The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan

I do not particularily find enjoyment in cooking, so I am always a little leary of reading a book about cooking. I cook at home simply because I have to eat and feed my family. I have always been impressed by the people who truly enjoy it though.

This book is set in World War 2 (1942) in Fenley Village, England. The Kitchen Front is the name of a radio show that suggests recipes for cooking with wartime rations. The host of the radio show is male (Ambrose) and it is decided that the show needs a female host as well. So they decide to have a cooking contest and the winner of the contest will be the new female host.

There are four women who enter the contest, and three of them are well-known to each other. Two are estranged sisters (Gwendoline and Audrey) and one (Nell) is Gwendoline's cook. (I am simplifying here since it's a bit more complicated than that, but in the end, it's Nell competing in the contest.) The fourth woman is a chef from London named Zelda. She is single and pregnant, which is taboo in the 1940's of course, so she hides her pregnancy for as long as possible while competing.

The lives of these four women are diverse and each has an important reason for needing to win the contest. Initially, Audrey and Nell are the two that I had the most sympathy for. They are both talented in the kitchen and very kind to others, so I definitely wanted one of them to win. As their stories unfold however, and they become friends, it becomes more of a story of "sisterhood" and friendship. All four women have experienced hardships in their lives and each is trying to overcome them while making a better life for themselves.

The cooking with rations - and substitutions - was actually incredibly fascinating. These are very creative cooks! Every recipe for each item they cooked for the contest (they each cooked a starter, a main course and a dessert over a three month period) is included in the book. I not only enjoyed reading about how they came up with their recipe ideas for the contest, but also about their life stories. It was a very enjoyable read with a nice, if predictable, ending. :)

Wendy's Rating: ****

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

Ishmael Beah writes about his childhood in the war-torn country of Sierra Leone. Ishmael lived with his father and older brother while his mother and younger brother lived in a different home. His pre-teen life was spent attending school and hanging out with his friends and older brother, like most kids that age. One day the rebels attacked his village when he was 12 years old. He is then separated from his family members (who are presumed dead initially) and he is left to fend for himself with a group of his friends. Their days & nights are spend running from the rebels, scrounging for food and attempting to find a safe place to get some sleep. By the time he is 13 years old, he is recruited as a soldier. Violence becomes a way of life for him. The children who are recruited are given drugs, which they quickly become adicted to. 

While totally immersed in his world of violence and drugs, he is chosen, along with several other boys, to leave his current life to attend a school. The chosen boys, including Ishmael, do not see this as a positive thing. This is understandable of course since they all experience significant withdrawal symptoms upon first arriving at their new school. These once youthful friendly boys, who were turned into drug-addicted killers, now have to adjust again to being clean (from drugs), educated boys. Ishmael's ability to adjust to each new challenge in his young life is remarkable. What I love most about Ishmael is his will to survive, how fast he thinks on his feet, and his ability to adapt to each situation.

Although Ishmael's mother, father and brothers do end up being killed by the rebels (just later than he originally thought), he never does get to see them again. Once he is at the school however, they are able to connect him to an uncle. Ishmael is able to meet his uncle and his uncle's family and actually goes to live with them for awhile, until tragedy strikes again. War and death followed Ishmael wherever he went. Ishmael loses his "family" again and again. 

After Ishmael's uncle dies, he knows he needs to get out of the country. His goal is the United States. Ishmael's escape from Sierra Leone is truly remarkable. This part of his story shows how smart he is. "Street smarts" and natural intelligence. Ishmael ends up being adopted by a woman in America (which he met previously) and finds yet another new "family" in America.

I highly recommend this book to all middle-school age children through adulthood. It is very well written and a good eye-opening experience for our (spoiled) youth in America.

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin

This is book two of the Murphy Shepherd series. Since his first book dealt primarily with the details of the flesh trade and Murphy's own heartbreak, I was wondering how the story would continue. I also wondered how many more times Murphy and Gunner could be shot, cut, blown up, tossed in the ocean and still survive! I know the human body (and canine body) can go through a lot and still survive, but these two seemed to have at least nine lives.

Fortunately, this book veered away from the specific details of the flesh trade (except for Casey sharing her horrendous story) and concentrated on the history of Murphy & Marie and Murphy & Bones. It was really nice to get the background information on these two significant relationships. This book also centered around the healing process after trauma. Murphy and his new "family", Ellie (his daughter with Marie), Casey (rescued by Murphy in the first book), Summer (Murphy's new love) and her daughter Angel (also rescued by Murphy in the first book) stayed in Colorado in Freetown. This gave them a chance to re-group - and heal - from the physical & emotional wounds from the first book.

Murphy was finally able to place Marie in a separate compartment of his heart and allow Summer entrance into it. Long time coming for sure! He also found the courage to propose to, and marry, Summer in Colorado. But, on the night of their wedding, Murphy, Clay, Gunner & Bones end up rescuing the 68 girls on their property from a raging fire while the loves of Murphy's live disappear. So Murphy, once again on limited sleep, does what he does best and tracks his wife and girls and their abductor. He is successful, but nearly dies this time. Actually, he does die but miraculously returns to his life. This time his rehab is extensive.

So the question that remains is: who took Summer & the girls and why? At the end of the book Bones infers that it may have been his brother, who Murphy thought was dead. We don't find anything else than that however. So I guess I know what the third book will be about! This next installment is due to be published in June 2022. So we wait.....

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Water Keeper by Charles Martin

These kind of stories are deeply disturbing. Sex-trafficking, aka the flesh trade, makes me ill to my stomach. It's hard to believe there are such evil people in this world. I have little knowledge about this particular way of grooming women/girls. This method takes time, effort and patience and A LOT of money. These men lure women & girls to them rather than grab them off the street. 

This first book was mysterious in a lot of ways since we really don't know who Murphy Shepherd is or why he does what he does. We also don't know who some of the main characters are, like Bones, and how he fits into Murphy's life. I didn't realize until much later in the book that "Fingers" is a fictional character in one of Murphy's books. And I certainly didn't know what was in the orange lunchbox that Murphy kept strapped to the front of his boat!

What we DO know is that Murphy has dedicated his life to saving girls who have become part of the flesh trade. He has the resources and knowledge to track girls all over the world. He also has an incredibly strong body with powerful skills and a ton of weapons at his disposal. It's hard to believe that a human body can suffer as much damage as Murphy's has and still be alive. With as many times he has been shot, stabbed and beaten, I'm surprised that he hasn't died from a raging infection from his multiple wounds! And speaking of that, Gunner, his canine assistant, has his own share of injuries which he survives miraculously. (I was unhappy that Murphy kept taking Gunner everywhere with him since the poor dog was always at risk for losing his life! I was especially upset when Gunner was swept off the boat during that horrendous storm.)

Murphy is a special person indeed. His love of Marie alone is astounding. No matter how deeply she hurts him, he continues to forgive her and love her more than anyone else in the world. There are not many people that only love one person in their lifetime. I'm not sure his love of Marie was even healthy after a certain point, but this book is all about healing from the inside out. Our bodies heal faster than our hearts.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes

Jojo Moyes is one of my favorite authors. She is a talented storyteller and I love reading her stories. I also love learning about something I previously knew nothing about. I had no idea that ships brought war brides to their new husbands in their husband's countries. What brave women they were! First of all, they were brave to marry a soldier from a different country in wartime. Secondly, they were brave to leave their home countries and families to sail across the globe to their husband and his family. I would guess that there were some "second thoughts" about this on both sides of the ocean! How awful for the women that received the "go back home" messages. Yikes.

The four women from Australia featured in this story were shockingly different from each other. They made for interesting cabin-mates to be sure. Margaret & Frances were my favorites. Margaret was so kind and helpful, despite her obvious discomfort from being far along in her pregnancy. I just wish she would have left her little dog, Maude Gonne, at home in Australia with her family! A ship is no place for a dog, at least a dog that must be hidden. The poor thing. Dogs need to run & play. I still feel crushed that Maudie didn't make it to England. 

