Mananaland by Pam Munoz Ryan

Mananaland by Pam Munoz Ryan. Scholastic, 2020. Children's chapter book. Reviewed from galley provided by publisher.

This is such an important book! While Ryan told a girl's story of an immigrant family in Esperanza Rising, this is a boy's story on the other side of the Rio Grande. While the country is not defined, it could be anywhere south of the United States. In both books, Ryan draws readers into the lives and dreams of characters who long for more for themselves and their families. With so many of our students in similarly uncertain situations, this book will resonate with many who often do not see themselves in books. 

Max's mother disappeared when he was a baby. He wants to know more about her, but his father and grandfather have not shared much with him. Now, almost twelve, he longs to play futbol (soccer), but he does not have a birth certificate. He has grown up with the legends and stories of a seemingly magical bridge and a stone tower that has its own mysteries. A strange gatekeeper has led brave travelers into new futures. Will Max be brave enough to discover more? His own journey leads him into the future. Yet, Max is firmly grounded in the present of friends, soccer, and chores. Definitely a book about discovering, being brave, loving your own family (whatever shape that family takes), helping others, and building on your own past, the path to tomorrow is a compelling one.

Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo

Beverly, Right Now by Kate DiCamillo. Candlewick, 2019. Children's chapter book. 

This is the third novel about Raymie Nightingale, Louisiana Elefante,, and  now Beverly Tapinski. Each of the girls has her own story, but this trilogy speaks to the power of family, friendship, and being yourself. Now, Beverly, always sort of crusty on the outside, but soft hearted, has run away from home. She ends up in Florida staying with a quirky old lady, Iola; making a new friend, Elmer, who works at the typical small town dollar store type of place, and working rather unexpectedly at a seaside diner. DiCamillo is a master at drawing readers into the simply told, but always complicated lives of her characters. Beverly's dog died and she is full of grief. She misses her friend Raymie. She wants so much to be independent, but longs for someone to love her. Start with Raymie Nightingale, move on to Louisiana's Way Home, but don't miss Beverly, Right Now. 

The Last Castle by Kiernan

 
The Last Castle, The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation's Largest Home by Denise Kiernan. Touchstone, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, 2017. Nonfiction, history.

George Vanderbilt, one of THE Vanderbilts, was a scholar. His health was not good. He and his mother decided to seek out a milder climate than the winters of New York and Newport and Bar Harbor. When George Vanderbilt saw Pisgah Forest near Asheville, North Carolina, it was really love at first sight. Over the years, George built the largest American private home in the country. He traveled extensively and filled it with treasures. He found love with and married Edith Dresser who also loved the area and worked hard to become not just a privileged benefactor, but part of the community. After George's death, it was up to Edith to ensure that the house and grounds would endure for their daughter Cornelia's inheritance and for later generations.

Kiernan has written a masterful, interesting, and detailed history of the Biltmore Estate and its people. The same architect. Richard Morris Hunt, and landscape designer, Frederick Law Olmsted, who worked on other more famous American landmarks helped with Biltmore. Famous artists and celebrities of the times are more than name dropped. If this book doesn't have readers getting out their maps of North Carolina and googling Biltmore for future trips, I'd be surprised.

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware. Scout Press, Simon & Schuster, 2019.    Rowan Caine has made some poor decisions and needs to find a place to be less visable than she has been. She sees an ad for a nanny at a huge Scottish estate and jumps at the job even if it means not being quite honest to get it. The children appear lovely, the home is a technological wonder. Both parents work long hours and travel extensively. Told mainly in a series of letters to a lawyer, it soon appears that little has gone right for Rowan and a child is dead. No one, Rowan, Jack the handsome handyman, or the children seem to be telling the whole truth. Nothing is as it seems and readers will be guessing at this who done it up until the very end. 

Belgravia by Julian Fellowes

Belgravia by Julian Fellowes. Imogen Edwards-Jones, Editorial consultant. Lindy Woodhead, Historical Consultant. Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Book Group, 2016. Adult Historical fiction.       

