Linda H

"The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins" is a mesmerizing, noteworthy historical mystery. I was immediately in its thrall caught by the fine writing, rich and vivid depictions of place and time evidencing thorough research as well as the compelling story. My reaction was to slow down and ration the pages read to relish the experience. The novel is set in 1728 in a crowded, unsavory slum in Georgian-era London. The author has created such a vivid atmosphere one can almost smell the heady mixture of pleasant smells of mulled spiced wine as well as the repugnant byproducts of urban squalor. The detailed descriptions are further enhanced by the inclusion of several villainous non-fictional personages as supporting characters.

Protagonist Hawkins is a wayward gentleman, a scholarly parson’s son turned smut peddler who resides in unwedded harmony with his ladylove, the clever and loyal Kitty Sparks. He narrates the tale en route to the gallows, sentenced to be hung for murder and hoping for a last minute royal pardon from scheming Queen Charlotte. The tension is high, outcome uncertain and the reader will remain in suspense and become an instant fan of Antonia Hodgson’s work. It certainly prompted me to order her debut novel "The Devil in the Marshalsea".

Ruth Wariner's memoir The Sound of Gravel is an honest, straight-forward, mesmerizing and eye-opening account of her precarious childhood upbringing in a polygamous household in Colonia LeBaron on the outskirts of Chihuahua, Mexico written without self-pity or histrionics. She was third generation in an off-shoot fundamentalist Mormon sect called "Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Time" led by her patriarch father Joel LeBaron who was killed by his brother and rival in 1972, the year of her birth. Ruth was her mother's fourth child and thirty-ninth of her father's forty-one offspring. Daily living was hardscrabble made worse by an abusive stepfather. Inspired by their mother's consistent love, faith and family ties, Ruth was able to summon the courage, determination and resolve to escape. Her warmth and generous heart allows the reader a glimpse into her life and an opportunity to examine what matters most. The Sound of Gravel will soon be a well-deserved popular selection for book clubs.

We need more genuine heroes like Eddie Rickenbacker. Author John Ross offers a thoroughly researched from primary sources, engaging, well written biography about this memorable 20th century WWI ace pilot and aviation pioneer. Rickenbacker had a hard-scrabble rough childhood; left school at age 14 to support his mother and older brother to become an intuitive, gifted auto mechanic and one of America's earliest race car drivers present for the first Indy 500 at the Brickyard. Facing enormous odds this number one American Ace pilot shot down 26 German planes in heated dogfights during WWI despite permanent vision impairment, fragile, flammable kite-like aircraft flown throughout the war without a parachute. His leadership skills served him well as President of Eastern Airlines. Eddie Rickenbacker could have been the real-life prototype for Indiana Jones. Enduring Courage lauds the legendary hero and the man whose own autobiography and memoir, though excellent, glossed over many of the hardships and challenges he had overcome.

Aleppo native Khaled Khalifa first published the searing, prescient novel In Praise of Hatred in 2006 to great acclaim in much of the Arab world although it was promptly banned in Syria. The recent English translation should be a welcome addition to book club and individual readers, particularly for those who embraced the works of Afghan author Hussein Hosseini. The narrator is an unnamed girl, the youngest in a wealthy family who resides in comfort in her grandparents' home, raised by her three aunts and tended by their blind, male servant. The young woman becomes increasingly involved in the Islamic green fundamentalist movement. Her arrest, torture and lengthy imprisonment are shocking punishments for the seemingly mild protests and distribution of leaflets. The novel is set against the backdrop of the decade of violent clashes between the Syrian government and Muslim Brotherhood in the 1980's culminating with the Hama siege and massacre of upwards of 25,000 citizens. In Praise of Hatred reminds us of Syria's decades long abysmal human rights record with continued kidnappings, torture, executions and use of chemical weapons wreaking havoc and suffering on its civilian population. Khalifa's nameless heroine gains self-awareness and resiliency in her continued struggles for freedom for herself and her country. It is a powerful book to read and share.