Caroline, Little House, Revisited.

Caroline, Little House, Revisited by Sarah Miller. William Morrow, to be published September, 2017. Adult historical fiction.


Readers who grew up loving the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and/or television show will love this adult version from Ma's point of view. The story begins with Mary and Laura as little girls and Ma pregnant with a new baby. They pack up in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and head for Kansas and the Indian Territory. All the familiar details are there: Pa's fiddle, Ma's china shepherdess on the mantel, Mr. Edwards, and the warm family times. Although their lives were filled with hardships of raging rivers, strange new tribes of Indians, storms, and other scary things, the deep love and friendships carry them through the tough times.  Sarah Miller has done an excellent job of making the old stories seem fresh and new for adult readers.

Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict.

Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict. Sourcebooks Landmark, to be published January, 2018. Adult historical fiction.


Clara Kelley, a poor Irish girl, manages to take the identity of another girl and becomes a maid in the household of Andrew Carnegie, his brother, and his mother in Pittsburgh. She is clever, but terrified of being discovered and sent away. Her family depends on her income and Clara is well acquainted with poor people, poverty, and the differences in her new lifestyle and her old one. The book is truly historical fiction and really does not shed much new about Andrew Carnegie, but those who like to think of "what might have been" may surmise that Clara's influence spurred Carnegie to become the great philanthropist that he was. Benedict excels at descriptions of people and places of the past and weaves an interesting tale. This advanced reader edition did not have backmatter that might have told the truth vs. the fiction about the story.  See also The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict for another historical fiction novel by the same author.

Secrets of the Tulip Sisters by Susan Mallery.

Secrets of the Tulip Sisters by Susan Mallery.  HQN Books, 2017. Adult fiction. Romance.


Kelly Murphy raises tulips in Washington state. She lives with her father. Her mother abandoned him, Kelly, and her younger sister, Olivia, when the girls were teens. Now Olivia has come home to reconnect with her sister and father. Both women have their own secrets: about old loves, about their mother, about friends, and about their feelings. Their father refuses to say anything bad about their mother, but when she comes back to stay IN THE HOUSE with them all, the fuse is lit for emotional explosions! Filled with sex, old flames, new loves, and family drama, the Tulip Sisters is a book to take with you for light reading this summer.

A French Wedding by Hannah Tunnicliffe

 A French Wedding by Hannah Tunnicliffe. Doubleday (Penguin Random House), 2016, 2017. Contemporary adult fiction.


   Max is a rock star turning 40. He invites friends to a birthday celebration at his place in France. Juliette, a Parisian chef, has given up her restaurant in Paris to return to her small village to be with her dying parents. She takes the job as Max's personal chef. As the guests arrive, there is a married couple with a fifteen year old daughter, a long paired couple, Max's great love and her quirky sister, and an old mate and his new girlfriend. From the title, readers know there will be a wedding, but whose is it? A surprise pregnancy, a friend who makes a better friend than lover, and new love all intertwine for this culinary delight. If you liked The Big Chill movie, you will enjoy this story!

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict.

 The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict. Sourcebooks, Inc.,    
                              2016. Historical fiction.


    While most of us have heard of Albert Einstein, we are probably not familiar with his first wife, a scientist in her own right and mother of his children. In 1896, the couple meet while in school where Mileva is the only woman. When they fall in love, Albert promises that they will be equals in their careers and marriage. Unfortunately, that is not how things turn out. Benedict manages to convey the love, the tragedies, and the restrictions of the time. The novel will send readers looking for photos of the real Mileva and to nonfiction to find out more about her. In a more enlightened time, Mrs. Einstein might well have received the credit she deserved for her research and not just the money Albert got with his Nobel Prize.

My Life to Live: How I Became the Queen of Soaps When Men Ruled the Airwaves by Agnes Nixon

  My Life to Live: How I Became the Queen of Soaps When Men Ruled the Airwaves by Agnes Nixon. Crown Archetype (Penguin Random House), 2017. Memoir.




Agnes Nixon, an only child, made up stories about her paper dolls. She wrote her own stories as a young child and dreamed of being a writer. She ultimately became the creator and head writer of the successful daily "soap opera" All My Children and head writer for One Life to Live, another daytime drama. While both shows were cancelled by ABC in 2011, many fans remember the shows and will enjoy the tidbits shared in this book. The foreword is written by Carol Burnett, a fan who also played a role.




In this memoir, Agnes tells of her parents' divorce and her father's dominating influence on her life. He constantly told Agnes that she could not write and wanted her to go into his own burial garment business. She lost an early love who went to fight in WWII. She faced countless situations where she was the first woman to succeed. Agnes and her husband, Bob, later shared responsibilities for their network successes and four children. Told with candor and humor, the story of Agnes' life is itself worthy of a soap opera!


I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Anchor Books (Penguin Random House), paperback with Hulu cover edition, 2017. Original publication, 1986. Adult fiction.


While this book has become a classic, the new Hulu series has sparked readers of a new generation. A reader friend and I agreed that we see the novel with new eyes as we read it as more aged adult women. While it may have just made us angry as youths, it now provides nuances about aging to us as well. I kept finding myself comparing it with Lois Lowry's The Giver, also set in an uncertain future.


The book is set in the future. Handmaids live in the homes of Commanders and their wives. They wear all red with white headgear. Their "jobs" are to have children for the Commander to whom they are assigned and his wife. Offred (of Fred) remembers life before the changes. She remembers her husband and their young daughter whom she will not see again. She dreams of escape and subversion. Totally believable, although alien to readers, the tale is unforgettable.


This edition has an introduction of several pages which was written by the author in February, 2017. These pages are fascinating and provide context to the appeal and longevity of the novel.