                                         Best known for his television series Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes turns his hand to writing about English society in 1815, the eve of the Battle of Waterloo, and then jumps to 1841. The Trenchard family, suppliers to the governnment, has one beautiful daughter, Sophia. She makes some unwise decisions, it appears, and dies young. In the 1840's, the Trenchards are aging and wishing that they had an heir. A looming challenge to Viscount Bellasis' fortune appears in an unlikely form. A beautiful young woman is about to be married to someone she does not love. In true Fellowes' style, how are all these people connected? Will the difference in the classes prevent good, honest people from receiving their proper recognition? Will true love win out?   Movie goers may have seen a recent preview of the new serialized app that features these characters. For more information see Julian FellowesBelgravia.com  

A Night to Remember by Walter Lord

  A Night to Remember by Walter Lord. St. Martin's Griffin, 2005. Originally published in 1955 by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston and reprinted in 1983. Nonfiction. 

This is the 50th anniversary edition of the classic HMS Titanic book. Walter Lord interviewed as many  survivors as he could, studied maps, pored over diagrams, and wove the facts into this highly readable book.  The new introduction by Nathaniel Philbrick, a sea worthy author himself, puts the book into a historical perspective and adds much to understanding of the ship's significance for modern readers.  Before the wreck was discovered by Robert Ballard in 1985, and before the fictionalized movie in 1997, there was the great ship. Thought to be unsinkable, she was the pride of Belfast ship builders. Passengers on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City in April, 1912  included the most wealthy and well known celebrities of the times as well as other second and third class passengers. Of course, we know now, that an iceberg was waiting and many, many lives were lost. The Carpathia ended up rescuing some passengers. Halifax seamen ended up recovering bodies. With all of the survivors now dead, never again will there be an opportunity to talk with survivors. Walter Lord's crisp, factual, carefully crafted account of the sailing and its aftermath has lost none of its original power. Definitely, this nonfiction book is better than any movie could ever be. Just read it.

Watching You: A Novel by Lisa Jewell

Watching You: A Novel by Lisa Jewell. Atria Books, 2019. Adult Fiction.
In the lovely little Melville Heights neighborhood of Bristol, England, Joey(Joesephine)Mullen is married to Alfie Butter who is working as a house painter. They are reduced living with Jack, her doctor brother, and his pregnant wife, Rebecca. Life is not as great as she hoped it might be, with Joey working at the Whackadoo child care center and pining for romance and self worth. Handsome headmaster Tom Fitzwilliam and his wife, Nicola, live so near that they can see into each other's windows sometimes. The Fitzwilliams have a teenage son who uses his own window to spy on the neighborhood. Jenna Tripp is a student and is valiantly trying to keep everyone from knowing how her own mother is slipping into mental illness. Then, someone is killed. The narrative chapters are alternated with transcripts from the police interviews.  The past of these characters become clearer and their current interweavings are explored until the rather sad, but resolved, ending.  Definitely a thriller and just ripe for a movie version, the novel may make readers wonder just who could be watching them!

Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison

Good Girls Lie by J. T. Ellison. Mira, 2019. Adult fiction.

When British teen Ash Carlisle arrives as a student at the exclusive girls' prep school, the Goode School, in Marchburg, Virginia, she is an unknown quantity. Her brother and parents have died. Headmistress Dr. Ford Westhaven, has inherited her position from her own mother whose poor decisions led to dismissal and she is determined not to go down that same path. Ash has secrets though as does Westhaven. Typical girl drama soon becomes deadly. Dare we say that the Ivy has become poisonous?

Ellison, the author of many other thrillers, writes smoothly. She obviously has had experience with the area and with prep school life and teenage girls. The red herrings are there, but she manages to slip in some zingers that will keep readers guessing until the absolute end.

House of Gold: A Novel by Natasha Solomons

House of Gold: A Novel by Natasha Solomons. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2018. Adult fiction.

