Win THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah

February 3, 2015

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I loved this book so much that I want one lucky reader to get a free copy! Read on for my review and how you can enter to win.

This was quite a departure for Hannah, who typically writes really good stories about contemporary women’s lives. This time she starts out that way, but quickly goes back in time to 1939 France as the war is getting underway.

Sisters Isabelle and Viann have lost their mother, and their father, damaged from World War I, can’t deal with his loss and his daughters so he sends them away. Isabelle is rebellious and gets kicked out of one boarding school after another, until she’s sent to live with her older sister Viann and her husband. Things don’t work out there and the sisters part ways. But when Viann’s husband goes off to war, eighteen year old Isabelle is sent back to stay with her sister again.

Isabelle wants to be involved in the war effort, but not in a typical-of-the-time way of rolling bandages. When she meets Gäetan, a partisan rebel, she falls in love and wants to go off with him to fight, but he sneaks away, leaving her angry, frustrated and heartbroken. As the Nazis move in to France, the country is divided in two, the Nazi occupied territory, and the Free Zone under Vichy government. The sisters’ small town is taken over by Nazis, and one is billeted in their home.

Isabelle joins the Resistance movement at great personal risk. Her exploits become legendary as eventually she leads downed British and American airmen out of France, walking them across the mountains into Spain and freedom. She becomes known as the Nightingale.

Meanwhile, back at home, Viann’s best friend Rachel is Jewish, and we all know what happens there. She begs Viann to take her baby boy, and as dangerous as it is, Viann acquiesces. Then another Jewish friend is being taken away, and leaves her son as well. Viann knows she can’t keep another Jewish child, so she approaches the Mother Superior at the local convent orphanage, and they take the child. They decide there will be more Jewish children to be saved, and eventually Viann saves several more.

The story moves occasionally back to contemporary times, when one of the sisters is being moved to a nursing home by her son, a doctor, who knows nothing of his mother and her sister’s past – and, in a brilliant stroke on Hannah’s part, we don’t know which sister she is.

This was a completely mesmerizing story, a female side of the war that isn’t often explored. I was totally immersed in their world, and often brought to tears. It is a difficult subject, and the brutality and violence is not whitewashed at all, but is necessary to the story. I have read a lot of Holocaust fiction and this was one of the more interesting, unusual and compelling books on the subject. This strong, well written feminist historical fiction is simply not to be missed. It is sure to make my favorite list for 2015.

To win your own copy, please send an email to contest@gmail.com with “WIN NIGHTINGALE” as the subject.

You must include your snail mail address in your email.

All entries must be received by February 20, 2015. One (1) name will be drawn from all qualified entries and notified via email. This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age in the United States only. Your book will be sent by the publisher, St. Martins Press.

One entry per email address. Subscribers to the monthly newsletter earn an extra entry into every contest. Follow this blog to earn another entry into every contest. Winners may win only one time per year (365 days) for contests with prizes of more than one book. Your email address will not be shared or sold to anyone.

1/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah. St. Martin’s Press (February 3, 2015). ISBN 978-0312577223. 448p.

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SAVING GRACE by Jane Green

January 24, 2015

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I’ve been reading Jane Green since Jemima J., and have really loved how her books have evolved over the years. Saving Grace is another step forward for this terrific author.

Grace and Ted Chapman have been married for twenty years, living an idyllic life in New York’s Hudson Valley. He is a hugely successful literary author, and she is part of his support system; his beautiful, gracious wife, hostess of lavish dinner parties, and board member of a local charity where she teaches women to cook.

But unbeknownst to outsiders looking in at this power couple, Ted has some anger issues, and Grace lives her life walking on eggshells. Ted has an assistant who really keeps it all together, so when she needs to retire, they need a replacement and fast.

Enter Beth, the perfect assistant. She moves in and takes over and Ted is happy; Grace is uneasy but can’t quite put her finger on the problem. Then odd things start to happen, and Grace finds her life spiraling out of control. Beth is playing devious, diabolical games with this family and as the story unfurls, one shocking disaster after another, there doesn’t seem to be a way out for any of them.