And if Margaret was an "open book", then Frances was the opposite. I had no idea what her story was. I did wonder why it took so long for her to help the Captain! I kept waiting for the Captain to ask for her help, since he had to know she was a nurse who served during the war. I also thought that Frances would offer her help to him since she seemed to know that he was hurting. Goodness it took a long time for the two of them to connect! I was incredibly happy that the Captain saved Frances from "ruin" and being sent back to Australia.

After I finished the book, I had to go back and read the beginning again. When a book starts at the end of a story, and then goes back to the beginning of the story for 400 pages, I sometimes forget where it "ended", so to speak. Since you don't know the characters at the beginning of a book, it's difficult to absorb the meaning of it all - or even who's involved in the opening scene.

Jojo Moyes doesn't necessarily always have a "happy ending" to her books, but this one was definitely satisfying. She had me wondering for awhile, but fortunately, it turned out the way I wanted it to.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Heart, Hope & Honesty by Craig & Scott de Fasselle

"This is the story of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). They are dedicated workers few have heard about who help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is a practical guide that shows those who hire DSPs how to get off the DSP Hamster Wheel of Recruiting, Hiring, and Turnover, It highlights why DSPs are essential workers and why they are vital to those they serve and the community."

Heart

We put too much emphasis on “what” we do vs. “why” we do it. We need to show how meaningful and rewarding the job is. We need to “sell” the job. “How can you recruit the right people without first-hand experience of the work they will do?”

Recruitment & hiring has to be done by people who are passionate about supporting the people we serve. The onboarding process needs to last at least six months. We need to make a personal connection with each new hire. The first step in the process is to start a relationship.

Post short videos on social media of great DSPs sharing why they love their jobs. We have to capture a person’s attention to draw them in. Potential applicants need to feel the passion. The average person does not even know what a “DSP” is or does.

Our great DSPs want all of the staff to care about the service recipients the same way they do. They don’t do it for the money. Great DSPs form strong bonds with those they support and their coworkers.

Problems as seen by good DSPs:

                    “Quality staff is not being hired and there’s a lack of consistency.”

                     Staff attitude.

                     Lack of motivation.

Hope

We need to get off the DSP Hamster Wheel! We need to control what we can. We can control how we communicate to potential hires and how we treat them from the first contact forward.

We need to proactively recruit DSPs. Passive recruiting does not work. We need to actively recruit people who value fulfillment and that love the idea of helping others. Advertise an “ideal DSP profile”. Create an interest in the position.

Prevent “ghosting” by communicating each step of the way. Text reminders! Warm, friendly reminders with emojis. Everyone looks at their texts. People don’t answer their phones, listen to voicemails or read emails.

Training. We need to train new hires by communicating and guiding them LEGO-instruction-style: simplify text; guide them step by step.

Have a staff mentor (“Chief Heart Officer”). Again, it’s about building relationships. Simple conversations from leaders who are not direct supervisors can help increase retention. We need to support our PCs as well on an ongoing basis.

Culture improvement. This takes an ongoing commitment to change. It requires consistent effort over time. A great culture is built on communication and empathy. People want the opportunity to express their frustrations, concerns, and opinions. They want to be heard. If concerns are not voiced, “infections” will grow. If ignored, the infections will spread. We need to treat the root cause and not merely the symptoms.

Trust. When there is real trust, productive conflict will quickly lead to the best ideas. Artificial “harmony” where there isn’t trust is dangerous. People need to address the elephants in the room. A fear of conflict results in choosing an artificial harmony over constructive, passionate debate. People need a safe environment to share their concerns.

Regardless of a person’s role in the company, everyone needs to work together to succeed.

“Driver”: sets the vision for where we are going; pushes everyone forward.

“Runners”: the top performers; puts the work first; they don’t make excuses or ask for much. Listen to your runners.

“Joggers”: the team players doing a good job; conscientious; rarely create problems; they believe they are doing their best, but they can and will do better with support.

“Walkers”: while they contribute to the forward momentum, they tend to do the bare minimum; they resist change and complain; their complaints slow others down or start a toxic culture; probably never learned about a strong work ethic.

“Riders”: they hide behind others and only perform when someone is watching them; lack a good work ethic and tend to be hard to motivate. These are the “dead wood”. They need to be eliminated from the company.

Every day at work should be a team-building activity. Communicate expectations very specifically and positively. When staff have fun at work, they will work together more collaboratively. People need to feel a purpose and that they are a part of something greater than themselves.

It’s better to have high trust, lower performer team members than high performers, low trust. Low trust is toxic to a team. The individuals that everyone trusts are the most valuable members of your team. 

Accountability. Being a good “accountability partner” means not letting each other off the hook; encouraging and pushing your partner; having an open, sharing & growth mindset; meeting consistently.

Honesty

Three categories of people we should target to recruit DSPS:

-        Mature individuals

-        College students

-        High school students who are unlikely to go on to college

We need to emphasize the rewards of being a DSP. It’s a recession-proof position and the job is far more than a weekly paycheck. “So why worry about the hourly pay when you recruit DSPs? If someone cares about an hourly check, they probably aren’t ideal for this work.”

People over paperwork.

Frequent and positive communication.

Create interest by painting a picture of what a DSP’s day looks & feels like.

Help people stay connected to the cause.

Listen and appreciate.

Build relationships starting at the interview.

Interactions build culture.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Traction by Gino Wickman

 

"Traction offers a helping hand for beginning entrepreneurs and others whose businesses are stuck at a point where hard work and determination are no longer enough for them to survive and grow."

I absolutely loved this book because it gave me and the company I work for a sense of purpose and direction. “If you are not growing, be it internally or externally, you’re dying.” “In fact, most companies need to start with a focus on internal growth before they can even think about external growth. The paradox is that they will actually grow faster externally in the long run if they are focused internally from the outset.”

Traction got me excited about setting a long-term goal for my company. I became eager for each of us on our leadership team to find our “right” place in the company, based on our strengths and talents. I was looking forward to structuring my company “…in a way that reduces complexity and creates accountability.” “You must have one abiding vision, one voice, one culture, and one operating system.”

The company I work for is fractured. The different departments do not support each other. The different leaders do not support each other. We have moved people into positions that they are not qualified for – at every level. We have lowered our expectations, qualifications and standards to such a degree that sustained quality work is nearly unattainable.

“A vital first step is creating a workplace where people feel comfortable calling out the issues that stand in the way of your vision.” “If, on the other hand, the leadership team is not healthy, the organization never will be.” The key element to a strong Leadership Team is trust. There is minimal trust at my company. We have many, many unresolved issues, but our Leadership Team meetings are pointless because we do not trust each other enough to speak openly and honestly. “It is less important what you decide than it is that you decide. More is lost by indecision than by wrong decisions.” It is infuriating to hear again and again that a suggestion, “has been tried before and it wasn’t successful”; “won’t work”; or “you can do that if you want, but we will not”. Instead of always hearing what won’t work, where are the suggestions of what might work?

Get It, Want It, Capacity (GWC): People don’t fully perform because one of the three factors is absent. They didn’t get it, didn’t want it, or didn’t have the capacity to do the job. 

“Get It” = truly understanding their role, the culture, the systems, the pace, and how the job comes together.

“Want It” = they genuinely like the job. They understand the role, and they want to do it based on fair compensation and the responsibility.

“Capacity to Do It” = having the time as well as the mental, physical, and emotional capacity to do a job well. (IE a position requires a commitment of 55 hours a week, but the person is only willing to commit 40, or the person doesn’t have the level of intellect, skill, knowledge and/or emotional intelligence required.)

We put too much emphasis on “what” we do vs. “why” we do it.

Basically, we need to hire the right people.

“Most causes of real issues are people.” You need to identify what the real issues are, which is extremely uncomfortable. To be a successful leader however, you must be willing to be open and honest and make those uncomfortable and difficult decisions for the betterment of the company as a whole. For the greater good. 

Wendy's Rating: *****

Gung Ho! by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles

This book is described as a management tool that outlines foolproof ways to increase productivity by fostering excellent morale in the workplace.  Since the company I work for is struggling, I decided to read this book (and two others). These are my thoughts on the key concepts of Gung Ho!