The wealthy Goldbaum family has mansions, business interests, and family members all around the world. When Greta moves to England to marry Albert, a distant cousin, she leaves the Vienna of 1911 and a life of making any of her own choices. The Goldbaum men are bankers; their wives are expected to have children, run households, and support their husbands. Only when Greta makes an ally in her mother-in-law and finds that she has a passion for gardening, does her life finally begin to feel like her own. Of course, readers know that WWI is coming. Being wealthy and being Jewish will not protect their              families or their wealth.  This is another sweeping, multigenerational novel                                           from the talented author.

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay. 

William Morrow, an imprint of                      HarperCollins, 2019. Adult fiction suspense, thriller.

Can you imagine what would happen if all the elevators in all the buildings in New York City had to be shut down? For Barbara, a journalist, following the mayor's office is just part of her job. For Delgado and Bourque, police partners who investigate cases together, time is of the essence. When several seeming accidents (or is it terrorism?) involve the vertical city's elevators, everyone is part of it all. Mayor Headley and his son, Glover; Barbara's estranged daughter, Arla; a Russian scientist, a political espionage group called the Flyovers, and more intriguing people become part of this mystery and race to find out what is really going on. Every chapter seems to pull readers forward and you may not want to stop reading! PS It is not the kind of scary that will make you afraid to ride on an elevator!

House of Brides: A Novel by Jane Cockram

House of Brides: A Novel by Jane Cockram. HarperCollins, 2019. Adult fiction.

Australian Instagram personality Miranda Courtenay has made mistakes and claims that cause a huge fall from grace. While her father, stepmother, and two younger, half sisters support her, she is embarrassed and guilty, too. When she gets a letter from a cousin in England, she jumps at the chance to visit Barnsley House where her dead mother's family still lives. When she arrives, they think she is the nanny and Miranda decides to play along with the deception.

Before moving away forever, Miranda's mother had written a book about the house and the generations of strong women who lived there. (Hence the title of this book.)  Max, her mother's brother, his wife, Daphne, and Elizabeth, her mother's sister, still live there and all have secrets, too. Mysterious Mrs. Mins has a long history with the family. Who to trust there???  And, the three young children of Max and Daphne are charming. So it goes until Daphne disappears.

A little gothic mystery, a little contemporary search for self, the book is the debut novel by the author. Watch for more by Jane Cockram as this first effort reads smoothly. Typeface switches to a handwritten font when showing the pages from a found notebook. She does a good job of keeping track of time passing with summer festival time, Christmas, and finally Easter. Miranda is a likeable, if questioning, young woman who sneaks around looking for information, finding secret books, trying to hide from her own father, and putting together the pieces of the past which all too much influence the present.

The Trial of Lizzie Borden, A True Story by Cara Robertson

The Trial of Lizzie Borden, A True Story by Cara Robertson. Simon and Schuster, 2019. Adult nonfiction.

On August 4, 1892, in Fall River, Massachusetts, the mutilated bodies of Andrew Borden and his second wife were found in their home on Second Street. The ensuing investigation pointed to his younger daughter, Lizzie. The sensational trial and her subsequent verdict of innocence made world wide news and has fascinated people ever since.

Cara Robertson started her research on the case as an undergraduate at Harvard and has continued since that time. She earned a JD degree and has had an illustrious career. This, her first book, is well researched and well written. A hefty list of sources are detailed in the back of the book.

Did Lizzie do it?  Robertson clearly tells about the setting, the people involved, and the aftermath. But, readers will have to make up their own minds about the verdict. We do know, that, changing her name to Lizbeth and moving up to the more elite part of town, Lizzie lived out her life in Fall River. Although some friends stood by her during the trial, she was "not welcome" in the Congregational Church where she had been so active in her youth. Naming her new home "Maplecroft" and etching the name into the concrete was considered to be showing off. Her sister, Emma, moved out in 1905, and apparently the two never spoke again. Lizzie died in 1927.