Until Grace takes off for home – England. There she slowly recovers from all the damage and learns how to put her life back together. But even with that success, there are still more shocking revelations ahead.

This book was completely unputdownable. The characters are well developed, real, and memorable. The suspense builds throughout, never letting up, until the dramatic ending. Green focuses on problems of mental illness and the prescription drug epidemic in this country, in a way that inspires thoughtful discussion. A great read for book groups for sure.

1/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SAVING GRACE by Jane Green. St. Martin’s Press (December 30, 2014). ISBN 978-1250047335. 320p.

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THE BOSTON GIRL by Anita Diamant

January 15, 2015

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Anita Diamant, author of the much beloved The Red Tent (and several other books) hasn’t had a new book in a few years so this was highly anticipated. I am happy to say it was worth the wait.

Touching on her usual themes of Judaism, feminism and history, The Boston Girl is also heartwarming and engaging – I couldn’t put it down.

Diamant utilizes a common plot device; the heroine, Addie Baum, is 85 years old and telling her life story to her granddaughter (with much more detail than my grandmother ever remembered.) This is a poignant family story about the immigrant experience in Boston, Massachusetts. The characters are well drawn, especially Addie and her immediate family, but the secondary characters are more shadowy. Since the story is told in the first person, we can only know what Addie knows.

Addie lived through a severe flu epidemic, the Great Depression, women’s rights and lots more, all brought to life through the lens of the Baum family. I won’t be forgetting this family any time soon.

1/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE BOSTON GIRL by Anita Diamant. Scribner (December 9, 2014). ISBN 978-1439199350. 336p.

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ANGELINA’S BACHELORS by Brian O’Reilly

November 20, 2014

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A Novel of Food

Narrated by Xe Sands

This is a sweet, old fashioned tale – so old fashioned, I’m really not sure when it is supposed to take place. Could be the 1950’s-60s, but sometimes feels more modern and then with a jolt, no cell phones, back to another era. I guess the author,  the Executive Producer of Food Network’s Dinner: Impossible, was going for timeless, and perhaps it was achieved.

I listened to the audio book, so had a different experience from the printed version. For one thing, there are no recipes in the audio, just a note at the end to check out the website for recipes. Some of the print reviews made note of the fact that recipes were interspersed throughout the chapters, in the midst of story, which some felt were jarring, but the audio book avoided that issue.

So this novel of food is exactly that – if you don’t want to read lavish descriptions of meals on a regular basis, then this is not the book for you. I love that stuff, so it worked for me.

Angelina is a young woman whose husband dies suddenly in her kitchen. The young widow quickly loses her job and when a neighbor comes knocking on her door, offering to pay her to cook him breakfast and dinner six days a week, she decides that food may be her salvation, in more ways than one. Soon other men come knocking, and almost immediately Angelina’s dining room table is full of bachelors looking for a good meal.

The men quickly become a family of sorts, with Angelina the glue that binds them together. When she finds out she’s pregnant some months after her husband’s passing, the bachelors all rally around and support her.

If it hasn’t slapped you in the face yet, the message here is that when one door closes, another opens and Angelina steps through into a good life, despite her tragedy. And despite her tragedy, this is a light hearted read, interspersed with humor and love. It is a lovely read, and a memorable one.

11/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ANGELINA’S BACHELORS by Brian O’Reilly. Tantor Audio (December 30, 2011). ASIN: B006RCYUFQ. Listening Length: 7 hours and 22 minutes.

Paperback: Gallery Books; Reprint edition (August 9, 2011). ISBN 978-1451620566. 384p.

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RUTH’S JOURNEY by Donald McCaig

October 14, 2014

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The Authorized Novel of Mammy from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind is one of my favorite books. I know it’s racist and promotes stereotypes, but I love it anyway despite it’s political incorrectness.

