My "To Do" List for End of World December 21

1. Return library books

2. Cancel dentist appointment

3. Clip toenails

4. Discard old magazines

5. Send notes of apology to anyone I have ever offended (whoops; should have started this one sooner)

6. Eat all remaining Christmas Cookies

7. Pet kitties twice as much today

8. Give away my stash of  "forever" stamps

9. Throw out yogurt dated later than Dec 20

10.Turn off all the lights

Book Review - The Secret Keeper

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wonderful story with huge secrets taking center stage.

Set in England and traveling from present day back to World War II,  we are involved in solving the mysteries of the lives of Dorothy and her family of five children.

Full of great characterizations and intricate plotting, we experience what effect our actions and choices can have on ourselves and those we love.

With some surprising ending bits, the book gives a rather satisfying conclusion to a very intriguing story.





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Two Book Reviews

Life After Death by Damien Echols


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Convicted unjustly of the murder of three young Boy Scouts and kept in prison for 18 years, this story is mesmerizing. This book does not give details of the crime or the trial, but deals with what has happened since.

Although not in agreement with many of the beliefs that Mr. Echols holds, I was very interested to read his book as I have believed in his innocence for many years. He and the other two of the "West Memphis Three" were, in my opinion, railroaded and convicted with no actual evidence.

Mr. Echols does employ a good use of the language and writes especially about his very sad and troubled childhood with great skill.

Although he and his other two friends were released on an Alford plea, it remains a hope that some day they will capture the true killer and be totally declared innocent.





The Cases of Susan Dare by Mignon G. Eberhart


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


First time reading this mystery author from Nebraska.

This group of short stories all feature Susan Dare, a mystery writer. As she is also adept at solving crimes, she is called in to investigate, usually undercover. The stories are rather simple, but well crafted and enjoyable.

Think I will try one more of her regular length mysteries.




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Book Review - The Provincial Lady in Wartime

It feels a bit wrong to adore a book about the beginning of WW II in England, and to especially enjoy it's humor, but with this endearing diary, it cannot be helped.




Having read several other Delafield books, I knew that I enjoyed her humorous tongue-in-cheek style.



This book centers on the late months of 1939 before the war, when children were beginning to be evacuated and people not in the military were seeking ways to do their part toward the war effort. Delafield gives us an idea of what was transpiring, but with that clever British wit that I love.

Book Review - Greenbanks

Greenbanks. by Dorothy Whipple


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A very good story about the life of an English family beginning in the very late 1800's.

With issues of unfaithfulness in marriage and also illegitimacy, most of the characters react in the proper modes of the times. Some of them see another side and that makes for conflict. A mother's love for one son more than another also adds fuel to the fire.

Rachel is the beloved granddaughter of Louisa, the family matriarch. Rachel keeps rooms at both her parents home and her grandmother. We follow her through the years from a very little girl until she is 20 and has fallen in love.

Dorothy Whipple has written a number of good book and this is one of them.




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Triple Book Reviews

Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Beautifully written Victorian mystery with colorful characters to admire and dislike.

Lady Audley is at the center of a story that involves love, longing, pain, deceit and regret.

Mary Elizabeth Braddon was a contemporary of Dickens and Willie Collins and quite successful at her writing. This bestselling story is a great read and makes me want to read more of her work.




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Greenery Street by Denis Mackail


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Life on Greenery Street of the 1920's is full of fun and adjustment and angst of proper manners and worry about money and much more for the young married couples who live there.

Engaging a property there is indeed very desirable and deemed quite a coup. So interesting to read about this time when every action every day was scrutinized for it's propriety.

A very fun read.




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A Wreath of Snow: A Victorian Christmas Novella by Liz Curtis Higgs


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A somewhat fluffy little story, but with great purpose; a man seeking forgiveness for great harm he had inflicted years ago.

The gorgeous cover draws you in to the beauty and comfort of a snow-filled Christmas in Scotland in the late 1800's.

A nice change from heavier reading with a beautifully packaged finish tied up with a beautiful bow.




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Book Review - Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English

Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English by Natasha Solomons


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I love this book! It seems to have all the parts to make it a great story and such an engaging read.

Jack and Sadie are Jewish Germans who emigrate to England in 1937. Jack is determined to be everything a British man should be, adhering to all the principles in a pamphlet given to him about how to assimilate into the culture.

After a time living in London and beginning a rug manufacturing business, Jack decides he needs to move to Dorset to a country home with lots of land. The reason? As he yearns to be the ultimate Brit, he decides to build his own golf course, after being refused by so many clubs for membership. He does not tell Sadie of his plans until their home is sold and they are on their way. The kicker is that he does not even know how to play golf! Sounds a bit far-fetched, but within the story, it really works.

Their thatched home is in need of repairs, but all Jack truly wants to do is to work on his golf course. Sadie is depressed, not only at the state of their marriage, but still sad over losing her family in Germany. She uses baking and cooking as her way of working out her sadness.

It is not until a near tragedy that Jack realizes what is most important in his life.

As Jews they are treated by some with disrespect, but by others are seen for who they are and treated as friends.