Robertson delves into the history of Fall River and the Borden family. She finds that Lizzie's lawyer died unexpectedly and his office still has the papers relating to the trial locked up, claiming lawyer/client privilege never ends. The prosecuting attorney's papers are mainly available at the Fall River Historical Society. Somehow, I suspect, if those first documents and notes are ever made public, Cara Robertson will be the first in line to examine them all.

The Editor: A Novel by Steven Rowley

The Editor: A Novel by Steven Rowley. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2019. Adult fiction
When young debut novelist James Smale is assigned an editor in the 1990's, he never dreams it will be Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis! James is a rather conflicted young man whose own family dramas are the basis for his novel. Mrs. Onassis provides the gentle questioning and pushes that James needs to finally get the end of his book right. During this process, the two become unlikely friends and support each other. The real story behind the story is that James has to reconnect with his own mother, find out about his father, and step up to be the best son that he can be. Full of interesting details about the Kennedys, the 1990's, and even James' fictional meetings with the publishing world, the story follows James' insightful growth. Really a love letter to Jacqueline Kennedy, the work will resonate with readers who lived through her real life via news, magazines, and photographs.  Reading the book is like inserting James in the film clips we all have in our minds. A thoroughly original concept and well written novel.

Wildwood by Elinor Florence

Wildwood by Elinor Florence. Dundurn, 2018. Adult fiction.

     By far, one of the best books I have read in 2019! This is the story of a single mom from Arizona who inherits a house and land in Alberta, Canada. The only stipulation is that she must live there for one year. Told in first person, the tale is well told and alternates with a diary that the great aunt, a pioneer, wrote about her own experiences about arriving in the early 1920's . Bridget, the four year old daughter, is selectively mute, but one of the most humorous and captivating characters. The mom and daughter manage to make friends, conquer the rural aspect of their new lives, and even find love with new animals and people. The details ring true and include many interesting tidbits about Canadian history and life. Highly recommended.

Diamond Doris by Doris Payne with Zelda Lockhart

Diamond Doris by Doris Payne with Zelda Lockhart. Amistad (HarperCollins), 2019.  Nonfiction, memoir.

By far, the most interesting person scheduled to sign advanced copies of books at the Summer, 2019 American Library Association meeting in Washington, D.C. was Doris Payne. Never heard of her? A beautiful, dark skinned woman who dresses well, Doris was raised in poverty in West Virginia. She decided to escape that lifestyle and crafted a new lifestyle for herself. She did not leave behind the smart mouth or cigarettes however. Doris became an international jewel thief. Subtitled, "The True Story of the World's Most Notorious Jewel Thief", this book tells how Doris learned to walk into jewelry stores, confuse or distract the people working there, cleverly take precious jewelry, and then escape. Well, for years, anyway. Doris learns how to connect with others to resell her hauls. For years, she travels the world plying her trade. When she does get caught, she decides to tell the world exactly how her amazing life came to be...readers can decide how much of what Doris tells us is the whole truth and what is not.  Now in her 80's, living in Atlanta, Georgia, Doris Payne's story is to soon be a major motion picture.

The Guest Book by Sarah Blake

The Guest Book by Sarah Blake. Flatiron Books, 2019. Adult fiction.

When Kitty and Ogden Milton buy Crockett's Island off the coast of Maine, they dream of all the family events they will host there over the coming years. But, their wealthy lifestyle does not keep them from trials and tribulations. Alternating from 1936 to 1959 and later, the story includes their children and grandchildren. Connections between Germany and America before and during WWI include more than just businesses. Well written and the perfect summer read, the novel threads its way into secrets, intrigues, human nature, and families themselves. Readers may wish that they had a summer home in Maine, but this one will suffice!

Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis

Queen of the Sea. Written and illustrated by Dylan Meconis. Walker Books, a division of Candlewick, 2019. Graphic novel 394 pages.

This gorgeous graphic novel tells the story of young Margaret who has grown up in a convent on an island. She has learned much about the world, but yearns to experience it for herself. When King Edmund's daughter, Eleanor, is banished to the island by her half sister, the Queen of Albion, life is never the same for Margaret or the Elysian Sisters. Beautifully illustrated in full color and varied panels and pages, the whole book is a feast for the eyes.

