Mrs. Plansky is a relatable, fun character, but the book as a whole didn't grab me. Seventy-one-year-old Mrs. Plansky provides care for her father and has children and grandchildren she loves but also struggles with. She battles age-imposed physical limitations and her …more desire to be physically active. She pushes herself to do more, be more, and challenge herself. I loved her, and my heart broke for her when she became the victim of a cybercrime. But I would have liked to know her more and found the characters in "Mrs. Plansky's Revenge" flat. I never cared enough about any of them to feel compelled to keep reading. I finished because she was fun to watch, but the story was lacking for me. Although I enjoyed Mrs. Plansky's character, the situations she was put in, or got herself into, were beyond farfetched as was her behavior while alone in a foreign country she had never visited. I loved Mrs. Plansky but found "Mrs. Plansky's Revenge" just average. (less)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "This Other Eden" by Paul Harding. One of the reasons I enjoy reading fiction is that it widens my perspective and teaches me things about the past that I was previously unaware of. This book is a great example of that.

There are moments that …more are sweet and gentle and beautiful. And there are moments that trigger anger for injustice, prejudice, and a disregard for human life. It's a book with several themes, but the main one is prejudice. Prejudice that's labeled as science and prejudice that continues despite an acknowledgement that it's wrong. This is a fascinating book that is based on a chapter of history we should go to great lengths to avoid happening again. (less)