I felt an array of emotions as I read; sympathy, disgust, joy, understanding and just plan fun. I love the idea of having a goal and not letting yourself veer away from it no matter what.




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Book Review - The Railway Children

The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A perfect English children's book from early 1900.

Three children and their mother must move to lesser quarters in the country after the father has to go away leaving them quite poor. Their home is near a railway station and they are in love with the place from the beginning. They are smart and active children, and very well behaved, but they do have a number of exciting adventures.

While their mother is at home writing stories to sell for their income, the children make many friends at the railway station and among the people in the nearby town.

At the storey's end, the whereabouts of their father is known and the family is happily reunited.

The story is fun, educational and promotes good character traits. I loved it.




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Book Review - The Lady's Money

My Lady's Money by Wilkie Collins


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I adore Wilkie Collins. As a friend of the well-known Charles Dickens, I think he was a bit overshadowed by him. 


This is a delightful tale of a woman of means who becomes the victim of the theft of a 500 pound note in her home. There are a number of possible suspects and she obtains help in pursuing the perpetrator. She retains a young girl as her companion and as she is of much lower rank and may be looked on as the possible thief, she is sent away to her Aunt, Miss Pink, to live until the manner is resolved.

The book is full of colorful characters and the action is fun and such an interesting look at the times of the mid to late 1800's England.





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Book Review - The Story of Jessie

The Story of Jessie by Mabel Quiller-Couch


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A simply precious story about a 5 year old girl who is sent to live with her grandparents by her mother, wants a better life for her. Jessies' father is mean and abusive and was not who the grandparents wanted for their daughter to marry.

Jessie and her grandparents are so happy together until word comes that her mother has died and her father comes to take her away. He has remarried and only wants Jessie to help his wife run a boarding house.

Jessie is distraught, but tries to make the best of things. She has great faith in God and meets a sweet woman where she lives who also has great faith and encourages her to think of her time there as what God wants for her; to have a positive effect on those around her.

After a few years of hard work, Jessies' father dies, leaving her free to return to her grandparents. They are reunited in joy.

A simple story, but told so sweetly and with her wisdom.




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Book Review

The Secret Holocaust Diaries: The Untold Story of Nonna Bannister by Nonna Bannister


My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I have read many stories and accounts about the holocaust perpetuated by the evil Hitler, but never one about someone from Russia.

Nonna was from a very well-to-do family in the Ukraine. When the Germans declared war and descended on Russia, her family was torn apart. After her father was beaten and died, Nonna and her mother forge their own way any way they can. They eventually make the decision to go to Germany and are placed in forced labor camps. Their day to day life is desolate and their living conditions are bleak and meagre.

Nonna tells her story from written bits and pieces that she had saved throughout this time. She also saved many pictures and documents that she kept in a hand sewn package kept close to her chest for many years.

After the war, she become a nurse and then was sponsored to the United States, where she married and had 3 children. It was not until many years later as an older woman, that she decided to tell of her past in this book, most of which even her family did not know.

Her great faith in God as well as her positive outlook on life gave her the strength to endure and tell her story.




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Book Review - A Daughter's a Daughter

A Daughter's a Daughter by Mary Westmacott


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Another non-mystery story by Christie. A young widow with a 19 year old daughter calls off marriage due to her daughters' dislike for the man. Ann changes a great deal due to that and begins to live a rather wilder life as does her daughter.

After a disastrous marriage by the daughter a few years later, both mother and daughter come to terms with the past and their lives are placed onto a more positive track.

Although the few fiction I have read by Christie are good, her mysteries are by far her best writing.




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Book Review - Daphne

Daphne: A Novel by Justine Picardie


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Fascinating look into the author DuMaurier of Rebecca fame and her quest to discover the unwritten tale of Branwell Bronte, brother of the more celebrated group of sister writers.

Her research prompts her to take up correspondence with Mr. Symington, former head of the Bronte library and also a lover of Branwell and the unknown. Unfortunately, Mr. Symington is so ardent in his quest for all things Bronte, that he is accused of stealing some of the documents and is dismissed from his position. Daphne knows none of this history and buys a number of Bronte documents from him.

A secondary storyline is of a modern day researcher of DuMauier and her life at Menebilly. Her recent marriage to a much older scholar is not going well and his take on her DuMaurier interest is a sore spot.

Underlying it all is DuMauriers' distress at her inner demons as well as those that inhabit her marriage in the form of her husbands' affair.
Daphnes close relationship with her cousin Peter is also important to her and his tragic life cause her great grief.

Although she does complete the novel on Branwell, it is rather anti-climactic, as he does not reveal himself to be much of a writer or a man.

Although fiction, this story is based on truth and the author has researched the DuMaurier archives to bring a credible voice to the book. It is an excellent look into the life of a beloved author.




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Book Review - The Orchardist

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So good, but so sad as well. Talmadge raises apples and lives alone after the death of his mother and the disappearance of his sister in the early 1900's. Two young women, both pregnant show up on his property and he cares for them from a distance, as they are very skittish and defensive.

Talmadge is a deep thinker and a kind and thoughtful man. When tragedy strikes the young women, he does what he thinks best for them.

The text is very descriptive both in the characters feelings and also about the geography of the area.

