The Family is a deep dive into friendship and family, as well as The Family. Antonia and Sofia have been together their whole lives, growing up neighbors, both of whose fathers were "made men", in the mob. Their friendship ebbs and wains, as each realizes her place in their world and thinks of leaving the Family or delving deeper into it. Through WWII, through high school, through marriage and motherhood, they lose and find each other repeatedly. The disappearance of Antonia's father never far from their minds, it affects their choices and personalities, but their devotion to eachother overides their fears and their loyalties throughout everything. The writing in this novel is lucious and includes deeply described smells, feelings, sights, and tastes. I enjoyed every page!
A retelling of The Great Gatsby's main events told from the viewpoint of three women - Daisy, Jordan, and Catherine (Myrtle's sister). This a well executed novel which gives the females from Fitzgerald's work more history, more personality and more agency than the original work. Highly recommend!
Though I knew nothing of Eliza Acton and the first popular use book of cookery, this novel filled me in and was delightfuly performed on audio. Told in alternating chapters by Eliza and Anne Kirby, her assistant in cooking and eventually life, the reader/listener is immersed into the life of Victorian ladies and English kitchens (and mores) of the time. Truly appealing to all the senses, both Anne and Eliza develop into full characters as they move through their lives and collaborate on Eliza's commissioned cookery book, her hopes at financial independence expanding all the while.
The Maid by Nita Prose is a quick and immersive read. You wil fully enter the life and mind of Molly the Maid - who works at the Regency Grand Hotel "returning rooms to a state of perfection" as a maid. The reader immediately relizes that Molly is a unique soul, and she explains she has difficulty reading social cues and facial expressions. Over the course of one week of her life, she discovers a hotel guest dead in his bed, and slowly pieces together the event that led her to become the prime suspect in his death, all while her idiosyncrasies lead to more and more misunderstandings. In the end, her true friends and allies help her pull through, while she deals with grief from her grandmother's death and comes out with a new and improved life. A quick and very unique tale for mystery fans!
This is a delightful novel, spanning centuries of American history and the stories of immigrants, Native Americans, families and connections through time. The interwoven stories lead multiple families to connect during the derailment of an Amtrak train in Oregon, not knowing their lives and the lives of their ancestors had intersected before as America expanded into the far west during the Gold Rush and the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. Deftly told, this epic tale was a joy to read!
An intricately woven political and financial thriller set in the current day, Undermoney connects former soldiers, current CIA operatives, Putin's oligarchs and mercenaries, and a presidential hopeful with a highly successful hedge fund billionaire (who happens to be controlled by an heir of the Medici fortune). At first overly detailed and a bit hard to follow, the plot eventually wrapped me up and kept me riveted to the conclusion. Perfect for fans of Tom Clancy, Brad Thor, Vince Flynn and similar authors.
I found this story to be interesting, but far too long in the telling. By the final quarter, I was frustrated and ready for it to end and tie up the loose ends. The first quarter seemed overplayed (and was about what I believed the blurb promised), in the story of the Louis XV mistress and the "Deer Park Girls" while the story of one of their daughters dragged on before reintroducing the mother's connection. It'll be hard for me to recommend it.
Delightful romantic suspense novel to follow up with the equally delightful first book in the series. A quick read perfect for a vacation read, continuing the development of characters ad relationships, and leaving enough unresolved for a next installment!
Very quick, fast paced read. A psychological and twisty novel, centered on the secrets kept between spouses and friends, our perceptions of what people tell us, and whose buttons get pushed just a little too far.
Very enjoyable historical fiction read - while I had a vague knowledge of the scandal involving forced sterilization using Federal funds, this novel brought the heartbreak to the forefront while imagining how coercion and trickery combined with poverty to dupe people into agreement. Partially focused on a re-imagined lawsuit in Alabama, the basics are well researched but the author makes it clear the protaganists are of her own creation. Highly recommend.
