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Reviews by Deanna W. (Port Jefferson, NY)

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The Prisoner's Wife
The Prisoner's Wife
by Maggie Brookes
Love& Survival (2/19/2020)
This historic fiction is based on a true story. It is set in Czechoslovakia in 1944. A Czech farm girl (Izabela) and a British soldier (Billl) are on the run but are caught by Nazi soldiers and sent to a POW camp. I usually enjoy 1st person narrative books but found this one slow and drawn out. However, I think it would make an compelling movie.
The Splendid and the Vile
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
by Erik Larson
You Are There (1/4/2020)
As in all his other books, Erik Larson places his readers right in the historic moment. The historic events seem to unfold in real time. A long and terrific read.
The Seine
The Seine: The River that Made Paris
by Elaine Sciolino
My Trip along the Seine (9/4/2019)
I really enjoyed Elaine Sciolino's THE ONLY STREET IN PARIS...so I was looking forward to this book...I was not disappointed...last spring I sailed north on the Seine from Paris to Normandy...this wonderful book provided a rich history of the extraordinary places along this river...after reading I must now make my plans to travel south from Paris...I highly recommend.
The Guest Book
The Guest Book
by Sarah Blake
Family Saga (4/3/2019)
I enjoyed Sarah Blake's previous novel - THE POSTMISTRESS ...Her new novel is also an enjoyable read...THE GUEST BOOK is a family saga that follows three generations of the Miltons ...The reader travels back and forth in time to experience the family myth on a beautiful island in Maine...It covers the classic theme of how we remember and what we choose to forget...It is perfect for Book Groups...
The Last Year of the War
The Last Year of the War
by Susan Meissner
Life long friendship (11/8/2018)
This novel is well written and well researched...Elsie & Mariko are two teenagers whose lives change forever when they are sent to an internment camp in Texas during WWII...the story is told through flashbacks...it focuses on a little known episode in American history ( at least to me ) of the internment and repatriation of German immigrants...well worth reading ...will engender great discussions for Book Groups...
So Much Life Left Over
So Much Life Left Over
by Louis de Bernieres
Stopped reading after 3 chapters... (7/19/2018)
I stopped because I was enjoying this book too much...it has many things I enjoy in novels...historic backgrounds, exotic locals,captivating characters and social commentary...realized it was the second installment of a trilogy...I am now reading part 1 - THE DUST THAT FALLS FROM DREAMS ... excellent so far... when completed will continue with this novel...
Meet Me at the Museum
Meet Me at the Museum
by Anne Youngson
Kindred Spirits (4/9/2018)
As I am in my 70s it is quite encouraging to discover a debut novel by a 70 year old author. I always enjoy epistolary novels and this is one of the best. I found it almost as absorbing and insightful as 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD.
Love and Other Consolation Prizes
Love and Other Consolation Prizes: A Novel
by Jamie Ford
Bitter& Sweet (7/23/2017)
Another historic novel that reflects the history and society of its times. This excellent novel was inspired by true events that occurred at the 1909 Seattle World's Fair. Through flashback and flash-forward chapters the reader follows the life of a boy that is raffled off at the fair. The story deals with themes of family, prejudice, identity, and fitting in. This is a poignant and subtle novel that is perfect for book groups.
The Essex Serpent
The Essex Serpent
by Sarah Perry
Atmospheric (2/21/2017)
This novel is set in Victorian London and a village in Essex in the 1890's. It was not the usual and expected historic novel. I had difficulty getting involved with the unconventional characters and disjointed plot. Despite the exquisite and poetic language, I found myself detached and ultimately disinterested.
Victoria
Victoria
by Daisy Goodwin
Novel or TV Show ? (10/18/2016)
This book provides excellent context for the PBS Masterpiece Theater presentation coming in January. However, as a stand alone novel, I feel it had some short comings. Too much time was spent on her very early years. It dragged in places and was some what repetitive. I learned new information about The Bedchamber Crisis, John Conroy and Lord Melbourne. The book ends in 1839 when Victoria fell in love with her cousin, Prince Albert. Perhaps more pages on the early years of their marriage...or is that saved for the next book or season 2 of the TV show?
