Review of: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Review of: An Earl to Enchant

Young Miss Arianna Sweet, in grave danger after her father's death, rushes to his old friend Lady Elder—but her protectress has passed away, and now Arianna must rely on Lady Elder's dashing grandson, Lord Morgandale. Having watched his cousins surrender their freedom to two beautiful young ladies (A Duke To Die For, A Marquis To Marry) Morgandale is determined to elude the parson's mousetrap. But can he save the lady without losing his heart?

Review of: The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey

THE YELLOW HOUSE delves into the passion and politics of Northern Ireland at the beginning of the 20 century. Eileen O'Neill's family is torn apart by religious intolerance and secrets from the past. Determined to reclaim her ancestral home and reunite her family, Eileen begins working at the local mill, saving her money and holding fast to her dream. As war is declared on a local and global scale, Eileen cannot separate the politics from the very personal impact the conflict has had on her own life. She is soon torn between two men, each drawing her to one extreme. One is a charismatic and passionate political activist determined to win Irish independence from Great Britain at any cost, who appeals to her warrior's soul. The other is the wealthy and handsome black sheep of the pacifist family who owns the mill where she works, and whose persistent attention becomes impossible for her to ignore.

Review of: Roses by Leila Meacham

Spanning the 20th century, the story of Roses takes place in a small East Texas town against the backdrop of the powerful timber and cotton industries, industries controlled by the scions of the town's founding families. Cotton tycoon Mary Toliver and timber magnate Percy Warwick should have married but unwisely did not, and now must deal with the deceit, secrets, and tragedies of their choice and the loss of what might have been--not just for themselves but for their children, and children's children. With expert, unabashed, big-canvas storytelling, Roses covers a hundred years, three generations of Texans and the explosive combination of passion for work and longing for love.

Review of: Postscript from Pemberley (The Pemberley Chronicles, #7)

Seventh in the bestselling Jane Austen sequel series from Australia

Young Darcy Gardiner has fallen for Kate O'Hare, a newcomer to Pemberley whose beauty and intellect fascinate him.

Kate is more interested in discussing the merits of Darwin's The Origin of Species than the latest fashion in gowns. Her unladylike involvement in the scientific controversies of the day invite malignant forces from her past that pose grave risks for her friends. But in her very difference lies her charm, especially for young Darcy Gardiner.

The original Jane Austen characters—Darcy, Elizabeth, Bingley, and Jane—provide the framework for new characters and unfolding events set against a backdrop of the social issues of the time. This next generation proves as lively and complex as Darcy and Elizabeth's own.

I read this without having read Pride and Prejudice or any of the other six in Rebecca Ann Collins' series. This did make it a little difficult to keep everyone and their relationships to each other straight, but not so much that is impeded my enjoyment.

You may be asking yourself why I requested this particular book. When I was offered it I was intending to read Pride and Prejudice. I did start it, but the writing got to me. I'd love to read P&P, but the language gets to me. (The same thing happens when I try to read Wuthering Heights.) Postscript from Pemberley is written in more modern language which made it so easy to read.

As mentioned in the blurb above, Postscript from Pemberley is about Darcy Gardiner and Kate O'Hare. There is another couple that figures prominently in the novel. Julian Darcy (uncle to Darcy Gardiner) and Jessica Courtney. I can't compare or relate Postscript from Pemberley to P&P or any of the others in the series, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the two couples, their families and assorted friends. I'm going to have to check out the others in this series!

Title: Postscript from Pemberley (The Pemberley Chronicles, #7)
Author: Rebecca Ann Collins
ISBN: 9781402224324
Pages: 320
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark (December 1, 2009)
Genre(s): Fiction, Historical Fiction, Series
Source: (ARC sent by Sourcebooks)
Grade: B What does this grade mean?

Books in this series:
The Pemberley Chronicles: A Companion Volume to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
The Women of Pemberley (The Pemberley Chronicles, #2)
Netherfield Park Revisited (The Pemberley Chronicles, #3)
The Ladies of Longbourn (The Pemberley Chronicles, #4)
Mr. Darcy's Daughter (The Pemberley Chronicles, #5)
My Cousin Caroline (The Pemberley Chronicles, #6)
Postscript from Pemberley (The Pemberley Chronicles, #7)**
**This review.

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Review of: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, old same, in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she's painted a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on fans, compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together, they endure the agony of foot-binding, and reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.

Lily narrates Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. She has written her life (from age 5 to age 80) story. The early parts of her story are a bit graphic. Lily holds nothing back when discussing her foot-binding. I actually reached a point where I was preparing to rate Snow Flower and the Secret Fan DNF if the foot-binding part of Lily's story continued for much longer. Amanda J in my Chatting Chicks group told me to stick with it. I'm glad she did and I'm glad I listened to Amanda J. There were only a few more pages about the foot-binding process at that point before the story moved on.

Lily's story is not wholly her own. In particular her life is very much bound together (pun intended) with that of her laotong, Snow Flower. A laotong is explained in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan this way: "A laotong match is as significant as a good marriage," Lily's aunt explained. "A laotong relationship is made by choice for the purpose of emotional companionship and eternal fidelity. A marriage is not made by choice and has only one purpose – to have sons."

Lily and Snow Flower go through so much together. Births, deaths, sickness, starvation. One misunderstanding of a written message on their fan causes much hurt on both sides. Something that I imagine could happen in this age of so many messages being sent electronically.

