The Wives of Henry Oades: A Novel
by Johanna Moran
Terrific debut novel (11/22/2009)
The Wives of Henry Oades, a turn of the century novel based on a true series of trials, tells a fascinating story through the eyes of two remarkable women who are married through no fault of their own to the same man. The settings of New Zealand with its cruel Maori kidnappers and Berkeley, CA provide a stunning contrast until Henry's neighbors, angry that he refuses to rid himself of one wife, attack the family using both the law and terror. This is a beautifully developed story, realistic in characters and circumstance. It would make an excellent film. Women book club members will probably appreciate the strong female characters, but men might enjoy it too.
Findings: Faye Longchamp Mysteries, No. 4
by Mary Anna Evans
Island setting provides great backdrop (5/6/2008)
Findings is the fourth in a series featuring Faye Longchamp and Joe, her Native American Assistant/Friend. Faye, whose ancestors had been slaves, owns (with some difficulty) a family home on an island off the Florida Panhandle coast. All the characters both friend and foe are fully dimensional. Entangled in the story are letters written during the Civil War which set off a murderous treasure hunt. I enjoyed the story which ends on a very dramatic note, but most interesting was the island setting. I certainly will purchase the first three titles.
Seven for a Secret: A John the Eunuch Mystery
by Mary and Eric Mayer Reed
Fair mystery but disappointing (2/4/2008)
Seven for a Secret was an interesting mystery with unusual characters, but I wanted to know more about the Lord Chamberlain. I suppose the earlier books told about why he was so terribly harmed and how he got to be Head Chamberlain, but this book cannot stand on its own without telling this story. Authors such as Stephen Saylor and Charles Todd manage but the Reeds sacrifice character depth for the story; however they did get me to buy volume 1 and that's a good thing!
Mozart's Sister
by Rita Charbonnier
Mozart's Sister by Rita Charbonnier (10/8/2007)
Maria Anna Mozart whose family pet name was Nannerl was the older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Her narrative has rich historical and metaphorical detail. I was charmed throughout ,but one passage which describes the children's musical notes was especially wonderful: "Their notes ran, improvised and anarchic, wild and noisy, from one door to another; they pursued, caught up, became entangled and let go; they flew out the window...." While this is Nannerl's story, her brother impacts her life, and how Nannerl comes to terms with her life and her music will satisfy the reader.
I loved the book for all the reasons mentioned and would recommend to those fascinated with historical fiction or biography.