Worthwhile Work: Knowing we make the world a better place. Knowing why we are needed. 

Shared Goals: “It’s the buy-in that makes the difference. It’s the commitment to making the goal a reality that has to be shared.” Goals cannot be “announced”. There has to be a sustained commitment to the goal(s) by all of us. 

Values: Values are lived. Values sustain the effort of meeting the goal. “Values become real only when you demonstrate them in the way you act and the way you insist others behave.”  I think we are so afraid of losing staff/employees that we don’t live our values. We don’t hold other people accountable to our values as a company. 

We need two types of goals: result goals and value goals. What impact do we want to have on the lives of our staff and community? Here is the difficult part: “You can’t impose agreement to values any more than you can to goals, but you can, and must, impose conformity. If people don’t respect your values, then they work elsewhere. You wouldn’t keep someone who didn’t work for your result goals. Don’t keep people who won’t honor your values either.”

Here is another statement which I agree with: “Managers keep control by pretending information is sensitive and withholding it. It’s great for power trips but it doesn’t lead to trust.” I understand that we have to maintain confidentiality outside the workplace and be in compliance with HIPPA laws, but the leadership team could benefit by sharing information in certain situations. It would also be a way of being more consistent within the company. Part of the breakdown of trust between departments is from inconsistent implementation of policies and performance management.

2)    In Control of Achieving the Goal:  We need to decide who is best in each (well-defined) role within the company. “The real secret of successful management is discovering what people do naturally and then figuring out how to adapt the organization to take advantage of natural behavior.” If everyone’s “role” at was better understood by others then there wouldn’t be so much mistrust, negativity and anger between departments/positions/roles. It always comes back to “perception” of what others are doing when they are not at the office. People do not trust that other people are doing their jobs. Why do you trust some people more than others? Transparency builds trust.

3   Cheering Each Other On: It’s how most of us get through the day each day. But we quite obviously don’t support other departments and they don’t support us. There is certainly no cheering going on at our company.

     Enthusiasm equals mission times cash and congratulations. Gift cards don’t fix problems. Gift cards and money are great when acknowledging someone’s hard work, but they don’t “fix” problems. In my opinion, another differential; another wage increase; another referral bonus; a hiring bonus; a retention bonus – whatever you want to call it – will NOT fix problems.  It will not bring us the motivated, invested, quality staff that we need. “Running a business from numbers is like playing basketball while watching the scoreboard instead of the ball. Look after the basics if you want success, and the first basic is the team.”

One final quote from the book regarding cash vs. congratulations: “Lots of labor troubles have spirit issues at the core. Lack of respect may be the biggest. But you’d look a little silly walking around with a picket sign demanding affirmations that what you do matters and that your contribution is valuable. So cash becomes the measuring stick. It’s easy to count and it’s easy to compare.” Employees need help understanding that what they do is valuable.

Trust, honesty, integrity, values, transparency, quality. This is what's important to be a successful company.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

This is one of those books that if you love books, it's hard not to like. Characters who love books are endearing to me, even if they are "quirky". A.J. owns a small book store in a small town. He lost his wife and unborn child to a car accident and he has been on his own for awhile. He is definitely not talented in "marketing" his books. He is very particular in what types of books he will stock at the store. I guess you could call him a "book snob", although he does invest in some best sellers for the summer season/tourist season.

Amelia is a rep for a publisher who develops a relationship with A.J. over time as she visits his bookstore, Island Books, seasonally to show him the new books. They very slowly fall in love with each other. Or rather, it takes them a long time to each acknowledge they have feelings for each other. Meanwhile, one night A.J. takes his prized possession, an extremely rare book of poems by Edgar Allen Poe called Tamerlane, out of its locked, climate-controlled case, gets drunk and leaves the book out on the table after he passes out. Unfortunately, it's stolen. Since the book was his "life insurance" and "retirement fund", he is devastated by the loss. (So was I!)

When it seems like A.J.'s life cannot get any worse, something amazing happens. A woman leaves her two-year old in Island Books with a note attached to the child's Elmo doll, asking A.J. to raise her. Shockingly, A.J. feels attached to the child, Maya, almost immediately and petitions to be her foster parent. I say shockingly simply because he is a grouchy childless widower! We do find out who Maya's birth parents are, but I won't share that information here since I had no idea myself until it was spelled out for me. ;)

So, A.J.'s depressing, small world is suddenly expanded upon the arrival of first Amelia (who does not actually live on the island) and Maya. Although the book was referred to as "marvelously optimistic", many things that happen to A.J. are certainly not optimistic. Even though A.J. discovers some joy and happiness again, it's unfortunately short-lived in the big scheme of things.

This book is definitely endearing. I really loved A.J., Amelia and Maya. It just doesn't have the happy ending I was wanting.

Wendy's rating: ****

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

I had not seen Practical Magic since the movie first came out in 1998, so I didn't really remember the characters at all - or really even what it was about. Since this is a prequel, that really didn't matter. This book is about the three children of Susanna Owens, a descendent of Maria Owens who was accused of witchery hundreds of years earlier.

Susanna's three children are Franny, Jet (Bridget) and Vincent. Susanna tries to keep her children away from anything "magical" and from learning about who they really are. They all know of the "Owen's Curse", which is that if they fall in love, the person they love will die. It's pretty difficult to keep people away from who they really are, especially when they have special powers like reading people's minds, seeing into the future and moving objects with your mind. The Owens children each have their special gifts and since they have been "denied" them, it seems to make their lives worse. They are struggling with their lack of knowledge - or too much knowledge that they don't understand, especially Vincent. Vincent has a glimpse into his future and since he doesn't understand many things about himself he doesn't understand what it all means. He is deeply unhappy in the present.

Franny and Jet are busy falling in love at a young age, which they know is terrible because their loved ones could die from that love. So they spend a lot of time trying to deny their love, or disguise it into a different feeling. Eventually they go to visit their Aunt Isabelle in Massachusetts, where everyone knows the Owens family and their history. The Owens are basically "shunned" out of fear - UNLESS someone wants one of Isabelle's special magical concoctions for whatever ails them. At Isabelle's home they meet their cousin April. April's middle name is "trouble". She, also, is unhappy because she isn't free to be the person she wants to be. She is very successful fighting against the restraints however.

So, these four young people develop a strong bond, although April, and eventually Vincent, go their own ways. (April actually falls in love with Vincent, but Vincent doesn't share the same feeling. It is their brief "union" though, which carries us into future Owen generations and into the time of Practical Magic.) There is certainly a lot of tragic events (mostly deaths), so it isn't necessarily a feel-happy book. All four of them spend a lot of time just trying to get by financially and emotionally. They deny who they really are for too long. But once they each let some of their preconceived notions go, they all find a sort of happiness.

After I finished this book, I popped Practical Magic into my DVD player to continue the story. Franny & Jet are the older sisters in that movie. I think the theme of these stories is: accept who you are and you will be happier. Be true to thine self. ;)

Wendy's Rating: ****

Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict

Even though I knew that Andrew Carnegie was the first true philanthropist - and I knew that he originated the public library, I still always thought of him as a ruthless businessman. I don't think you can be a successful as Carnegie, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt or Astor without sacrificing something significant, like morality or integrity, or participating in questionable business practices like insider trading. The type of ambition that these men shared leads to some manner of crushing the already downtrodden and poor. I guess I never thought about Andrew Carnegie questioning his own business practices and power-hungry social climbing in the middle of his climb to "tycoon". It was incredibly interesting to me that someone had that type of influence over him. (Presumably, since this is a work of historical fiction.)

Carnegie's family were immigrants to America. I loved how Clara Kelley's story paralleled Andrew's story (on a much lesser scale of course!) Andrew and Clara were both extremely intelligent and resourceful. They read, listened, observed and acted. That makes for a successful person in life. They took advantage of opportunities whenever they presented themselves. I think that Andrew Carnegie could have married a lady's maid in the 1800's and gotten away with it! (Of course him mother would have died of a heart attack!) I thought it was interesting that Andrew's mother, who was intelligent business woman in her own right, didn't see that quality in Clara - or if she did, she didn't appreciate it. Oh how soon people forget where they started in life! She could have embraced Clara in her "new world" instead of trying to hold her to her status as "servant".

