Sunday, January 31, 2021

The Nature of Fragile Things

Susan Meissner is an author I have come to enjoy as they typically have a historical setting and strong female characters which creates a winning combination. Her newest novel, The Nature of Fragile Things, is set in San Francisco and includes the famous 1906 earthquake which decimated the city. Beyond the physical destruction of the city, the earthquake figures prominently in the story as it impacts how the main characters choose to deal with other situations they face.

Main character Sophie, an Irish immigrant, travels west as a "mail order" bride for a widowed man and mother to a five year old, selectively mute girl, Kat. Sophie and Kat hit it off but Sophie is a bit baffled by her new husband who travels extensively for work. Sophie soon discovers everything is not as it seems as Mr. Hocking is not forthright with Sophie or others. However, readers later find that Sophie has some secrets of her own. Throughout the book, Meissner uses flash forwards which depict main character, Sophie, being interviewed by a federal investigator. These scenes culminate later in the book when the truth comes out about both individuals. In addition to Sophie and Kat, there are two other strong female characters with prominent roles in the book as well. All three adult women demonstrate the strength that someone can muster in a devastating situation when needed.

The Nature of Fragile Things is not a warm, fuzzy story but does have a satisfying conclusion. Readers will want to add this to their reading list.

I received a complementary copy of The Nature of Fragile Things from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. I am not required to provide a positive review.

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Environmentally Friendly

The (Almost) Zero-Waste Guide, as the sub-title declares, shares "100+ Tips for Reducing Your Waste Without Changing Your Life." While some of the tips shared are familiar, others were new to me. Author Melanie Mannarino does a great job of explaining how and why each tip will help reduce waste and positively impact the environment. While encouraging readers to reduce their waste, Mannarino emphasizes implementing a few tips at a time rather than trying to implement all 100 tips simultaneously. Tips are grouped by topic which allows readers to focus on what area of their life at a time. Readers will find it useful to read the book from beginning to end and then select the section of life where they want to reduce their waste. Following the great advice given, readers will find they are able to reduce their waste substantially. This would be a great book to read and apply with a group of like-minded individuals.

I received a complementary copy of this book via NetGalley. I am not required to provide a positive review.

Thursday, January 7, 2021

The Children's Blizzard

Many people who are amateur historians have heard of the horrendous blizzard of January 12, 1888 which killed over two hundered people across the Northern plains states. This blizzard is often called the schoolhouse blizzard or children's blizzard as many of those killed were children who had just been released from school. In the new book The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin, this blizzard takes on a personal tone as the story of several individuals unfolds with some becoming heroes/heroines and others becoming villains. Benjamin does a masterful job of providing a backstory of her five main characters which sets up what happens during and after the blizzard. In particular, she does not end the story when the blizzard is over but follow these characters for several years into the future showing how their experiences impacted their lives and communities. At first the stories seem quite disparate but soon the lives of several characters become quite intwined. It does not become apparent how the fifth character becomes involved until after the blizzard is over, but he has a large impact on the other characters.

The Children's Blizzard is a wonderful book but not for the squeamish as descriptions of individuals freezing to death and subsequent amputations are included. While the main character is female, the story will appeal to both men and women who enjoy historically accurate fiction based on true stories.

I received a complementary copy of The Children's Blizzard from Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine via Netgalley. I am not obligated to provide a positive review.

Monday, January 4, 2021

Melanie Dickerson is back with a brand new series entitled "The Dericott Tales" which is set in medieval England. The Court of Swans is the first book to feature the Dericott family which includes 7 boys and 1 girl along with the required wicked stepmother and dashing soldier. Knowing that Dickerson specializes in reimaginging fairy tales, I read trying to discern what fairy tale was the basis of this book without success. I later learned the underyling story is Hans Christian Anderson's "The Wild Swans," an unfamiliar story to me. Being unfamiliar with this story was helpful in that I could not foresee what was going to happen and was just able to enjoy the story.

Dickerson's characters continue to rely on God, pray, and recall scripture teaching as appropriate for individuals of their station and time period, but there is not an explicit "how to become a Christian" section. I find this clean but not overly religious approach opens up the series to a much larger audience. I did find The Court of Swans a bit edgier than some of the previous books I have read by Dickerson. Specifically, the main character Delia, has an unseemly encounter with a gentleman which could be upsetting to younger readers although it turns out fine. For this reason, I recommend this book for early high school readers or for a read-together. Of couse, Dickerson's books while aimed for a YA audience are equally enjoyable for adults.

I received a complementary copy of The Court of Swans from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley.