Daughter of the Reich: A Novel
by Louise Fein
Great for tweens, for serious readers, not so much.... (3/21/2020)
If I was in senior high right now, this would undoubtedly be the best book I have ever read-a 5 star for sure. It has romance, tons of action, hateful characters (including parents), and lots of historical events that appear to be well researched. As a mature reader who reads quite a bit of Holocaust and WWII lit, the comparisons to All the Light I Cannot See and The Nightingale are simply unfounded. The book is a 3 so hence the final average of 4 star rating.
The novel has far too many implausible situations, a sugary love story that of course ends in pregnancy (which I get as Fein wanted to include the Kindertransport to the story). The diary entries were distracting and unnecessary and the epilog was just what the reader would predict. All this being said, I would be lying if I did not admit, I cried at the end and at a few other spots in the tale. Recommend this to mature teens, books clubs with diverse readers and any one looking for immersion in a page turner.
Miss Austen
by Gill Hornby
Austen redux (2/16/2020)
3.5 While Hornby's Miss Austen is an enjoyable read, unless one has a desire to learn more about the real Jane and Cassandra Austen, I would pass. Cassandra is a very interesting and sympathetic character but Jane remains elusive. There is a crowded cast of characters (many clearly based on Austen's) that never really catch and keep the reader's attention. The book is very similar in plot and style to Austen's novels which made me think several times that I wish I was reading the real thing instead of this. Baker's Longbourn was much more interesting.
American Dirt: A Novel
by Jeanine Cummins
Every character matters (11/24/2019)
This book is going to be huge when it's released in January. There will be some who will say it's too political but how can it not be? The migrant tragedy is real, political, and complex and needs to be evaluated with compassion and realism. The story of a mother and son crossing Mexico to get to the US after their entire family is assassinated by a drug cartel in Acapulco will touch readers to the core. It's a brutal tale that Cummins brilliantly handles with great poetic writing and deep multifaceted characters. I particularly enjoyed the character of the drug lord as it added yet another fascinating layer of richness to the story.