I love how Benedict writes about powerfully intelligent women who influence the men in their lives (although the women don't get the credit). I think there are always these unseen and/or unknown people "standing behind" powerful people and influencing their public persona and decisions.

I enjoyed this book and will continue to read what this author contributes.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac

 This is a novel written for young adults (or really middle school age). I'm not sure if there is an "adult" version of this same book. (There is an adult version of Unbroken and a young adult version of Unbroken, which I just found out about, for example.) This is a historical fiction book about the Navajo Marines in World War II and the use of the Navajo language to write messages in code so the enemy could not decipher them.

The book starts with Ned Begay being taken from his family at a young age to be sent to a boarding school. The boarding school tries very hard to wipe the Navajo culture and language from these young children's lives. Pure assimilation into English America is the goal. The children are punished if caught talking in the Navajo language. As World War II starts affecting America, Ned decides he wants to go to war. He is too young to enlist, so he waits as long as possible (with youth impatience) and eventually lies about his age to join the Marines. He is very smart and athletic, so he does well with all the training despite his young age. Or maybe because of it. ;) Anyway, he is recruited as a Code Talker because he is fluent in both the Navajo language and English. 

I always envisioned the Code Talkers working in a top secret room together on some military base. Maybe some of them did. Ned and many of his fellow Code Talkers were actually in the field with the soldiers. Not only did they fight in battles, they had to carry their radios with them which were often heavy and awkward (but were also known to save radio carrier's lives if bullets went into the radio vs the man). They were in the heat of the action. Many of them died in the field. Ned and his various divisions (the men were reassigned often) were fighting the Japanese, who did not follow the Rules of War of other countries. Ned would send messages in the middle of heavy fighting, sharing locations of the Japanese.

The book gets into some specifics about what it was like for the Marines as they were trying to take control of Guam, Iwo Jimo, Okinawa, etc. It did not spare the horror of it all. I wasn't sure how my son was taking it all in and I didn't ask him while he was reading it. After he finished the book he stated that is was the best book he had read this year and that he found out he really likes reading historical fiction books. Wow! Who knew. This made me very happy to hear since it's my favorite genre as well and he really doesn't even like reading. (I hope this changes of course!)

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

I really enjoyed this novel, although I found a lot of it sad. I would say it's charming, but sad. There are two main stories being told. Laura, newly divorced from her unfaithful husband, finds employment with an older man, Anthony Peardew, who is an author and the keeper of lost things. Anthony lost the love of his life, Therese, many years ago. She actually died before they married. She had given him a St. Anthony coin and told him to keep it safe. Well, the day she died, Anthony lost the coin. So, he spends the rest of his life mourning the loss of Therese, mourning the loss of the coin, and collecting other "lost" items that he finds. He keeps each lost item and records when and where he found it. Then, he writes books about the items, imagining the significance of each item while telling their story. As a younger man, his stories are positive and happy. As time goes on, his stories turn dark and unhappy. Anthony lives in the same beautiful home that he lived in with Therese. Therese is still "there" - or at least her presence is. She doesn't really "haunt" the house or anything, she just reminds Anthony & Laura that she is there. Sunshine is a young woman with Down Syndrome who befriends Laura after Anthony dies. She senses things about the lost items that no one else does. She actually knows each item's "story" and will discard them if something bad had happened in association with the item. Then there is the gardener, Freddy, who works at the house. Freddy is gorgeous and kind and around Laura's age, so I guess I don't have to spell out what happens there!

The second story is about Bomber and Eunice. Bomber is a publisher and he hires Eunice to be his assistant. Eunice falls in love with Bomber almost immediately, but Bomber is a gay man. So, you would think that Eunice would eventually move on and find someone else. Nope. She loves Bomber. Period. So she spends her live working for him, loving him, and eventually taking care of him when he gets Alzheimer's, like his father before him. Bomber has a horrendous sister named Portia. I sincerely disliked her. She treats everyone terribly - and then does one incredibly generous thing after Bomber's death. Dogs play a significant role in each of these stories, and Bomber has two dogs that he adored. These dogs did NOT like Portia (for good reason). But, in the end, Portia makes an extremely generous donation to a dog rescue. Didn't see that coming! That was her one redeeming act.

In-between these two stories, there are stories of lost items. I wasn't really sure how the two main stories connected - or even if they did connect (which would have been weird), but in the end, they do. The connection allows for a "happy ending", but I was still sad. Anthony pining for Therese his entire life; Eunice loving someone who can't love her back in the same way; two characters (Bomber & his father) wasting away from Alzheimer's; Portia being a total bitch. These are the things that made me sad. Fortunately, Laura, Freddy & Sunshine bring some happiness in too.

Wendy's Rating: ****

A Burial at Sea by Charles Finch

Book Five. As much as I like reading about Charles' usual cohorts (Graham, Thomas, Toto, Edmund, Jane), I really enjoyed this book. It might actually be my favorite one to date. Adventures at sea are always interesting, especially when murder is involved. It was nice to get out of London for a change of pace as well.

So, Charles & Jane have already been married for three years now and they are pregnant with their first child. Charles is asked by Edmund to go on a secret mission to Egypt. A British traitor has given the French a list of names of British spies. Five of the eight men on the list have been murdered. Charles' mission is to negotiate with a French contact in Egypt and see if the French have plans to go to war against Britain. Charles' is also supposed to work with the French for continued access to the Suez Canal, which is profitable for moving goods & merchandise. So this is the premise for Charles boarding the ship, the Lucy, and sailing to Egypt.

Most of the book, and most of the story, is actually the events that occur as Charles is sailing to Egypt however. The night after the Lucy leaves England, one of the Lieutenants, Halifax, is found murdered. Halifax, by all accounts, is a well-liked man. The Captain of the Lucy, Martin, asks Charles to figure out who murdered Halifax, and Charles cannot decline of course. He misses his detective work. After the first murder, there is a storm, a rumor of a mutiny on board, another murder, and Charles' life is put at risk yet again, which ends in his near-death. How many lives does Charles Lenox have? ;) There are some interesting characters on the Lucy, and I definitely had a couple of "favorites". One thing I keep forgetting to mention about these books is that at times they are laugh-out-loud funny. I think the more developed the characters become, and the better the reader gets to know the characters, the funnier the comments are.

Charles solves the murder, but still has to have this secret meeting in Egypt, which doesn't go exactly as planned. Does it ever? But he manages to complete his mission and sail the Lucy back to England, sans another murder. Whew! I really enjoyed this adventure and I hope Charles leaves London again in the future!

Wendy's Rating: ****

A Stranger in Mayfair by Charles Finch

This is Book Four of the Charles Lenox detective series. Charles is now married to Lady Jane and has been elected to Parliament. Charles & Jane have also combined their two homes into one large home and combined their households. Lots of change for each of them. There is definitely an adjustment period for sure. Charles & Jane have a difficult time sharing their feelings with each other, which doesn't help either of them.

Toto & Thomas have a child, Grace Georgianna, whom they call "George". George's arrival on the scene changes the lives - and marriage - of Toto & Thomas, who are besotted with their baby daughter. (That's the perfect word!) But of course, their insane happiness brings sadness to Charles & Jane. (Oh, if only they would talk to each other!!) Neither Charles or Jane will admit that they do or don't want a child themselves. (But they both do; they just can't admit it.)

With the combining of households, Charles & Jane have two butlers. One has to go. Thankfully, Charles needs a Secretary for Parliament and thankfully, Graham accepts this new unlikely position. He is perfect for the position and Charles, with his constant distractions, should be eternally grateful that Graham keeps him on track! Charles, once again, is completely intrigued by the death of a footman and can't help but investigate this murder which he has been asked to stay out of several times by several people.

