September, 2024  

“Forager” by Michelle Dowd

Michelle grew up in a religious cult created by her grandfather.  The cult believed that doomsday was coming and that they needed to prepare.  The patriarchal system was designed to silence women and children and use them in service to the cult.  As Michelle grew, she was taught the art of survival - what plants could sustain her, how to find water, shelter, and how to blend into nature.  

I loved how the author used the illustrations and descriptions of edible plants at the beginning of each chapter.  Not only was it fascinating, but it brought the chapters and stories together.  I was amazed at the life Michelle lived and her extraordinary bravery to escape the cult and lead her own life.  Overall, highly recommended!

“The Last Bridge Across Mostar” by Jeana Kendrick

American Katrina Winslow lives in Bosnia working to protect orphans caught between the warring factions.  There, she meets Captain Lucien Brezac, a man of mystery.  When Katrina’s family is murdered, she takes the orphans into the caves, where she must find a way to save the orphans and return to America.

I had a bit of trouble with this book.  The beginning jumped from pov to pov, making the story slow yet confusing.  The book needed some editing, or some way to maintain a cohesive story.  Parts of the book seemed unrealistic - i.e. how easy it was to sneak across borders.  Due to these criticisms, 3 out of 5 stars.

“The Life We Bury” by Allen Eskens

When Joe is assigned to write a brief biography for a college English class, he heads over to the nursing home.  There he meets Carl, a dying Vietnam veteran and a convicted murderer.  Carl agrees to be interviewed and begins telling his story.  Back home, Joe’s mother is arrested for a DUI and he is left to take care of his autistic brother.  His neighbor Lila bonds with his brother and becomes interested in Carl’s story.  Together, Joe and Lila search court records, newspaper articles, and interview Carl, trying to fit all the puzzle pieces together.

This was a very well written and well paced book.  I appreciated that the author stuck to Joe’s point of view instead of trying to move back and forth in the timeline.  The characters felt very realistic and multi-dimensional.  I liked how the story unraveled and how events in Vietnam were slowly woven in.  I look forward to reading more from this author!

“The Electrician and the Seamstress” by Monica Granlove 

Germans Karla and Bruno fall in love as the Nazi party rises to power.  Karla’s father and sister immediately join the Nazi party and start to preach its beliefs.  Bruno’s large family is divided, with several of his brothers joining the party, while others do their best to fade into the background.  Karla and Bruno hide their beliefs while secretly helping the Jewish family that Bruno lodges with.  After they are married, Bruno is conscripted into service, leaving Karla behind to navigate the treachery and destruction that surrounds her.

This book was told from Karla and Bruno’s point of view after they survived the war when they are being interviewed in the 1950’s.  This caused the tense throughout to be a bit odd.  I thought the 1950’s storyline was completely unnecessary and took away from the story itself.  I just wanted to read what happened during the war, not the characters telling the story to someone after the fact.  That element was just odd.  Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

“Daughter of Fire” by Sofia Robleda

Catalina is the mixed daughter of Don Alonso, a spanish aristocrat and a Mayan noblewoman.  As a child, her mother was murdered for practicing her original faith.  Catalina is in possession of a book of stories passed down by her mother.  When Mayan prince Juan de Rojas demands the book, she must determine how to proceed.

My description of the book does not do it justice.  This was a complex story of oppression, faith, loyalty and division.  Catalina was a well developed and dynamic character.  Her struggles and desires felt very realistic.  I had a hard time putting this story down!  Overall, 5 out of 5 stars.

“The Great Escape” by Saket Soni

After Hurricane Katrina destroyed the gulf coast, enterprising companies brought over Indians to work as welders, pipe fitters, and to  rebuild the fleets.  Brought here under the promise of a visa, these men paid thousands of dollars believing they would have a future in America.  Trapped in unlivable camps, they were forced to endure bad food, unsanitary conditions, and cramped living quarters.  Unable to leave due to the debts owed, one of the men reached out to Saket Soni, a labor organizer.  

This was quite a story.  It is hard to imagine that attorneys and companies thought they could get away with modern day human slavery - and they almost did.  I think Mr. Soni and the Indian workers are heroes for fighting back against corruption and oppression.  This book was extremely well written, keeping me on the edge of my  seat.  Overall, highly recommended.

“Her Lotus Year” by Paul French

Before marrying former King Edward, Wallis Simpson spent a year in China.  During this time, she struggled to get away from a bad marriage and find herself.   I have to admit that this book was a bit of a yawn.  I never really got to know the characters and found the story dry.  I struggled to get through the pages before finally putting the book down halfway through.  Overall, not a book I would reread or recommend.

“The Gender Game” by Bella Forrest

The world is divided by gender into two lands - Matrus and Patrus.  On Matrus, women dominate, on Patrus, men dominate.  Violet is in the Matrus prison system for losing control of her temper.  After another violent encounter, she is recruited by the Queen of Matrus to infiltrate Patrus and recover an artifact.  In order to get by in Patrus, she is forced into a marriage with another spy.

While I enjoyed the world and characters, the plot itself was a bit simplistic.  The recovery mission seemed a bit wonky and unrealistic.  I also grew tired of the endless cage fighting.  I got it, Violet was drawn to fighting.  But cage fighting seemed to dominate the story rather than the recovery mission.  With some editing and further world development, this could be a good series.  Otherwise, 3 out of 5 stars.