The Last Dance of the Debutante by Julia Kelly

 

The Last Dance of the Debutante by Julia Kelly. Gallery Books, 2021. Adult historical fiction.

Until 1959, wealthy girls dressed in white and were "presented" to the Queen of England to herald the announcement of their presence in society. A series of teas, parties, and balls followed so that the girls could meet "the right" people and be seen by eligible bachelors. Lily Nichols is not terribly excited about the whole Season, but her mother and grandmother insist on the tradition. The friends she makes will influence her entire life. Family secrets loom large in this detail filled look at London and life in the late 1950's.

The Measure: A Novel by Nikki Erlick

 

The Measure: A Novel by Nikki Erlick. William Morrow, 2022. Adult fiction.

Suppose that when adults get up in March, small boxes wait for them. A string is enclosed and only accompanied by a paper that reads, "The measure of your life lies within." As people learn that the string shows the length of the rest of their lives, they fight battles of long stringers vs. short stringers. Ben, Hank, Maura, and a few others join a short string support group. They form the narrative as each chapter moves the story along and their lives intertwine in unusual ways. Time passes. Life happens. Readers will be caught up in their lives and learn that living long is not the same as living well. A fascinating notion for a book and well written, this would make a good book group read. 

Independence: A Novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

 

Independence: A Novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. William Morrow, 2023. Historical fiction. Adult fiction.

The subtitle of this book is "Three Sisters, Their Deep Bond, and the Struggle for India's Freedom." That really says it all. Priya in 1947 India loves Amit and dreams of becoming a doctor like her father. Deepa, the beautiful one, wants to marry and bring prestige to her family, but falls in love with a Muslim. Jamini walks with a limp, but is the one who can help her mother make beautiful quilts and who secretly craves the attention of handsome Amit. Caught up in the growing tensions of the Hindu and Muslims as the country of Pakistan fights for its birth, the daughters become adults and fight their own battles. Beautifully written, easy to understand even if readers know nothing about this part of the world. 

The Slow Road North by Rosie Schaap

 

The Slow Road North: How I Found Peace in an Improbable Country by Rosie Schaap, Mariner Books, 2024.

  Bar tender, wine expert, and journalist as well as a New Yorker, Rosie Schaap finds herself drawn to the Belfast area of Northern Ireland after both her mother and husband die. Grieving, mourning, and searching for both peace and a new life, she moves to the small village of Glenarm, a seaside oasis in which she makes new friends and finds love and acceptance. 

The Waiting Game by Nicola Clark

 

   The Waiting Game: The Untold Story o the Women who Served the Tudor Queens by Nicola Clark. Pegasus Books, 2025. Nonfiction.

   While a good deal is known about the wives of Henry VIII, much of the information about the women who surrounded them at court has been lost. Destroyed or just never recorded, the stories of the ladies-in-waiting, chambermaids, and others are definitely part of history. Nicola Clark has produced a masterful investigation of these women. With a lengthy bibliography of resources, including both print and online, Clark has pieced together details and woven a fascinating tapestry of the Tudor years in England.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

 

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman. Pamela Dorman Books, Viking. 2024. Mystery.

Amy Wheeler is an adventurer on assignment to protect famous author Rose D'Antonio. When she runs into trouble, Amy calls the one person she knows she can trust to help--her retired investigator father-in-law Steve Wheeler. Steve likes his life in a small English town complete with weekly pub quiz, cat named Trouble, and mourning his late wife Debbie. 

But, Amy needs help and this first adventure in a new series by The Thursday Murder Club author, takes readers from England to South Carolina to St. Lucia to Dublin to Dubai in search of the mysterious Francois Loubert. Someone is killing social media influencers and is now aiming  for Amy herself. Buckle up! This bodes well for a new series of fun and mystery in the hands of a master writer.

A Wilder Shore: The Romantic Odyssey of Fanny and Robert Louis Stevenson by Camille Peri

 

A Wilder Shore: The Romantic Odyssey of Fanny and Robert Louis Stevenson by Camille Peri. Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2024. Biography. Nonfiction.

   Think you know Robert Louis Stevenson? Think again! Camille Peri's chunky book on him and his wife, Fanny, will almost certainly provide new insights for most readers. Although they met when she was married and had children, the two spent the rest of their lives moving about and writing. Best known for Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and his curious tale about The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson was ill and near death many times during his lifetime. Fanny is given credit for being a muse, a nurse, a co-writer, as well as his wife. While she outlived him by some twenty years, her influence and works were never given much credit during his lifetime. Peri's deep dive into their lives corrects that omission.

   Among my favorite new pieces of information in this well researched book is that Stevenson is actually responsible for the slightly altered song lyrics in Outlander, the television series! (See page 305 for more information.)