Charles is very self-introspective in this book. He is trying to figure out what he wants out of life. He feels a huge responsibility to be in Parliament, but he discovers that it's less exciting than expected and he has less influence than he would like. Plus, he can't seem to give up being a detective. It's really his passion. Unfortunately, even though he is making name for himself with his sleuthing abilities, it's still not a "accepted" line of work in society. So he pretty much agonizes about these two things. And he also spends quite a bit of time feeling depressed about his marriage since they can't seem to talk about the important things.

He does manage to find the time to figure out who murdered the footman, and I thought it was cleverly unveiled. I really didn't know who had murdered him until Charles figured it out. I liked how the story unfolded to a reasonable and plausible ending.

So, moving on to Book Five!

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Fleet Street Murders by Charles Finch

Book three of the Charles Lenox detective series begins with the murders of two journalists. One journalist is corrupt; the other is squeaky clean. Charles can't help but be intrigued, even though he also has other things on his mind in this book. First of all, he is engaged to be married to the love of his life, Lady Jane Grey, and he was asked to run for Parliament for the Liberal Party in a by-election in Stirrington. So, his interests are split three ways for the entire book, which certainly caused some stress in his life.

Charles feels a family responsibility to be in Parliament, and he really wants to fulfill this dream of his. At the same time, he acknowledges that he can't seem to stop playing amateur detective, which is a profession looked down upon in his level of society. He just can't help himself though. So, even though he travels to Stirrington to campaign (he only has two weeks to sway all the local voters away from his opponent who was born and raised in Stirrington), he manages to sneak back to London for some detective work on the side, much to everyone's dismay on the campaign trail.

In addition to all of this, Charles & Jane's best friends, Toto & Thomas, suffer a miscarriage months into Toto's pregnancy. One thing about this time period - or maybe it's the British way - but couples do not communicate very effectively!!  Toto & Thomas have always had their share of marriage troubles, and this is no exception. Toto always relies on Jane for comfort, rather than Thomas, who always turns to drink. It's very frustrating. With the miscarriage, comes a bump in the road for Charles & Jane's pending marriage. Jane wants to slow things down, which sends Charles' into an emotional tailspin. Eventually, they do talk. Thankfully.

I love how Charles' life moves forward in this series. He doesn't just "solve murder mysteries". He lives his life and manages to solve murders in the in-between time of personal events in his life. He is nearly 40 years old, but he is still "finding himself". I guess when you are born wealthy, you are allowed to take your time with that! Ha! One of my favorite characters is Graham, Charles' butler. Graham is so incredibly helpful and smart and loyal. Nothing fazes him in the slightest. Charles is very "eccentric" for his level of society and Graham just goes with the flow, offering his advice in the most respectful way.

I enjoy this series. It's such an incredibly different way of living (wealthy London in the 1800's vs middle-class America in 2021), but I guess that's what I find fascinating. Plus, I love the characters.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This book was nothing like I expected. At one point, quite late in the book, I was definitely thinking to myself, "What???" At that point, if someone had asked me if I liked it, I would have hesitated before answering. Did I like it? Well, thanks to the last 70 pages or so, I guess I can say yes. It's an odd and confusing story at times though.

I liked the protagonist, Noemi Taboada, a lot. She was intelligent, funny, spirited and confident. Of course it is these same characteristics that caused her "life plan" to veer off course. Noemi is sent to High Place (basically an "English Mansion" in the countryside in Mexico) by her father to check on her cousin, Catalina, who recently married Virgil and moved to High Place. Noemi's father had received a distressing letter from Catalina asking for help. So Noemi travels to High Place, which ends up being an extremely old, cold, dark and inhospitable mansion. No one visits except for the family doctor. No one talks at dinner. Catalina appears delirious and ill most of the time, and it's difficult for Noemi to even spend time with her.

Noemi tries to seek help for her cousin's condition from a local doctor. She also visits a local medicine woman on behalf of Catalina to get a vial of a "sleep remedy" that Catalina had secretly tried previously. Catalina has been diagnosed with tuberculosis by the family doctor, although she doesn't have symptoms of it and Noemi suspects she would be better served by seeing a psychiatrist. Catalina is disturbed by the walls of the house talking to her; nightmares; something in the cemetery, etc. Noemi quickly experiences the same things.

Virgil is extremely strong, healthy & handsome. Noemi can't decide if he can be trusted. He is charming and kind at times; and appears deceitful and evil at other times. The servants are all cold and uncommunicative. The only person who truly treats Noemi with consistent kindness is Francis, who comes across as weak and unattractive, especially compared to Virgil. The most disgusting family member of all is the patriarch, who is dying. He has black boils all of over his body and he reeks of decay.

Noemi finally asks Francis if the house is haunted - and she receives a non-answer. It's hard to know if the house is haunted, or the food/drink served them is tainted with an hallucination-causing drug, or if the mold growing everywhere is making them sick. It is at this point that things get really weird (over 200 pages into the book)! I certainly don't mind "supernatural" stories, but this one goes way outside my normal supernatural box!

The ending is a bit ambiguous as to what happens in the future, but I hope the best for the survivors of this living nightmare.

Wendy's Rating: ***3/4 

Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith

Wow! This 5th installment of the Cormoran Strike/Robin Ellacott series is phenomenal. At a whopping 927 pages, which is long for any book much less a detective novel, it expands our knowledge of both Cormoran and Robin's personal histories, provides development of the personal relationship between them, as well as lays out an intricate, multi-character, astrologically-based 40 year old cold-case of the disappearance of a young female doctor that Cormoran and Robin are hired to solve. Of course this cold case, which they are given one year to solve, is certainly not their only case, so we are on the journey of their other cases as well. It continues to astound me how talented JK Rowling/Robert Galbraith is as a writer. I can't even begin to think where she comes up with her ideas - and how long it takes her to lay out the details of each of her stories so that they weave together into a fascinating exploration of human nature at its worst.

Not only does the original detective in this 40 year old case use astrology to try to solve the case, using horoscopes, astrological symbols and stars, but he expands his thought process to include Steven Schmidt's 14-sign zodiac (advocated in 1970). The detective has some mental health issues (of course!), so he is obsessed with fitting all his suspects into the zodiac. Cormoran and Robin spend many hours trying to dissect his astrology ramblings (he left a notebook with his musings and drawings) to help them understand if there is any merit to his discoveries pertaining to the case when he first interviewed all of the interested parties 40 years previously.

In addition to working many, many hours at their agency, Cormoran is also spending time with his dying aunt Joan (who was really more of a mother to him) and coming to terms with the pending loss; intensely avoiding his half-siblings who want Cormoran to join them and their famous Rockstar father, Jonny Rokeby, for a "family photo"; still feeling responsible for Charlotte's mental health and trying to manage his feelings for her; and trying to come to terms with his true feelings for Robin. It's a lot for any man, especially one who doesn't express himself very well - or very often.

Robin is also dealing with a lot. Matthew continues to drag out their divorce proceedings; she has to deal with Matthew & Sarah "sitings" while still trying to absorb their betrayal against her; her own history of being a victim of rape/assault; clients always assuming that she is Cormoran's assistant instead of his partner in the agency; and her own feelings for Cormoran.

There is SO much more than all I mentioned above as well! And I loved every single word of it. In fact, as I neared the end I slowed down my reading because I didn't want it to end. I love that JKR/RG doesn't spell everything out for the reader. Sometimes, she gives you the means to find the information, and then the reader has to work to find it.

So now I wait for the 6th book of this series. "People" are predicting it will be published in 2022 or so. Apparently she was already writing it in Spring of 2020. I have to wonder how long it will be! Ha! Anyway, love, love, love this author.

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

I am reading my way through all of Ruth Ware's novels. This was my fourth one, with two more to go. I love reading psychological thrillers, even if I figure out some of the "surprise twists" in the story before it's actually revealed. (Side note: if you want to watch a show with a true twist that I did NOT see coming, watch "The Lie" on Amazon Prime!) Anyway, this story is about a 21 year old (Harriet aka Hal) Tarot card reader who has been alone in the world (and extremely poor) since her mother died in a car accident three years previously. Her mother, Maggie, was actually the "psychic" who earned her money reading palms, Tarot cards and giving psychic readings. Hal took over the business after her mother's sudden and unexpected death.