The Six
The Six: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters
by Laura Thompson
Not Much New Here (6/3/2016)
Perhaps I was expecting some new information or insights from this book. I remembered reading the Mary Lovell group biography, THE SISTERS. I would only recommend this book to someone who knows little or nothing about the Mitford family and the fascinating period between the wars in Britain.
Ashes of Fiery Weather
Ashes of Fiery Weather
by Kathleen Donohoe
Incomplete (3/8/2016)
Can't seem to finish this novel...Hoped for more from this "historic fiction"...The 60's, 70's, 80's don't hold much interest for me...Also, I feel that I have experienced this story-line many times in too many other books...Sorry!
Home by Nightfall
Home by Nightfall: A Charles Lenox Mystery
by Charles Finch
Not Quite Sherlock (9/15/2015)
I am an avid reader of historical mysteries. I enjoy Anne Perry, Charles Todd (mother-son duo) and my current favorite, Jacqueline Winspear. This is the 9th in the Charles Lenox series but it is my 1st. The author has a fine ear for dialogue and paints a vivid picture of Victorian London with his attention to period details. The twin mysteries in the plot were well developed and held my interest. I would have enjoyed this novel more if I had been more familiar with the back stories of the main characters . I plan to read the first novel in this series.
The Secrets of Midwives
The Secrets of Midwives
by Sally Hepworth
Entertaining Historic Fiction (12/13/2014)
My great grandmother was a Midwife in Italy and the lower east side of Manhatan during the first quarter of the last century. My sons were delivered by a wonderful midwife. I love the British TV series CALL THE MIDWIVES. So...I was prepared to enjoy this novel...and I did. Told through the alternating viewpoints of 3 generations of midwives, the author gives multiple perspectives on the same relationships, personal issues and secrets. Enjoyable and highly recommended.
The Paris Winter
The Paris Winter
by Imogen Robertson
Nice Escapist Read (7/9/2014)
If you like Sarah Waters & Matthew Pearl you will enjoy this historical crime novel. It is filled with intriguing characters and historic details. The story takes the reader to a very special time and place...Paris - Belle Époque...The Great Flood of 1910...
The Quick
The Quick
by Lauren Owen
Do I want to join this club? (4/8/2014)
What goes on behind the doors of The Aegolius Club? In this 19th century style novel the reader will find a straight-up gothic horror tale told from multiple points of view. If you enjoyed THE HISTORIAN by Elizabeth Kostova, you will want to discover the secret hidden in the shadows of Victorian London.
The Race Underground
The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry That Built America's First Subway
by Doug Most
The NYC Subway (12/10/2013)
Rode the NYC subway every weekday for many years. Never thought about what went into the construction. This book is a very readable and entertaining history of that construction. I also think that pictures would have enhanced it. If you enjoyed The Devil in White City you will enjoy this. I will recommend it to my book group as a selection for next year.
The Disenchanted Widow
The Disenchanted Widow
by Christina McKenna
The Disenchanted Widow (9/3/2013)
I read "The Misremembered Man", the author's previous Tailortown novel, and enjoyed it. In this new novel Bessie Lawless arrives in the sleepy Ulster village during "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland in 1981. In both novels we meet unique characters. They display the many faces of human nature. This is a multi-layered story written in the Irish "voice". A mystery is unraveled and the ending is both satisfying and rewarding.
The Daughters of Mars
The Daughters of Mars
by Thomas Keneally
Cataclysm of the Great War (5/14/2013)
This is an old fashioned saga (in the best sense of the word). The scope is huge - Australia, Egypt, England, and France. It deals with historically significant issues that are still very relevant today. As a reader one can "get lost" in wonderful story telling - friendships, romances, feuds, tragedies, and more.
Fever
Fever
by Mary Beth Keane
Human Face (3/19/2013)
This fictionalized biography puts a human face on Typhoid Mary. We learn about the woman behind the facts and rumors. We also get a vision of every day life in the streets and tenements of early 1900's in NYC. The story is told from Mary's perspective as she comes to terms with her tragic situation.
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