Marcia_Sailer

(I received this book as an Advance Reading Copy.) I really enjoyed this book. It's an easy and enjoyable read. Maribeth Klein is a character I liked and could identify with. After suffering a heart attack, she finds little support or assistance from her husband. Thus, she leaves him and her twins, both in protest and to "find herself." It's a "coming of age" story for adult women. Besides grappling with her marriage, she deals with the issue of her best friend's success, and her own adoption as a child. There are enough story lines to keep one engaged. Her journey is an enjoyable summer read.

I liked The Tea Planter's Wife. The unanswered questions of Savi's intentions toward the various women in the story, Gwendolyn's interpretations of what was happening and had happened in the past, Laurence's not revealing the family history, Verity's treachery and manipulations, the story of twins raised apart— all compose an interesting story. I liked the history of Ceylon that the book revealed. I was glad the book delved into, to some extent, the mistreatment of the workers. There certainly were "haves' and "have nots" in this system. I did lose my patience concerning the poor communication between Gwendolyn and Laurence, but perhaps that was how it was at that time. The book seemed a bit long, but not a bad read.

Fallen Land entails the arduous journey of two young people fleeing bounty hunters in the last days of the Civil War. Danger is everywhere, which keeps one reading to see what happens next. Although it is a book with rape, murder, and the many atrocities of war— it is actually a story of love and devotion, of attempting to overcome the worst. The plight of Callum and Ava, the two main characters, is gripping and beautifully written. It also isn't known until the end, what the outcome will be. Read it and find out!