The only problem I had at first was trying to match Henry VIII to King Edmund and Elizabeth I to red-haired Eleanor. Don't try it. Although the 16th century clothing and setting is the same, by the end, Margaret has put her own spin on the original inspiration. Just relax and enjoy the story! The ending is resolved through Margaret's bravery and creativity, but, as they say, surely the story is to be continued...we hope so!

Epic Athletes: Serena Williams by Dan Wetzel

Epic Athletes: Serena Williams. Written by Dan Wetzel.  Illustrations by Sloane Leong. Henry Holt and Company, 2019. Juvenile biography chapter book.

Raised by parents in Compton, California, Serena and Venus Williams were groomed to be fabulous tennis players. Smart, strong, and athletic, the coaching by their father and the support of their family paid off and made their dreams come through. The hard work, neverending mental concentration, and focus on the game itself. and not the drama surrounding it, worked well to create champions. The book mentions the strong faith, the family loyalty, and does not shy away from the controversies that have often been part of Serena's world. 

I confess to not knowing much about tennis. This well written book is the perfect introduction to one of its greatest stars. The chapters are introduced by graphic novel type illustrations that will appeal to some students. But, the narrative is fast paced and interesting. Those unfamiliar with the Williams' sisters may come away with new admiration for them, their talents, and their desire to help others.

The Glovemaker by Ann Weisgarber

The Glovemaker by Ann Weisgarber. Skyhorse Publishing, 2019. Adult historical fiction.

Deborah and her husband, Samuel, live in 1888 in Utah and are Latterday Saints. Samuel leaves on a business trip and is overdue coming back home. Winter sets in and Deborah struggles to do all the chores and go on without him. A stranger appears as often happens, but never in the winter. Deborah helps him. Then, a marshal appears, hunting the stranger. Misfortune befalls the marshal and Deborah becomes entangled more than she ever wants. Will Samuel be back? Will Deborah's good deeds be found out? What will happen to Nels, Samuel's only nearby family member, and who cares for Deborah?

Weisgarber wastes no words. She builds her characters and the actions slowly and carefully. Readers care about Deborah and will want to know what happens to her. The details about the Latterday Saints ring true. The worry, the lack of medical care, the very real dangers of travel and of life on the farm, and other things weigh heavily on Deborah's mind. She is a good woman in a terrible situation. Weisgarber makes readers care.

Cape May by Chip Cheek

Cape May: A Novel  by Chip Cheek. Celadon Books (Macmillan), 2019.
                          Adult fiction.

Henry is 20; Effie is 18. He lives on a farm near Macon, Georgia; her family has money and her father is the mayor. They have grown up together and marriage seems to have been just what they thought they should do. It's 1957 and they go for a two week honeymoon to an uncle's house in Cape May, New Jersey. They really don't know each other very well and, after a week, they talk about going home. Effie remembers the place as bustling and fun when she was a child, but it is too late  in the season, and now seems lonely and abandoned.

Then, they meet Clara, a just older and more worldly woman, that Effie remembers from her childhood. Clara is married to Richard, but dallies with Max. Max's sister, Alma, is young, beautiful, and provides temptation for Henry. The group explore houses up and down the deserted street, drink themselves into unwise actions, and form new liaisons among themselves. The resulting scenes affect the rest of Effie and Henry's lives.

The town itself is almost a character in the story. Cheek does a masterful job of describing the landscape, the houses, both interior and exterior, and the atmosphere. He does even better in telling readers about the characters themselves. At first, we are drawn in with sympathy for the clueless young honeymooners. But, with all the sex scenes, and the introduction of the older, but maybe not wiser couple and Alma, the pace and the sex get even steamier.

While readers do find out what happens to Effie and Henry, the other characters are like people you might meet on a vacation and seem to disappear from their lives. Literally, this is a beach book.

The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams

The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams. HarperCollins, 2019. Adult fiction. Reviewed from galley. 