Although I felt a great admiration for the authors' writing, I felt also a huge frustration at the characters behavior.

Not a happily ever after book, but a thoughtful, realistic one.




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Book Review - The Beautiful Mystery

The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As the 8th book in the series, Inspector Gamache and his sidekick, Beauvoir, investigate a murder at a monastery in the wilds of Canada.

Penney always gives the reader good lessons about her topic, in this case, the history of this group of monks as well as the background of the Gregorian chants they use in the services many times each day.

The relationship between the two detectives is always interesting as they work their way through the evidence. I find myself disliking Beauvoir as much as I like Gamache.

The mystery remains so until the very end, but with the relationship between the detectives rather unhinged, left hanging for interpretation until the next book.





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Book Review - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Harold receives a letter from an old co-worker who reveals she has cancer. He writes a letter to her and sets off walking to mail it from his home in the far south of England. On his way, he decides to continue walking all the way to where she is in a nursing home. What makes it incredible is that it is over 600 miles from his home. He believes that by walking there he can not only keep her alive, but make amends to her for a past injustice. 

As Harold is dealing with a rather dysfunctional marriage as well as a tragic childhood, he has much to think about during his journey. He meets many memorable people and deals with a lot of physical pain. He does call his wife often and each of them begin to see their marriage in new ways.

I love the idea of taking on a seemingly unobtainable mission and the commitment behind it. The emotion that works through all of Harolds' journey makes his efforts even more valuable in the end.




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Book Review - Three Lives

Three Lives by Lettice Cooper


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


England of the 1950s sets the stage for the intersection of three lives. Amyas is owner of Nunbarrow, a large estate that also encompassed nearby coal mines at one time. He sells half the estate to a group of academics to use as a school. Margery, wife of the head of the school is a bright light that shines on it all. Tod, a young coal miner who hates his job, becomes a sort of project for Amyas, who hopes to lead him into something of a better life. Although quite busy with her husband, 3 children and the school life, Margery slowly becomes more than a good friend to Amyas, who lives in his half of the estate with an elderly aunt who is dying.

This is a good story of post war life and how the country was changing, with nuclear war a topic of possible catastrophe. The manners and customs of the time and place are interesting. Also, a sad time when more and more of the old estates were given over to other concerns due to lack of money and the changing culture.




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Book Review - Heading Out to Wonderful

Heading Out To Wonderful by Robert Goolrick


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book began WONDERFULLY, just like the title, but with an ending quite shocking and sad.

Charlie comes to the small town of Brownsburg Virginia in the summer of 1948. He finds work at a butcher shop, becomes friends with the owner, his wife and their 5 year old son, Sam. He soon becomes a favorite of all the folks in town.

Unfortunately, he falls for a beautiful young married girl and they begin an affair.

Full of beautiful phrasing and descriptive pieces that find their mark. Mr Goolrick is a gifted storyteller and pulled me in page after page.

His slant on the religious beliefs in the town left me shaking my head. Supposed to be Christians, the ministers lead their flock to believe that anyone befriending someone like Charlie, who is in a sinful relationship, would be doomed to hell, as he said Charlie would be. This is not a Biblical Christian viewpoint and rather put me off the story.

This story does shine in that it deals honestly with human emotion and frailty and roads that can take us to tragedy.




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Book Review - The House at Tyneford

The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It is 1938. Elise lives in Vienna with her parents and sister. They are Jewish and although not practicing ones, are at risk for what is possibly to come at the hands of the madman Hitler. She gains a position in England as a maid and finds herself at Tyneford.

This story is as much about the ordered estate of Tyneford, which has existed for centuries as well as it is of Elise and the life she finds there as she learns to live an entirely new way.

There are many descriptive passages about the landscape, the sea and the gardens and livestock.

As time passes and the war comes to England, Kit, the only son of the current master of Tyneford, enlists. Through the years, Elise seeks to hear word of her parents who were supposed to travel to New York, but did not leave in time before the war.

Without giving the story away, suffice it to say that the war brings great changes, both in relationships and the life at Tyneford.

I did not find out until after finishing the book, that it is based on true events in the life of the author who had relatives who closely mimic the main characters, which makes it all the more fascinating.

I adore reading not only of this time period with it's vivid history, but also the views of the endearing countryside of England.




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Book Review - Absent in the Spring

Absent in the Spring by Mary Westmacott


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A happily married English woman with 3 grown children is stranded on a trip home from Iraq and is at a station in the desert in the middle of nowhere. The food is meagre and poor, she quickly reads her two books and there is nothing more to do but take walks.

After several days of alone, she has what I would call an epiphany and sees the ways she has always behaved with her family, urging them under her control. She seems to be given a second chance at asking forgiveness of them and making life more positive.

She is so relieved when she is finally home and is convicted that she should make amends as soon as possible.

I will not spoil it by writing about what occurs. This was an excellent look at a life not well lived, and being shown how to correct it for the better. It is a lesson to be learned for any of us.

I would actually like to re title this as "Absent in Her Head" as it seems as though she was not cognizant of her own character traits. This is my 2nd Christie fiction book and I was surprised and delighted at the story line and it's affect.




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