When I was about 11 years old, my mother dragged me to a movie theater about 45 minutes away because they were screening GWTW. I was young, had never even heard of it, but I fell in love with Scarlet and Rhett and one of the greatest love stories of all time and learned I had a romantic side. Who knew. I also didn’t know that the film was based on a book – my mother wasn’t a reader so never thought to mention that fact.

A few years later I found a copy in my stepmother’s bookshelves (she was a big reader,) inscribed to her from her high school boyfriend, later her first husband. She gave it to me and I stayed up all night reading it. I fell in love all over again, and read and re-read that book many times over the years.

I’ve read all the GWTW off shoots, and while I enjoyed revisiting Tara in all its incarnations, the only one that I thought was really good was McCaig’s Rhett Butler’s People.

So when I heard about this book, I was pretty stoked to read it, and I’m happy to say it lived up to my expectations. This is Mammy’s story, and McCaig turned around all the racism and stereotyping and brought Mammy to life as a fully realized character, not a caricature.

For starters, Mammy has a name – Ruth. Born on Saint Dominque and brought to Savannah on the heels of the revolution there, she falls in love with Jehu Glen, a free black man and a gifted carpenter. Ruth is a strong woman, surviving many disappointments in her life, yet continues to love.

We learn how she ended up with Scarlett’s mother Ellen, and how Ellen married Gerald – which was hinted at in GWTW but futher explained here, along with the mysterious Phillip. We learn of her connection with Rhett Butler’s family as well. And the cruelties of slavery are much more fully embraced here.

I don’t know how this book stands on its own as I am so familiar with GWTW that I have no basis for that understanding. So all I can say is this book brings another dimension to that one, and I ripped through it in a night. I think it’s a great addition to the saga and not to be missed by GWTW fans.

10/14 Stacy Alesi

RUTH’S JOURNEY by Donald McCaig. Atria Books (October 14, 2014). ISBN 978-1451643534. 384p.

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MINDING FRANKIE by Maeve Binchy

September 14, 2014

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Read by Sile Bermingham

Emily is a middle aged woman with no real ties to America after her father, an alcoholic, passes on, so she decides to take an extended trip to visit her aunt and uncle in Dublin. Their son Noel is living at home and spending his days working in an office, sneaking drinks before lunch, and wandering aimlessly through life. But he really likes Emily, everyone does, and in her very subtle way she starts steering him towards the future.

Then he hears from Stella, a girl he barely remembers since all they did was drink and party together. She informs him that she is dying of cancer and oh, by the way, she’s pregnant with his child. After denial comes acceptance, and Stella puts his name on the birth certificate and asks that he raise her daughter, Frankie. Noel can barely take care of himself, but he agrees to become the baby’s guardian.

Emily helps him find a place to live and offers to pay if he’ll enroll in college. There he meets Lisa, a graphic designer with a serious crush on Anton, a celebrity-chef wannabe. After some trouble at home, Lisa ends up moving in with Noel and helping out with Frankie while trying to make herself indispensable to Anton and quitting her job in the process.

Noel joins AA and falls in love with his daughter. A ferocious social worker, Moirer, is assigned to his case, and everyone in town is petrified that she will take Frankie away from him. His parents help out, and all his friends and neighbors in the area where he grew up are eager to help mind Frankie. Her first year of life she is surrounded by people who love her, and Noel sorts out his life.

There is a cast of quirky yet lovable characters of the sort that often frequent Binchy’s novels. I haven’t read her for a while, and listening to this book was a delight. Bermingham’s narration with all the different accents – American, Irish, even Australian, adds even more depth to this charming story. I have a short commute, so I found myself listening at home while doing the dishes and so forth. This was one of the longer audio books I’ve listened to, and I really enjoyed every minute of it.

9/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MINDING FRANKIE by Maeve Binchy. Anchor (December 27, 2011). ISBN 978-0307475497. 512p.
Downloadable: Audible Audio Edition. Random House Audio. Listening Length: 13 hours and 23 minutes. ASIN: B004Q3G4EI.