It's early 1940's when Lulu Randolph arrives in the Bahamas, eager to infiltrate herself into the world of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor who "rule" the islands for England at the time. Lulu is a reporter and wants to make her living writing pieces about the couple. What she suspects is all fun-and-games takes a decidedly more political and manipulated turn. When the wealthiest man on the island is killed, Lulu is in the thick of intrigue, racial tensions, and politics. Lulu falls in love with the quirky scientist Benedict Thorpe and their wedding is performed by none other than the Duke of Windsor himself! When Benedict, now her husband, disappears, Lulu sets off to find more about his background and his family.

While the Windsor angle may suck readers in, it is the lovely story of Benedict's family and their multigenerational loyalties to different countries, that will probably keep them going. Keep careful track of the characters and dates so that it all makes sense. Strong women and interesting action across the years as well as the Nassau part blend seamlessly into another historical fiction hit for Beatriz Williams.

Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams

Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams. William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2018. Adult fiction.

Winthrop Island lies off the coast of Connecticut in the Atlantic Ocean. Wealthy families summer there and their lives intertwine with the locals who work to keep their houses clean, their food cooked, and to provide the fabulous seafood. In 1959, when Miranda Schuyler first arrives, it is for the wedding of her widowed mother to wealthy Hugh Fisher. His daughter Isobel is near Miranda's age.  It doesn't take long for the girls and handsome lobsterman Joseph Vargas whose family keeps the lighthouse to heat up the summer.

Flash forward to 1969 when movie star Miranda Schuyler, sporting a black eye, arrives again on Winthrop Island. Joseph Vargas has escaped from prison where he is serving a term for a long ago murder. What's happened in-between dates back to the histories of locals and summer families from years gone by. 

Beatriz Williams writes of sand, sea, and intrigue. This book is one that should find its way to your summer beach bag...or maybe just read it during your staycation! 

The Yankee Widow by Linda Lael Miller

  The Yankee Widow by Linda Lael Miller. Mira, 2019. Historical fiction, adult.

When Jacob Hammond leaves his wife, young daughter, and farm near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to fight as a Union soldier, he cannot anticipate the future. When Jacob is wounded and taken to Washington, D.C., Caroline Hammond goes to find him. The story really begins when she goes back to the farm. She depends on Enoch, an African American who has become friend and ally to the little family. Escaped slave Jubie arrives, pregnant, and with a slave catcher on her heels. Then, the war itself finds its way to her own yard and orchard. Both Union and Confederate soldiers become part of Caroline's story.

Told in straightforward words, Miller does a fine job of describing scenery, action, and characters. She has obviously done a great deal of research and it shows in the little details. Those unfamiliar with the American Civil War will learn a great deal about the loyalties and action on both sides of the fighting.

The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets by Sarah Miller.

  The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets by Sarah Miller. Random House, August, 2019. Ages 12 and up. (reviewed from galley)

This well researched title about the five identical Dionne sisters begins with their birth in 1934 Canada. With few resources in the little farming family itself,  and the primitive rural medicine of the time, it's truly a wonder that any of the babies survived the midwife assisted births. But, then, they lived.

And, suddenly, the Depression era world wanted to know all about these little darlings! Who would take care of them? The government got involved to help provide the very best of medical care, child development information, a warm and safe environment, and everything the sisters could need...in fact, everything, but a loving family life.

The author does a masterful job of telling the story of all the attention, the marketing, and general tourist attraction nature of the girls' life. Only when they are not little and quite so cute, does the family reunite in a big house with all of the Dionne sisters and brothers and parents together. Even then, life is not sunny though.

Photos are included to show the Dionne quintuplets as children, teens, and adults. The author begins each chapter with a newspaper headline. Updates with quotes from interviews of the surviving adult women show how they felt about their family, their schooling, their lives, each other, and their ultimate attempts to be themselves as well as part of such a historic group.

Sea Glass Summer by Michelle Houts.

  Sea Glass Summer by Michelle Houts, Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. Candlewick, 2019. Children's picture book.

