an ordinary boy in an ordinary city, until one day he wakes up shocked to find that suddenly neither of those things is true. He finds himself stranded in a fantastical world of magic and mystery, struggling to cope as he is blindsided by one unexpected revelation after another. He was struck by lightning? He’s in a parallel dimension? His new friends aren’t human? He’s not human either? Each discovery is somehow more bizarre than the last, and every answer only yields more questions.

As Val is struggling to get a grip on his new situation, a disastrous encounter flips his already shaky reality completely upside down. A critical mistake turns him into a fugitive, hurling him into an extraordinary adventure fraught with grave peril, mortal terror, and heart-pounding excitement. Accompanied by an increasingly unusual band of reliable friends and unexpected allies, Val must run (and fight) for his life as he comes to terms with this new world and his place in it.

This book has a well thought out world with characters who fight for what is right. Val appears in a flash of lightning and when he recovers he discovers he’s in a different world. Various dangerous events end up with Val and Galia fleeing for their lives. I like the magic in this world, it’s different from the usual magic spells. Along the way they meet various different wielders of magic and Val learns a lot of new skills.

I enjoyed this book except for one thing. The flow of the book kept being interrupted by the use of the wrong words in many places. For example: “A titanic wolf-like beast stepped to the edge of the roof and lied beside the girl” – lied is the wrong word here. This type of error kept taking me out of the story.

Other than this the story is good and well worth the read.

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

Over the Fence by Mary Monroe

July 8, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Over the Fence by Mary Monroe
The Neighbors Series Book 2
Publisher: Dafina
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full length (336 pages)
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Bootlegging was Milton and Yvonne Hamilton’s ticket out of poverty, prison time, and plain bad luck. Now they’ve moved on—to a bigger, richer pool of clientele—right in their own respectable new middle-class backyard. And their growing friendship with seemingly-perfect couple Joyce and Odell Watson is proving golden in more ways than one . . .

As Milton soon learns, Odell is hiding an outside family and dubious business dealings. It’s the perfect recipe for a blackmail scheme that will help Milton hide his own dirty
secrets—even from Yvonne. Better yet, he can take ever more dangerous risks to ace out his
liquor-smuggling rivals—and add a lucrative temptation to his illicit services. And Yvonne, emboldened by her husband’s new gravy train, delights in tormenting Joyce about everything the snobbish matron doesn’t have—especially children.

But even a winning hand can be played too far. Pushed past their limits, Odell and Joyce will play on Milton’s careless boasting—to get him and Yvonne out of their lives for good. And soon, a devastating frame-up will plunge one couple into a living nightmare—and set the stage for explosive retribution . . .

A mix of bootlegging, blackmail and two neighbors who are total opposites something is bound to happen.

Bootleggers Milton and Yvonne Hamilton and the seemingly-perfect couple, Joyce and Odell Watson, are neighbors. In the second book in The Neighbors series we hear Milton and Yvonne’s story told through their alternating points of view.

This is the second book in the series and before reading this book I didn’t read the first book. I use to read a lot of Mary Monroe’s books but at some point I stopped keep up with her latest writings and I am sorry that I didn’t because I’ve surely missed out. I enjoy her writing style and the way she tells a story with such lively memorable characters. As soon as I finished this book I started reading book one.

The characters are authentic and the dialogue is believable and humorous. I enjoyed Yvonne and Milton’s solid love for each other. Yvonne loved Milton despite that others thought he wasn’t that attractive to look at. Another favorite character of mine was Willie Frank. Willie Frank is a true friend to Milton and Yvonne. He and Milton were thick as thieves in their get rich quick schemes. Even though they are up to no good I still felt the need to hope the outcome for them was good. The grammar is perfect for the setting of the late 1930’s. The detailed description of the food, the town and its people puts the reader right in the midst of the south.

Milton and Yvonne have made enough money to move to a better neighborhood where the wealthier colored people live. Because of their background of prison and being lower class, their new neighbors Joyce and Odell seem to look down on Milton and Yvonne because of their lack of education and upbringing. Joyce’s holier-than-thou act impacts Yvonne, and her husband gets an ear full each time Yvonne’s feelings are hurt. But remember there are two sides to every story and we are only hearing Yvonne’s side to her conversations with Joyce. Milton also has to hear from his wife how wonderful Odell is but it doesn’t bother Milton as much as it should to hear his wife boast about another man because Milton knows a secret about Odell. Reading the antics that Milton goes through with his habit of gambling and his bad money habits is tiresome. While reading I keep wondering, at what point will he learn? I knew something was bound to happen, that Milton couldn’t keep going the way he was going so the ending wasn’t a total surprise. I was more surprised of the details that happened at the ending. Let me warn readers that this book didn’t bring about closure. A third book in the series is expected and I will be waiting for the release date!

I enjoyed the story and found it very entertaining. Once I started reading it I didn’t want to put it down. Milton and Yvonne are characters whose personalities stayed with me long after I finished reading the book.

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

Scenes from the Heartland: Stories Based on Lithographs by Thomas Hart Benton by Donna Baier Stein

July 5, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Scenes from the Heartland: Stories Based on Lithographs by Thomas Hart Benton by Donna Baier Stein
Publisher: Serving House Books
Genre: Historical, anthology
Length: Short story (142 pages)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

When a contemporary writer turns her imagination loose inside the images of an iconic artist of the past, the result is storytelling magic at its best. Here are nine tales that bring to vivid life the early decades of the 20th century as witnessed by one of America’s most well-known painters. Thomas Hart Benton sketched fiddlers and farm wives, preachers and soldiers, folks gathering in dance halls and tent meetings. Though his lithographs depict the past, the real-life people he portrayed face issues that are front and center today: corruption, women’s rights, racial inequality.

In these stories we enter the imagined lives of Midwesterners in the late 1930s and early 1940s. A mysterious woman dancing to fiddle music makes one small gesture of kindness that helps heal the rift of racial tensions in her small town. A man leaves his childhood home after a tragic accident and becomes involved with the big-time gamblers who have made Hot Springs, Arkansas, their summer playground. After watching her mother being sent to an insane asylum simply for grieving over a miscarriage, a girl determines to never let any man have any say over her body.

Then as now, Americans have struggled with poverty, illness, and betrayal. These fictions reveal our fellow countrymen and women living with grace and strong leanings toward virtue, despite the troubles that face them.

To look at a lithograph and imagine the story it tells takes imagination and creativeness. Ms. Stein has this down. Here she creates nine tales that take you back in time to the era the pictures represent. Everybody was more down home types and all had their private struggles. You’ll remember these tales.

One story is about a schoolteacher who doesn’t approve of the woman chosen for bible classes. When both their boys go on mission to save the ones flooding, they both have more to worry about.

If you were black, you could be beaten up and killed and no one cared. The poor fiddler knew that but folks liked his playing and usually left him alone…

You feel the anguish of the mother watching her son go off to war. Ms. Stein’s words are concise and earthy. You feel the emotions of the characters.

She makes you feel the fear of a woman who thinks she might lose her husband to another woman. There are several stories about young girl’s and their emotions. You can relate to their fears and anxieties.

The story that was the most poignant was the one where the father lost his hands and his lower arms in a piece of farm equipment. He keeps on with metal hooks but there is a final confrontation at the end of the story. You won’t forget that one easily.

All the stories are down to earth and have the feeling of family history being shared. What you read will stick with you long after you put the book down.

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