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THE APPLE ORCHARD by Susan Wiggs

August 22, 2014

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Bella Vista Chronicles, Book 1

This series is set at the Bella Vista apple orchard in Sonoma County, California, in the small town of Archangel. I read these out of order, starting with book 2, The Beekeeper’s Ball, which I liked so much that I immediately ran out and got this book. They don’t have to be read in order, but probably is better to do so.

This story centers around Tess Delaney, an antiques appraiser working for a prestigious California auction house like Sotheby’s. She grew up in Dublin with a single mom who travelled a great deal, so really her grandmother raised her.  The grandmother had an antiques store and Tess loved being there with her, and learned a great deal that helped her in her career. Her mother told her that her father was a one night stand and she didn’t even know his name.

Tess is on the verge of a big promotion and move to New York when Dominic Rossi enters her life. She originally believes he’s come to her for an appraisal, but is shocked to discover that he’s there to deliver some bad news. Her grandfather, Magnus,  has taken a tumble and is in a coma. The news would be devastating to anyone, but the real shocker is that Tess never knew she even had a grandfather. Then she comes to find out that she also has a half-sister.

Dominic is divorced with two kids and dogs and is the executor of Magnus’s estate, and tells Tess that the two granddaughters are equal heirs. Stunned to learn she stands to inherit an estate, Tess decides she had better go meet her half sister, Isabel, and find out more. Along the way she falls in love with the area, and with Dominic, but the estate is on the verge of bankruptcy. Dominic works for the bank that holds the mortgages, but try as he might, the conglomerate that owns the bank won’t budge – until Tess ferrets out a rare antique that is worth millions.

The backstory here is a complicated family one, with some really interesting flashbacks to World War II in Copenhagen, and the Danish resistance. A very fast read with characters that come alive on the pages, and I truly hope there are more books to follow.

8/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE BEEKEEPER’S BALL by Susan Wiggs. Harlequin MIRA; Reprint edition (April 29, 2014). ISBN 978-0778314967. 448p.

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THE BEEKEEPER’S BALL by Susan Wiggs

August 20, 2014

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Bella Vista Chronicles

This was the first book I’ve read by Susan Wiggs, and as soon as I realized it was the second book of a series, I went and got the first – this is the sequel to The Apple Orchard . Hopefully, there will be more to come.

This story is set at Bella Vista farm in Sonoma County, California, in the small town of Archangel. Isabel Johanson is a culinary school dropout but a gifted chef, and she is converting the large hacienda where she grew up into a farm-to-table cooking school. She is also busy helping her half sister Tess plan her wedding, which will be held at the recently converted barn on the property.

Bella Vista is home to a small apiary, and Isabel is determined to expand it. She leaves a message for a local beekeeper and is waiting for some help, but her bees have minds of their own and start swarming, looking for a new home. As she tries to capture the swarm, a young man stops, who she assumes to be Jamie, the beekeeper. But he knows even less than she does about bees, and gets stung, triggering a life threatening allergic reaction.

Turns out he is Cormac O’Neill, a famous journalist who is on his way to Bella Vista to work on a book about Isabel’s grandfather, Magnus, who worked with the Danish resistance during World War II. This is a family with a lot of secrets, and having the writer there helps them all come out.

There is obvious chemistry between Cormac and Isabel, but she is hesitant about getting involved. She had a bad experience in culinary school and hasn’t really come to terms with everything that happened, but she is forced to when her ex shows up in town to open a restaurant.

There are a lot of threads to this story, and Wiggs masterly weaves them all together seamlessly, creating an engaging page turner with historical significance – I learned a lot about about Denmark’s role during the Holocaust. Her characters are skillfully brought to life, and the setting becomes another character here. There are a few honey based recipes included as well, and I’m dying to try the Bee Sting Cake, a sort of breakfast sweet bread.