Set in Maine, this soft watercolored book illustrates the very best of the rocks, ocean, water, and coastal people. Young Thomas is spending time with his grandmother. He enjoys searching for sea glass and hearing stories of his family. He dreams of other times and other people in the past. By the end of the book, another generation has come to the shore and finds new inspiration in the same setting.

This is a wonderful multi-generational family story. It includes some science, too, in talking about recycling, weathering by the elements, using a magnifying glass, and collecting washed-up items. The text and illustrations mesh gracefully to provide a comforting seaside tale.

The Dinner List: A Novel by Rebecca Serle

The Dinner List: A Novel by Rebecca Serle. Flatiron Books, 2018. Adult fiction.

If you could invite five people, living or dead, to dinner, who would be on your list?? When Sabrina Nielsen turns thirty, she arrives at the restaurant to find her best friend, an old love, her mentor, her estranged father, and Audrey Hepburn!  Told in alternating chapters of time at the dinner and time in Sabrina's past, readers slowly learn why these people are there and how they have fit in Sabrina's life.  Enjoy each course as it is served!

The Summer We Lost Her by Tish Cohen

The Summer We Lost Her: A Novel by Tish Cohen. Scout Press, Simon and Schuster, 2019. Adult fiction.  On sale 6/4/2019)

Matt Sorenson, a lawyer, and his wife, Elise, a dressage horsewoman destined for the Rio Olympics, have one child, Gracie. Life recently has been difficult with Elise away for weeks at a time and Matt struggling to single parent and become partner in the firm. Gracie's smiles and determination as she navigates her turquoise crutches are lights in their lives.

Matt's now deceased grandfather, Nate, had an estate on Lake Placid, New York. It's here that the little family plan to pack up and sell it all. Elise doesn't realize that Matt's old love, Cass, lives right next door. Matt doesn't realize what Nate's accumulation of land involved. Elise keeps her own secrets close. And, then, Gracie goes missing.

A story of essentially what really matters in life, this novel well describes the small community, the haves and have-nots, the price people pay for what they think they want. Cohen knows the setting well and readers will feel like they are right there. She also is adept at describing the humans and their strengths and foibles. Will they find Gracie? Will their love survive either way?  Full of suspense, simmering attraction, and a parent's worst fear, this is a book to pack in your summer bag!

The Donkey Egg by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel

  The Donkey Egg by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. Children's picture book.

Those of us familiar with Bear and Hare in the Stevens/Crummel collaboration Tops and  Bottoms, another picture book, will laugh out loud at the return of these characters. New fans will be charmed, too.

Add Fox to this colorful tale, and the trickster story begins as Fox cleverly sells an obvious watermelon to Bear. Fox convinces Bear that, with patience, he can hatch a donkey from the "egg". Poor Bear does everything he can. He keeps the egg warm. He keeps the egg safe. He keeps the egg happy. Hare lends support every time he makes a running loop as he trains for another race. Finally, when the "egg" falls and breaks, Bear and Hare plant the seeds, grow real watermelons, and buy a donkey with their proceeds! What a turn of events for confused Fox!

Little boxes show exactly how long minutes, hours, days, and weeks can be. Math teachers will want to key in on the possibilities to slip math information painlessly into lessons! The large and colorful illustrations invite exploration. Humorous rhyming words help pass the waiting time and roll off the reader's tongue. Another winner from this dynamic sister duo!

The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson

  The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson. 

                                   William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins), 2019. Adult fiction.

Ann and Miriam have very different backgrounds, but become friends when they both work as 

embroiderers at the famous Hartnell design studio in London. Imagine their amazement when they

work on the wedding dress for Princess Elizabeth! 

The story is juxtaposed with chapters about Heather and her grandmother in Canada. Readers gradually learn how they are connected with the historical part of the book. 

The writing is smooth, the characters are well developed. Readers will enjoy learning more about

the royal wedding, but especially enjoy living in the fictional shoes of ones who might have been

there. 