Hal owes money to some not very nice people. When a letter comes in the mail saying that she has inherited money from her wealthy grandmother, she is convinced that the letter came to the wrong Harriet Westaway. But since she desperately needs money, she decides to accept the invitation to the funeral and reading of the Will. Once there, she meets her "Uncles" (Harding, Ezra and Abel) and for the most part, joins the family that she has never met - and who didn't even know she existed. She is introduced as the child of their only sister, Margarida (called Maud), who happens to have the same name as Harriet's mother (Margarida, called Maggie). Of course I can't forget to mention the "setting" of this story: an old, rundown, creepy and extremely cold mansion, called The Trepassen House, that has been in the Westaway family for generations. Oh, and a hateful old miser housekeeper called Mrs. Warren.

The thing I love about these books is trying to figure out all of the secrets that people are hiding. It's difficult to know who to trust. It takes awhile for Harriet to figure out who everyone is and why they all hate their mother, Mrs. Westaway. Hal finds out her mother, Maggie, is actually the cousin of Harding, Ezra, Abel & Maud and used to live at The Trepassen House after her own parents died. Hal has a difficult time with all of the secrets that her mother kept from her since Maggie never once mentioned to Hal anything about The Trepassen House or her cousin and best friend, Maud. And no one seems to know what happened to Maud after she ran away from home as a teenager.

I did manage to figure out some of the secrets before they were revealed, but it might be because I read a lot of these type books. I should say I suspected what had happened. I guess I didn't know for sure until the end. Hal tries to figure out who her father was, and I wasn't sure about that until it slapped me in the face. Ha!

Ruth Ware has written one book a year for the last six years, so hopefully she will continue at this pace. I plan to read them all!

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

I read this book back in 2015, but for some reason I never wrote a blog post on it. So, I decided to read it again since my son was reading it for school. John Green's teenage characters are always so creative and intelligent and quirky. Hazel and Augustus are no exceptions to this. They are talented with their communication skills. They are thoughtful and honest and funny. I actually chuckled out loud a few times while reading. I also teared up a few times.

Hazel and Augustus (Gus) meet in a teenage cancer group that is held at a church every Wednesday. Augustus had previously had one of his leg's amputated due to cancer and Hazel carries oxygen with her at all times so that she can breathe. Gus is in remission and Hazel's cancer is terminal, so she knows she will die young. Their best friend is Isaac, who has lost one eye to cancer and finds out that he is also losing his other eye, which will leave him blind. These three friends love each other and support each other through some terrible things that no one should ever have to go through, especially children.

Hazel is enamored of a book called, "An Imperial Affliction". She has read it many, many times. She gives a copy to Gus to read as well. Her parents read it too. I think this is their way of trying to connect with Hazel, since she keeps people at arm's distance because she is worried about how her pending death will affect them all. The book ends mid-sentence, so there is no conclusion about any of the characters. Hazel likens this to what will happen to herself (she will die mid-sentence, so to speak) and she will never know what happens to the people she loves. But Hazel is also obsessed with finding out what happens to the characters in the book. She has written the author, Peter Van Houten, a few times. Peter Van Houten has become a recluse however, living in Amsterdam. After Gus reads the book, he manages to make contact with Peter. They eventually meet him, but are deeply disappointed (and disgusted) by him.

Like I said earlier, this book is funny and it's sad. But mainly, these teenagers demonstrate incredible courage as they fight cancer and loss.

Wendy's Rating: *****

I'm Still Here, Black Dignity In A World Made For Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

I was eager to read this book, simply because I wanted to have a better understanding of the "Black Lives Matter" movement. I have always been leary of this idea, not because black lives don't matter, but in my mind, all lives matter. I really wanted to understand the deeper meaning behind this phrase.  Early on in the book, I was indeed enlightened about the consequence of desegregation. For the first time ever, I realized how desegregation, instead of empowering black people, actually took away their heritage, their culture, their language, their religion. By desegregating, black people were folded into the white world. They were "allowed" in white stores, white churches, white schools. But in doing so, they lost their own "blackness". Black people were incorporated into the white world, therefore losing their blackness. This was an "aha" moment for me. I also have a better understanding of the Black Lives Matter phrase. It's not about black lives being more important than any other lives, but rather stating the fact that black lives matter equally to white lives, or brown lives, or any other lives. So, I was feeling pretty positive about what I was learning.

But then I hit Chapter 7, called "Nice White People". My feelings about this book did an about-face. At one point I didn't even think I could finish it! I actually forced myself to read the rest because I was hoping that the author was proving a point, which would be unveiled at the end of the book. Well, that didn't happen. It became quite apparent that no matter what a white person says, doesn't say, does or doesn't do, it's WRONG in the eyes of a black person. If a white person acknowledges someone's blackness in the room, that's bad. If a white person ignores the fact that a black person is in the room, that is bad. If a white person shares a story at a seminar about racial prejudice about how sorry they are about a prejudice they now realize they had, that is bad. Austin Channing Brown writes, "I don't have much use for white guilt anymore. I used to interpret white guilt as an early sign of a change in heart, a glimpse that a movie, program, or speaker had broken through and was producing a changed mind. While that may or may not be true, for those on the receiving end, white guilt is like having tar dry all over your hands and heart. It takes so much work to peel off the layers, rub away the stickiness, get rid of the smell. Unsolicited confessions inspired by a sense of guilt are often poured over Black bodies in search of their own relief." Seriously?? Apparently there is absolutely nothing that a white person can do that will not inspire disgust. She describes the white person's "need for confession" as a "self-indulgent desire". Then she goes on and on, generalizing about white people. "White people desperately want to believe that only the lonely, isolated "whites only" club members are racist." Or "...I suspect that white people really don't want to believe that we (people of color) know them, too." Or "White people are notorious for trying to turn race conversations into debates." She uses the word, "whiteness" over and over again, like it's a swear word. Disgusting. Racist. Inexcusable. "Whiteness twiddles its thumbs with feigned innocence and shallow apologies." White people don't like being generalized about any more than black people do!

Then she talks about her cousin, Dalin, who was several years older than her but someone she looked up to when she was a young child. I won't explain the entire story, but Dalin demonstrates at a young age that when someone ticks him off, he needs to find a gun. He ends up selling drugs to fund his desire for a rap career because "studio time required a lot of money." Then she writes, "It was a bad time to start that kind of career". Why? Because President Clinton had signed an act that called for mandatory minimums for multiple drug offenses, so they had started cracking down on non-violent crime. So, Dalin got arrested "a lot" and when he received his "third strike" he was sent away to prison for ten years. And apparently, we (meaning white people) are at fault for this as well. This just makes me angry! I totally understand that systemic racism exists in our society. 100% agree. I completely understand that black men are pulled over in their cars simply because they are black. 100% I think it is horrible. What I don't understand is the lack of accountability for unlawful, illegal actions. Dalin ends up dying in prison, but not the way you might think. He gets stuck by lightning. Austin is "angry" about Dalin not getting a second chance; about his daughter being left without a father. Why wasn't she angry that he made some terrible decisions about how to make extra money to fund his career?? Why couldn't he get a legal JOB like other people do when they need money. Honestly. It was just too much. 

So, what started out as a desire for opening my mind about racism in America in 2021, ended up with me being ticked off. And for all her talk about black people "losing the way they talk and write" to "whiteness", why did she write this book like a "white person" would instead of using the dialect of her black culture?? I have to stop. If she wanted to provoke a strong reaction from white people, well this white person is provoked.

