The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne

 My Rating: 4.9

Helena has two grown daughters, loves her husband, goes picking in the forest to collect berries for the artisan jams she sells and by all appearances, has a peaceful normal life. Then her father escapes from a nearby prison and we find out her history that no one else knows. Her mother was kidnapped by her father and two years later birth to her in a remote cabin where she was raised with no concept that her 'family' was anything but normal.

This had me completely memorized throughout. The unfolding through flashbacks of how she was raised and how her current completely separate idyllic life came to be was beautifully told and really made you think about how all of this could come to be. Riveted. Will definitely read more by this author.

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

 My Rating: 4.9

Fresh out of nursing school in Montgomery, Alabama, 1973, Civil Townsend intends to make a difference, especially in her African American community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she hopes to help women shape their destinies, to make their own choices for their lives and bodies. But when her first week on the job takes her along a dusty country road to a worn-down one-room cabin, Civil is shocked to learn that her new patients, Erica and India, are children—just eleven and thirteen years old. Neither of the Williams sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling the family’s welfare benefits, that’s reason enough to have the girls on birth control. 

As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica, and their family into her heart. Until one day she arrives at their door to learn the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them. 

This was during the time of the Tuskegee experiment but is told by Civil decades after the event. This unflinching novel brought to life that horrific time in history. Definite recommend.

The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly

 My Rating: 4.8

Josie and Arlette, former female spies, hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor after their release from Ravensbruck. They must put themselves in grave danger to secure justice and protect the ones they love.

This book brought so many things to my awareness - how being released from a concentration camp didn't mean you could just pick up the pieces of your life, what happened to a lot of the Nazi doctors and scientists and America being complicit in their lack of punishment. Although there were some parts of this book that felt far fetched and others that I think should have been edited down, this was an excellent read. Thank you to Goodreads for this free copy. Kelly is a fabulous writer and I appreciate her bringing little known history to the forefront.

A Light Beyond The Trenches by Alan Hlad

 My Rating: 5.0

In WWI, four very different lives intertwine across Europe from Germany to France—Anna is a German Red Cross nurse, her fiance Bruno is a soldier tortured by deadly secrets of his own, and his tormented French mistress. and Max is Jewish pianist blinded on the battlefield, 

Hlad is a very gifted writer who captures every character so well - including Max's guide dog Nia and Anna's father Norbie. From the overrun hospitals to having to scrounge for turnips and leeks for their meals, you feel like you are right there in the cold of Germany. I couldn't wait to get back to this book. I think I may have enjoyed this even more than The Long Flight Home - although they were both amazing. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

 My Rating: 4.9

In 1961, Frank Drumm was thirteen years old Several people died that summer in his small town of New Bremen, Minnesota. Frank shares a bedroom with his eleven year old brother Jake who stutters with everyone but Frank. His mother Ruth did not expect that his father Nathan would end up being a minister and this has cast her into a role she didn't want. Frank finds himself unexpectedly thrown into the adult world of secrets, lies, adultery and betrayal that calls for so upon much maturity from the young boy. Such an incredible coming of age story that also captures the innocence of that by-gone era.  "This story is about the terrible price of wisdom and the enduring grace of God."

Wow. Krueger has an amazing gift of making you feel that you know each and every character. I couldn't wait to get back to this book and was immersed in the sweet unfolding of the 1960's, Frank and Jake's relationship, Frank being thrust into an adult world and so many other details. I can't wait to read more by Krueger.

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

 My Rating: 5.0

Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force. Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe.

Wow! This should be mandatory reading for every high school. The sense of suspense, despair and mistrust is palpable. Beautiful writing that captures so much of the human desperation. Highly recommend!

I have read two other books by this author, Between Shades of Grey and Salt To The Sea. I look forward to reading more by her as she only gets better and better!

Five Decembers by James Kestrel

My Rating: 5.0

In this novel of World War II, an American police detective is trapped while trailing a killer overseas and struggles to survive with only the help of a total stranger and his daughter, who risk their lives to protect him. December 1941. America teeters on the brink of war, and in Honolulu, Hawaii, police detective Joe McGrady is assigned to investigate a homicide that will change his life forever. Because the trail of murder he uncovers will lead him across the Pacific, far from home and the woman he loves; and though the U.S. doesn't know it yet, a Japanese fleet is already steaming toward Pearl Harbor.

This opens with a grizzly double murder that Joe has been assigned to investigate. Throughout the book, there is a strange mixture of suspense and peace. Joe is very seasoned and handles things so well. This book feels so real and immerses you with Joe in the unfolding of the murders, tracking the killer as well as WWII. I don't generally care for 'detective' genre but this was absolutely stunning. 

The Long Flight Home by Alan Hlad

 My Rating: 4.9

Inspired by fascinating, true, yet little-known events during World War II, The Long Flight Home is a testament to the power of courage in our darkest hours—a moving, masterfully written story of love and sacrifice.

Susan and her grandfather Bertie raise homing pigeons. Thousands of miles away in Maine there is a young crop duster named Ollie. Their three lives intersect in the most interesting of ways.

I love Historical Fiction. Even more, I love when I can learn something about history. This book had both of those elements. It was wholesome while still capturing the brutality and difficulties of the war. I even loved the ending. Fabulous and definite recommend.

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

My Rating: 4.9

Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. But in terms of caretaking and relating to two children, no matter how adorable, Patrick is, honestly, overwhelmed.

This was adorable and so heartfelt. I loved all of the characters as well as how they grew/changed. What a precious storyline.

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

 My Rating: 4.9

Ike has been out of jail for fifteen years yet, when the cops knock on his door, he knows it can't be good. It is worth than he thought. His son Isaiah has been murdered along with Isaiah's husband Derek. Derek's father, Buddy-Lee, and Ike band together to find out who killed their sons.

Wow, just wow. This is not for the faint of heart as it is raw grizzly violence - and oh so good. This had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't wait to read more. 

The Island Of Sea Women By Lisa See

 My Rating: 4.8

The Korean island of Jeju is known for haenyeo – all-female diving collective. This story centers on the story of two young girls, Mi-ja and Young-sook, as they grow up in the 1930s into the early 2000's. 

This novel brought the culture of the haenyeo alive as well as the beautiful friendship of two girls throughout the decades of their lives. The brutality of the war in the 30's and 40's came alive. So much heart ache and misunderstandings over the years that See ties together beautifully in the end. Very heartfelt. It was a bit difficult to jump from the beauty of the diving and their childhood into the atrocities of war but both stories were well worth it. Surprised that there aren't more writings about this horrific period of time.

Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers

 My Rating: 4.8

This is set in Kent, England in the 1950's...before there was DNA testing. 

Jean is single and never been married. She works at a local newspaper and lives with her elderly difficult mother. She has a very small life with no likelihood of escape.

Gretchen contacts the newspaper in response to an article and claims that she has a 10 year old daughter, Margaret, as the result of an immaculate conception. Gretchen is now married to Howard who also believes that Margaret was the result of a virgin birth.

Jean is assigned to investigate and write the article for the newspaper. In the process, Jean befriends Gretchen and her family and her life becomes so entwined with the family. 

I had to suspend my moral judgments and go with the story. This is such a tender and beautiful novel that captures Kent as well as all of their lives. All of the characters were so well developed with such exquisite writing. I found it all the more fascinating to know that this story was loosely based on true events. I definitely will be reading more by Chambers.