Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks
Having lived through a plague (“lived”? Past tense? Please?) you’d think delving into the world of 1666 London during a wave of the Black Death would be the last thing we need, but no! It’s exactly the sort of catharsis many of us need. I read the novel a few years ago and was swept […]
Orphan Train Girl, by Christina Baker Kline
This book opened the door to historical fiction for me, and I’m never looking back. It might be the laziness in me, but I genuinely enjoy learning about the past through fictional stories. The Maine setting is a bonus, as I’ve never been, but always hoped to, and now feel as if I have. The […]
The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
Everyone has recommended this book, but I will too, since popularity doesn’t always negate worth. And this is a worthy book—for its characters, its time period, and for its ability to paint such an utterly human portrait of complex relationships. Selfishly, I’m always curious and eager to learn from writers who write characters from outside […]
Little Altars Everywhere, by Rebecca Wells
Read this one for the voice alone. Sidda lived in my head for a little while as she led me through this story. I’m in awe of a writer who can create a character so alive you feel her breathing in the room with you as you read. Didn’t continue with the rest of the […]