Wendy's Rating: ***

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Jojo Moyes is one of my favorite authors. This book was completely different than the other books that I have read by her. First of all, it was set in the Depression era America. Alice is a British woman who marries an American to escape her life in Britain, which she finds unbearable thanks to her mother. Alice marries a American from Kentucky, Bennett Van Cleve, whose family owns and runs the local mines. So the biggest mystery of the entire book for me is, what's up with Bennett?? Alice falls in love with Bennett in England, and he seems to be in love with her as well. So they marry and she moves to Kentucky with him and his father, who is a number one jerk. They actually live with Mr. Van Cleve, who is as overbearing as Alice's mother in England. Anyway, they never have sex! Ever. Alice doesn't even know what it means to have sex with a man - and Bennett doesn't seem inclined to show her. Why? Is he gay? Is he impotent? I kept waiting for the answer. Alice tries to talk to him a few different times, but he never explains. She sees him being happy when hanging out with his old classmate, Peggy, but he had every chance to marry her before meeting Alice in England. But he doesn't. He marries Alice - and then doesn't seem to want anything to do with her. It was very odd.

As much as I love books, I wasn't thinking that a book about women delivering books to rural families in Kentucky would be all that interesting. But it was. I loved how this small (and brave) group of women, referred to as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky, bonded with each other. I love how the rural families, many of which where "rough around the edges", to put it mildly, accepted these women and their books. I love how the children learned to read - and how their parents encouraged them to learn. These were moonshining and mining families. They would as soon as shoot a stranger on their property as invite them into their home. This job (and it WAS a job because these women actually got paid to do this) was not for the weak of heart. It was dangerous job at times, not only because of some of the people they encountered, but the weather too. 

Of course with knowledge, comes conflict. Those in power over the town, like Mr. Van Cleve, tried to shut down the library a variety of different ways, saying that the books were causing insurrection (my word, not his, but that's what he meant). He called the books "immoral" and held town meetings at the local church and in front of the courthouse speaking his mind. Meanwhile, Bennett just listened. He rarely defended Alice or anyone else against his father. He came across as a handsome, well-dressed weenie.  Alice certainly deserved someone better than him! Things get really bad when the leader of the Librarians, Margery; is arrested for murdering a hillbilly drunkard on her route. The only really decent thing that Bennett does in the entire book is suggest to Alice a way to prove Margery may be innocent.

The book is interesting, heartbreaking, heartwarming and even funny at times. I enjoyed it very much.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book has pretty solid positive reviews. Readers seem to love it. I did not. I found it indulgent. I found Evelyn Hugo self-indulgent. Maybe it's because I had just read The Last Train to London, which was heartbreaking because it was set in Nazi-controlled Europe. Maybe it was because I had to listen to it (audio book) instead of read it because the waiting list is so long at the library - and I knew it wouldn't be the kind of book I would want to buy. Maybe it's because I simply find old and new Hollywood "too much". Actually, I think many "stars" today do a lot more for the underprivileged than those icons of "old Hollywood", but they are still overly privileged and over paid and overly indulgent for the most part. (Yes, there are certainly some exceptions to that.)

I realize that the book addressed some serious topics: biracial racism; domestic abuse; the lack of equality between men and women in pay and power; lack of acceptance for homosexual relationships. So why did Evelyn Hugo's problems come across as "first world problems"? Maybe because she did anything and everything to get to the top. She tried to get other actresses fired who she saw as a threat; she married for clout; she slept around; she was snotty and rude and obnoxious; she married to cover up her true feelings for another woman; she slept with men to manipulate them; she even covered up a fatal accident! It was 400 pages of Evelyn Hugo manipulating people. Do I think she actually loved some people? Yes. She loved her best friend, Harry; her daughter, Connor; and the love of her life, Cecily. Other than that, she loved herself. She actually chose herself over the people she loved many, many times.

The important issues mentioned above, that are still relevant in 2021, were overshadowed by the way it was presented. How can you take the issues seriously if you don't respect the person vocalizing them? If I don't respect the person on the "soap box", than I can't invest myself in the issue. Evelyn lied and cheated and committed a crime! These actions - her actions - detracted from the message she "preached" throughout the book and actually detracted from these very real issues in our world. I honestly can't believe that so many people love this book! Maybe, just maybe, it was the woman on the audio version, who sounded so smug throughout, that didn't allow me to feel sympathy for Evelyn (because I certainly didn't!). Or maybe it was just the writing. I will never know because I will never read this book in print.

Wendy's Rating: ***

The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton

This novel (historical fiction) broke my heart! The very beginning was confusing to me. Even though I read the book jacket and knew basically what the book was going to be about, it just jumps right into the story and it took me a few chapters to get into the swing of it. Plus, it's set in Amsterdam and Vienna, Austria and so even though it's written in English, it's still a European event and the language used represents that.

In 1933, a Dutchwoman from Amsterdam, Geertruida Wijsmuller-Meijer ("Tante Truss") started rescuing children who were at risk (basically Jewish children) from Germany. She started by rescuing a couple/three children at a time, traveling into Germany and sneaking the children out across the border back into Amsterdam. Once they were in Amsterdam, they were considered "safe" and then transported again to various countries willing to take them. The book actually starts in December 1936. Tante Truus continues to "polish" her skills at dealing with the border control between countries as she brings children across the border. The challenges and risk increases as Hitler becomes more powerful of course. Truus and her husband, an incredibly kind and supportive husband (Joop), have been pregnant and miscarried a few times already. They both desperately want children. Unfortunately, Truus has been unable to carry a child to term. So she dedicates her life to saving other people's children.

In Vienna, we get to meet a young playwright, Stephen, who is from a wealthy Jewish family and the girl Stephen likes, Zofie-Helene, whose mother edits an anti-Nazi newspaper. Even though they are only teenagers, Stephen is a talented writer and Zofie-Helene is a brilliant mathematician. They each have one younger sibling. Stephen's brother, Walter, is 5 years old and Zofie-Helene's sister, Johanna, is 3 years old. With the Nazis taking over Austria, Stephen's family is forced to surrender their home and valuables to the Nazis. At first they are allowed to stay in the attic of their own home (thanks to their non-Jewish family member), but eventually Stephen's father is taken and killed, Stephen goes into hiding and Stephen's dying mother (cancer) and brother are forced into the Jewish ghetto to live. Zofie-Helene's family doesn't fair much better even though they are Christian. Zofie-Helene's mother is arrested and her grandfather becomes the primary caregiver for Zofie-Helene & Johanna. (Her father had been previously killed.)

In 1938, Truus is asked to go to Germany, talk to the "up and coming" Nazi leader, Adolf Eichmann, and ask him to release Jewish children from Germany (to London). This is the start of the "Kindertransport" which eventually saves 10,000 children, three quarters of them being Jewish. Adolf Eichmann agrees to release EXACTLY 600 children, not one more and not one less, the following Sabbath. Despite the fact that participating in this venture on the Sabbath is against Jewish law, many more than 600 try to send their children (between the ages of 4-17) on the transport out of Germany. In this story, Zofie-Helene and Stephen's brother, Walter are accepted as part of the 600. Joanna is too young and Stephen ends up being #610. When one of the 600 gets diagnosed with the measles before the Sabbath, Truus decides to take a chance on Stephen being able to "bluff" his way in, in place of the ill child.

The story moves quickly between what Truus is doing and what's happening with Stephen and Zofie-Helene. It's a page turner. The only time I put it down is when I needed a break from the horror of it all. I have never understood how people can treat others so horribly. It's heartbreaking. As a mother, I can't even imagine sending my child off to a different country by themselves. A country that speaks a different language and practices a different religion. These parents loved their children so much that they sent them away to the unknown rather than keep them in their Nazi-occupied countries. That's how awful the Nazi's were. Most of these children never saw their parents again. Thinking about what these families suffered through makes me want to sob out loud. (I actually did cry.)

The other significant feeling I experience whenever I read a book about the Holocaust is "awe" when it comes to all the brave people who did everything in their power to save the Jewish people from the Nazis - at blatant risk to themselves and their own families. It astounds me how incredibly selfless some people are. I love my own children so much I don't know if I could have ever been that brave, knowing that my actions might lead to the death of my own children/family. It's truly incredible. Geertruida Wijsmuller-Meijer was inspiring - along with all the other brave souls of that time.

This is a must read book, in my opinion. It certainly puts my life in perspective.

