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Reviews by Virginia W. (Cloverdale, CA)

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The Roots of the Olive Tree: A Novel
by Courtney Miller Santo

Multigenerational family secrets (7/8/2012)

This is a book about six generations of one family living together. The plot unfolds in an interesting way and the characterizations are strong. The oldest member is 112 and a subplot is an investigational genetic study into the reason why this "superager" and her female …more

A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery
by Charles Todd

Crime during WWI (7/30/2011)

I really enjoyed this charming mystery story about a WWI nurse who becomes entangled with a woman who has run from her soldier husband and his family after he slapped her. The family of the soldier is complicated by previous and current deaths. It is engaging to read about …more

Three Seconds
by Anders Roslund & Borge Hellstrom

A meticulously written book of suspense (12/4/2010)

This is an excellent book that is meticulously written. Tension builds for the reader right from the beginning. This book is an indictment of the Swedish justice system use of criminal informants rather than undercover policemen that the American justice system uses. The …more

The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai: A Novel
by Ruiyan Xu

Loss of a common language (10/18/2010)

Captivating novel about how the loss of a common language in a marriage affects the relationship. Li Jing, injured in an explosion, loses his ability to speak Chinese and withdraws from his wife. He reverts to his first language, English, which Meiling, his wife, does not …more

Bad Boy: An Inspector Banks Novel
by Peter Robinson

Girl looking for a faster life influenced by "bad boy" (7/4/2010)

I generally like Alan Banks mysteries. "In a Dry Season" was excellent. "Bad Boy" starts off slow - I think I had read about 100 pages before the book became more interesting. Tracy Banks is involved with a bad boy, Annie Cabot is shot, Tracy does call 999 to help Annie, …more

The Wives of Henry Oades: A Novel
by Johanna Moran

The Wives of Henry Oades (11/28/2009)

I loved this book! It is an engrossing story and very well written. Margaret Oades is one of the strongest women I have ever read about. Each travail in her life only makes her stronger. I recommend this book wholeheartedly and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel
by Maureen Lindley

The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel (8/6/2009)

I liked this book for its information about both Chinese and Japanese cultures and the way women were treated. Eastern Jewel was exiled from China to Japan at the age of 8 and put in a family of strangers. That she even survived this separation from her family is noteworthy. …more

BookBrowse Book Club

Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus

Praised by Parade and The New York Times Book Review, this debut features a 1960s scientist turned TV cooking star.

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The Lilac People
by Milo Todd

For fans of All the Light We Cannot See, a poignant tale of a trans man’s survival in Nazi Germany and postwar Berlin.

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Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung

Based on the author’s family story, comes an extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters’ escape from Taiwan.

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