Last week I started this little feature for books that don't quite fit in the normal summer reading mold. This week's pick is still a quiet character study, but about a devastating time in history. I have read many, many novels about World War II, but very few about World War I. That, plus a level of ignorance that feels embarrassing means I didn’t know that in ... Read More...
Orhan’s Inheritance
Orhan runs a successful rug making factory in Istanbul. The company was started by his grandfather, Kemal, long before he was born. When his grandfather dies and the will is read, the company is left to Orhan, not his father, and even more surprisingly, the family home is left to a woman they’ve never heard of or know. This is Aline Ohanesian’s potent new novel, ... Read More...
The Lake House
Kate Morton has become one of my most reliable go-to authors—when I start a book of hers I know I can count on full immersion and enjoyment and her latest, The Lake House is no exception. Alice is a renowned mystery novelist and yet, she herself has been dealing with the consequences of a mystery her entire adult life. Sadie Sparrow is a British police detective and she ... Read More...
Historical Fiction: Mini-Reviews
In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m a fan of historical fiction. You might think you can read only so many books about World War II, the Tudors, or almost any European royal family before losing interest but apparently, for me, that’s not true. There's always some aspect of history I knew nothing about and, while I should read non-fiction for accuracy's sake, it puts me to sleep. ... Read More...
A Reunion of Ghosts
The Alter sisters, Lady, Vee, and Delph, have decided that, given their family history and their current life situations, it’s time to step off the planet. They’ve picked a date six months away (New Year’s Eve 1999) leaving them time to write a memoir detailing their family tree and the accomplishments of their forebearers. The result is A Reunion of Ghosts, a ... Read More...
Dead Wake
When it comes to taking historic international events and looking behind the scenes there are few who do it as well as Erik Larson. Even when the event itself is substantial in its importance he is able to dig into it and find an aspect to make it even more momentous and, at the same time, personal. His newest work is Dead Wake and it’s about the last crossing of the Lusitania, ... Read More...