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Sun Sister by Lucinda Riley

I am getting sad thinking about this series ending. The Sun Sister is the 6th book in this series of 7. Book 7 is expected to be published in Spring 2021. So now I wait..... This was the longest book so far (at 637 pages), but I again read it pretty quickly due to my interest level, which made it hard to put down. The 6th sister is named Electra. She is a black super model, with significant drug and alcohol addictions, who lives in New York (Manhattan). It was hard to read about her alcohol and drug use. It's amazing what the body can endure day after day. She also slept around a lot. She seemed to have a difficult time just spending time with herself. She was extremely self-involved and self-centered (and not in a good way). She pretty much treated people like crap. She hadn't even read her letter from Pa Salt, or looked at the coordinates of her birthplace, or opened the envelope that held the translation of the "words of wisdom" that had been left for her by Pa Salt. Her addictions were her undoing (finally!) and she goes to rehab and starts the long process of turning her life around. She only becomes interested in her history after her birth grandmother contacts her and asks to meet.

Her ancestry story was really interesting because it was set in Kenya before World War II affected Africa (1939). This story centered around a white woman named Cecily Huntley-Morgan, a young woman from a wealthy New York family. As Electra's beautiful black grandmother shares Electra's history of origin with her, Electra kept wondering where she and her mother fit into the story. So did I! Cecily ends up in Kenya because she is invited to visit her socialite godmother, Kiki, who is Cecily's mother's best friend. She was also adventurous, promiscuous, unreliable and a really bad role model! She was a huge part of the Happy Valley set in Kenya. Cecily decides to visit Kiki to get away from her ex-fiancé who breaks off their engagement shortly before their wedding to marry someone else. Cecily ends up marrying an older British man who owns a cattle farm in Kenya (which is a long story so I won't get into the details here). 

Although each sister in this series ends up being a better person by the end of their individual stories, their origin stories often have sad parts and this story was no exception. I realize that reality involves a lot of turmoil and sadness at times, but I am always sad when a main character dies too young! Not only did the book involve the effects of World War II and addiction, but also extreme prejudice against black people, both in Kenya and New York. Cecily and her husband, Bill, also had a difficult time expressing their true feelings with each other, which makes for a sad story involving their marriage as well. 

This was the first book that I really started thinking that Pa Salt might actually be dead. The way he was talked about in this book by various people, including Ma, made it seem like he really did die. But there are obviously many secrets that we are waiting to have explained in Book 7, so you never know! When Georg Hoffman visits Atlantis suddenly at the very end of the book with "news", I thought it would be about Pa Salt. But no. He announces that he has finally found the 7th sister, who has been "missing" since the beginning. "Missing", meaning "never found".

It's going to be a difficult wait for Book 7!

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Moon Sister by Lucinda Riley

This is Book #5 in The Seven Sisters series. It was my least favorite of what I have read so far. It's not that I didn't like it, but Tiggy's ancestors were hard to take! The fifth sister is Taygete but everyone calls her Tiggy. Both her story and that of her Great Grandmother, Lucia, were full of the more negative aspects of life: poverty, philandering, theft, poaching, selfishness, bigotry, death. Since Tiggy comes from a family of gitanos (gypsies), she possesses a "6th sense" like many of her ancestors. Her 6th sense allows her to aid in the recovery of animals, which is probably why she has dedicated her life (26 years) to caring for and saving animals and working at an animal sanctuary. Tiggy accepts a position at the Kinnaird Estate in the Highlands of Scotland when the animal sanctuary closes down. Tiggy falls in love with the owner of the Kinnaird Estate, who is married and has a teenage daughter. (And that's just the beginning of that tangled family dynamic!)

The foundation story is that of Lucia, an infamous flamenco dancer in the early 1900s. She leaves home (the caves outside the city walls of Granada, Spain) with her father at the age of 10 to become famous. Her ultimate goal, other than being the most famous and most talented flamenco dance of all time, is to get to the USA. Lucia and her father, Jose, are two of the most selfish people I have ever had to read about! They care about themselves and only themselves. They will do whatever it takes to get what they want. It's astounding to me that their family was able to "accept them for who they were", because I would have written them off for sure! Maria, Jose's wife and Lucia's mother, tries really hard to forgive them again and again, but eventually finds her own life (and true love), which is a relief. Maria and Jose had four other children (all sons), but three of the four die (one from illness; two in the civil war in Spain). Jose barely acknowledges their deaths. He was truly an unlikable person. Eventually Lucia gets pregnant, much to her indignation. She loves the baby's father, but he finally leaves her after many years of dedicating his life to her, and before he finds out she is pregnant. She is too proud and angry and selfish to inform him of her pregnancy, so she just leaves the USA to return to Granada with her mother to give birth. She takes terrible care of her own body when she is pregnant and it's amazing that her baby, Isabel, is even born healthy. Seriously. Anyway, Lucia leaves Spain again when Isabel is only 4 months old. She's leaves Isabel with Maria to raise. Isabel, is Tiggy's mother.

Lucinda Riley bases the character of Lucia Amaya Albaycin on a real flamenco dancer (Carmen Amaya), so she again weaves fiction into history in a skillful way. The Gitanos were ostracized and seemed to be banned worldwide (even in the USA) from "nice" establishments. They were treated like second-class citizens. I thought it was interesting though that Lucia and Maria were able to pass themselves off as non-Gitanos just by cutting their hair and changing their attire. 

So, again, although these books are always incredibly fascinating and explore different parts of worldwide history, I didn't care for it as much simply because of my feelings about Lucia, who is obviously a main character. Although I understand that it takes a lot of persistence and hard work to be infamously successful, I don't think that precludes showing a little bit of kindness.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

This book made me sad. How tragic that a woman would feel like she had to separate forever from her family who loved her, to "become" someone else that is more "accepted" in society and to live her life "freely". How sad that she lived a lie; that she felt like she could not share her truth with her husband or daughter. Since I have never experienced racism personally, and being born in the 60's, it was shocking to read about neighbors trying to prevent black families from moving into their neighborhood. Although I do remember something similar happening in my own neighborhood in the 70's when some of our neighbors tried to prevent a family from India moving into our neighborhood. I hadn't remembered that until I read this book. I know many believe that racism still runs rampant in our country, but I think we have come a long way from even the 1950s. Only in baby steps I guess. Our country may be "the melting pot" of the world (at least that's what I learned in grade school), but our progress towards total equality (between races; between sexes) has been slow.

The moment that Stella left Desiree and "became white", she must have realized that she could never be truly happy in her life. She seemed to really love her husband, Blake, and he seemed to really love her, but there was this huge "lie" between them. Obviously, this deception affected the way she raised Kennedy. Kennedy never seemed to feel loved or accepted by her mother. Stella kept her at arms-length away. Again, very sad. Stella's abandonment definitely affected Desiree's life deeply as well too. Desiree spent so much time longing for her sister that she wasn't living her own life to the fullest. In the end, she had a better relationship with her daughter, Jude, but some of that was Jude's doing. Once Jude understood her mother's life in more detail (and felt the same rejection that Desiree had experienced by Stella), then I think it tightened their bond. It's just a shame that everyone had to keep so many secrets, thinking they needed to "protect" each other from the truth. What a difficult way to live.

I wonder if Desiree would have married Sam if Stella had not abandoned her. Maybe she would have anyway since Sam appeared charming in the beginning. I know that Desiree felt like a failure to run home to Mallard and her mother, escaping her abusive husband, but I think that took courage and strength. Many abused women just stay with their abuser, which harms their children as well as themselves. I liked how Desiree developed a meaningful relationship with Early. How wonderful he ended up being, caring for Adele like she was his own mother. Another touching relationship was Jude & Reese's. They were so accepting of each other. In the end, Desiree and Jude (mother & daughter) seemed happiest to me, chasing their dreams and allowing them to unfold through hard work (Jude in med school) and taking a leap of faith (Desiree moving to Houston with Early).

This was not a "feel good" book, but it has a significant message, which makes it thought-provoking and meaningful. The ending left me feeling happy for Desiree and Jude; hopeful for Kennedy; and sad for Stella. You just can't live someone else's life and be truly happy on the inside.

Wendy' Rating: *****