If you liked The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult, try The Beekeeper’s Ball – I liked it even more.

8/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE BEEKEEPER’S BALL by Susan Wiggs. Harlequin MIRA; First Edition edition (June 24, 2014). ISBN 978-0778314486. 368p.

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THE SEA GARDEN by Deborah Lawrenson

July 30, 2014

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Three interconnected stories make up this lush and intriguing latest from The Lantern author Deborah Lawrenson.

Ellie Brooke is looking to really make a name for herself and her garden design business. The restoration of an historic garden on the island of Porquerolles could be just the thing to really get the attention the business needs. But when Ellie meets the family that wants to hire her, she realizes that the job is more complicated than it seems.

In WWII Provence young Marthe has been apprenticing at the Distillerie Musset. Things are changing in their little village and Marthe knows that it’s the result of the war. The Mussets have taken Marthe into their home, offering her shelter and a job, so she feels a certain amount of guilt in suspecting that they are keeping things from her. The truth, that the Mussets are part of the growing resistance in France, could put everyone around them at risk.

Like many of the young women in England, Iris wanted to join up and help the war effort. She’d planned to sign on as a Wren – the Women’s Royal Naval Service – but was recommended for the Special Operations Executive instead. From their office in London, Iris and her colleagues run a specialized spy ring in France. When Iris meets and falls for an operative who later goes missing, though, her job takes her well beyond 64 Baker Street.

These three women and their stories intertwine to become one larger tale in The Sea Garden. There’s even a nod to The Lantern as well, though it’s not at all necessary to have read it beforehand.

I loved the idea of the connected novellas. Each tale is its own all-encompassing story but there are some mysteries as well. The answers to those mysteries come only in completing the book as a whole.

7/14 Becky Lejeune

THE SEA GARDEN by Deborah Lawrenson. Harper (June 24, 2014). ISBN 978-0062279668. 320p.

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BIG LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarty

July 29, 2014

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Wow!

My first Moriarty book was What Alice Forgot, a fast, entertaining read with memorable characters and an unusual story. Then I picked up The Husband’s Secret, and saw that she really stepped up her game. Big Little Lies is her latest and it appears that Moriarty just keeps upping the bar.

The book opens at a school event for parents in the small beach town of Pirriwee, Australia – but it could be Any Town, USA, too. This costume event – all the parents are dressed as Elvis Presley or Audry Hepburn, is part of  a Trivia Night fundraiser for the public elementary school. The drinks are strong and the food hasn’t arrived yet, so everyone is getting drunk and having a good time, that is until someone dies. The police are called, and then we are left hanging – the story moves back in time to six months earlier.

Sprinkled throughout the pages are little snippets from the police interviews, with parents gossiping about everything that’s gone on that semester. This is black comedy at its best, and the story moves back towards the day of reckoning with lightning speed.

At its heart, this is a story is about bullying. On the first day of school, Amabella (not a misspelling) accuses Ziggy of trying to choke her, and has the bruises to prove it. Ziggy and his very young, single mom Jane have just moved to this small town and he instantly becomes the class pariah. The parents all take sides, with the emotional Madeleine and the super wealthy Celeste forming the Jane triumverate, and the “blonde bobs,” a group of helicopter moms with identical haircuts, taking the other side.

The perfect Celeste is in a deeply troubled marriage, but no one knows. Madeleine’s teenage daughter (from her first marriage) is pulling away from her and towards her new stepmother, the eternally calm, yoga loving Bonnie. And Jane is running away from something.

There are so many secrets in this small town, the malicious gossip is scintillating and  neverending, and the characters are fraught with all the foibles we’ve come to expect from Moriarty. The way she builds almost unbearable suspense is simply magical, especially as we don’t even know who dies until the end, never mind who did it. Moriarty has become one of my favorite authors and this is a page turner of the finest kind. Don’t miss it.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

BIG LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarty. Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam (July 29, 2014). ISBN 978-0399167065. 384p.

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