Sadie and the Silver Shoes by Jane Godwin

  Sadie and the Silver Shoes by Jane Godwin. Illustrated by Anna Walker. Candlewick Press, 2019, first U.S. edition. Published in 2018 in Australia. Picture book.

A little girl flew by me in the American Girl store this morning. She had on a pair of glittery silver Mary Jane shoes. "Hey, wait, " I called. She stopped and stared at me. "I just read a book about a little girl with silver shoes," I told her. "I have silver shoes, " she told me. The perfect beginning to talk about this great picture book, right?

Sadie has three brothers. She wears their handed down clothes, but gets her own underwear and shoes. When shoes are one of the few things that you control in life, it's important to pick the right pair. Sadie chooses silver shoes, but loses one on a family outing. She loves the left over shoe so much that she pairs it with one shoe from other pairs. When she meets a new friend, Ellie, she learns that Ellie has a silver shoe, too...one that she found at the beach! Of course, Ellie tells Sadie that she can have the shoe back, but thoughtful Sadie decides that friends do share and that they will share the shoes. The last page shows and tells about their glee at having a friend and having a silver shoe.

The illustrations are done with water colors and collage. They are mostly soft colors with many small illustrations on some pages. The family is delightful. One big center spread shows the underwater rocks and fishes where the shoe has fallen. The words are childlike, but clear. This is one of my very favorite new picture books. Obviously, I cannot resist sharing it! 

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly.

Stepsister by  Jennifer Donnelly. Scholastic Press, June, 2019. YA fiction.

Have you ever wondered what happened after Cinderella married the handsome prince and rode off? Maybe you identified with the sarcastic and mean stepsisters?  Or, did you wonder about their cutting off their own toes to fit into the glass slipper? Well, Jennifer Donnelly has written this tale to set the story straight, Isabelle and Octavia, the stepsisters, have major roles in this fairy tale retelling. They realize how unfair they were to Ella. Isabelle, is the star of this version, and it is worthy of a major motion picture. Donnelly writes scenes that jump off the page with action, interesting plot developments, and new characters who fit right into the age old story. By the end, even Ella makes an appearance again, and readers may find they have new heroines who are smart, funny, brave, and compassionate. (Prepublication copy was basis for this review.)

The Farm: A Novel by Joanne Ramos

  The Farm by Joanne Ramos. Random House, May, 2019. Adult fiction.

A "resort" in the Hudson Valley called Golden Oaks is home to pregnant women who have signed contracts to give up their babies to the ultra wealthy who will pay big dollars for healthy babies. Jane already has a baby girl, but leaves her with her aunt in the hopes of making enough money to set them up for life. Her roommate, Reagan, has come from privilege and is the opposite of her own Filipino customs and values, it seems to Jane. Lisa, a ruler breaker if ever there was one, leads the girls astray. The well educated and savvy young Asian woman who runs the complex has strict rules and big plans for expansion of the business.  When Jane cannot contact the aunt and gets worried about her own little girl, the plot gets really complicated. Reader will enjoy the inner turmoil of the main characters, their interactions, and the resolution of all of their lives. This book is one that is so timely with immigration, housing, socioeconomic levels, and family bonds all wrapped up in great storytelling. (Reviewed from prepublication copy)

Paper Ghosts by Julia Heaberlin

  Paper Ghosts: A Novel of Suspense by Julia Heaberlin. Ballantine Books (Random House), 2018. Adult fiction.

When her older sister is kidnapped and murdered, the narrator is twelve years old. Now an adult, she thinks she knows who killed her sister and several other young women. Determined to take Carl, a senior citizen who exhibits symptoms of dementia and who is an award winning photographer, on a road trip to spark his memory and maybe prove her theories, the narrator springs Carl by claiming to be his daughter and off they go. This is a waltz across Texas: Calvert, Galveston, Muleshoe, and behind the "Pine Curtain" in East Texas, the duo have unexpected adventures. Is Carl dangerous? Is the girl telling the whole truth? Heaberlin takes readers along for the ride in this creepy, suspenseful story that will have everyone up late reading to see what happens.