I am awarding Snow Flower and the Secret Fan my Hyacinth award.

Title: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Author: Lisa See
ISBN: 9780812968064
Pages: 269
Published by: Random House Trade Paperbacks (February 21st 2006 (first published 2005))
Genre(s): Fiction, Historical Fiction
Source: I borrowed this book from my local library.
Grade: A+ What does this grade mean?

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Review of: The Greatest Knight

Author: Elizabeth Chadwick
ISBN: 9781402225185
Pages: 560
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark (September 2009)
Genre(s): Fiction, Historical Fiction
Grade: B

I really wanted to love The Greatest Knight. I didn't. I liked it. I don't feel like I wasted my time by reading, but I did not fall in love with William Marshall. Maybe I've read too much Philippa Gregory. I kept waiting to something huge to happen to/around him. Nothing did.

From GoodReads:
Royal protector. Loyal servant. Forgotten hero.

A penniless young knight with few prospects, William Marshal is plucked from obscurity when he saves the life of Henry II's formidable queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. In gratitude, she appoints him tutor to the heir to the throne, the volatile and fickle Prince Henry. But being a royal favorite brings its share of danger and jealousy as well as fame and reward.

A writer of uncommon historical integrity and accuracy, Elizabeth Chadwick resurrects the true story of one of England's greatest forgotten heroes in a captivating blend of fact and fiction. The Greatest Knight restores William Marshal to his rightful place at the pinnacle of the Middle Ages, reflecting through him the triumphs, scandals, and power struggles that haven't changed in eight hundred years.

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Review of: The Tudor Rose

Author: Margaret Campbell Barnes
ISBN: 9781402224683
Pages: 336
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark (October 2009)
Genre(s): Fiction, Historical Fiction
Grade: A+

Through many of the books by Philippa Gregory that I have read, I know quite a bit about those that orbited King Henry VIII (Yes, I am aware that these are historical fiction). I was so happy to read and learn about his mother, and his father to a much lesser extent.

The Tudor Rose open with seventeen year old Elizabeth of York being fitted for a wedding dress that she will never wear. The France's Dauphin has withdrawn his suit for her. This seems to be a turning point for Elizabeth, affectionately known as Bess. She has been a political pawn before, but this time she takes it a bit more personally.

Eventually she will have two men wanting to marry her. Her uncle King Richard III and Henry Tudor. She suspects her uncle of having done away with her younger brothers and becomes so emboldened by these suspicious that, with the help of a few choice allies, she sends a message to Henry Tudor stating that she will marry him and make him King of England. All the knight has to do is come to England and kill King Richard!

From GoodReads:

One woman holds the key to England's most glorious empire in this intimate retelling of the launch of the Tudor dynasty

A magnificent portrait of Elizabeth of York, set against the dramatic background of fifteenth century England. Elizabeth, the only living descendant of Edward IV, has the most valuable possession in all of England—a legitimate claim to the crown. Two princes battle to win Britain's most rightful heiress for a bride and her kingdom for his own. On one side is her uncle Richard, the last Plantagenet King, whom she fears is the murderer of her two brothers, the would-be kings. On the other side is Henry Tudor, the exiled knight. Can he save her from a horrifying marriage to a cut-throat soldier?

Thrust into the intrigue and drama of the War of the Roses, Elizabeth has a country within her grasp—if she can find the strength to unite a kingdom torn apart by a thirst for power. A richly drawn tale of the woman who launched one of the most dramatic dynasties England has ever seen, The Tudor Rose is a vibrant, imaginative look at the power of a queen.

I am quickly falling in love with Margaret Campbell Barnes books. As of now I have only read two of them, both reprints by Sourcebooks Landmark.

Other reviews:
Lana @ A Hoyden's Look at Literature
For more reviews search book blogs.

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Review of: The Treasures of Venice

Author: Loucinda McGary
ISBN: 9781402226700
Pages: 352
Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca (September 2009)
Genre(s): Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Mystery
Grade: B+

I really don't know how to explain how much I enjoyed The Treasures of Venice. Venice... how romantic. I was swept away from the very beginning. A handsome stranger walks up to Samantha and asks her to play along and act like they are together. (Yes, please!) Most of the chapters end with a flash back to Serafina and Nino in 1485 Venice; you notice some correlation between the two couples.

I would really recommend this to any fan of romance/historical fiction.

From GoodReads:

When American librarian Samantha Lewis and Irish rogue Keirnan Fitzgerald set off to find priceless jewels, they become embroiled in a 500-year-old love story that eerily prefigures their own...

In 15th century Venice, beautiful and wealthy Serafina falls in love with Nino, a young Florentine sculptor. They decide to flee to Padua, and to fund the trip, Nino copies a set of jewels that then disappear.

In modern-day Venice, Keirnan needs Samantha's help to locate the jewels so he can pay his sister's ransom. Samantha must decide whether the man she's so drawn to is her soul mate from a previous life...or are they merely pawns in a relentless quest for a priceless treasure?

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Review of: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

Author: Katherine Howe
ISBN: 9781401340902
Pages: 371
Published by: Hyperion Voice (June 2009)
Genre(s): Fiction, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Grade: A
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 - Spring Reading Thing 2009 - 2009 Pub Challenge

Please note: All quotes and page numbers come from the ARC and there fore may vary from the completed, finished version. I waited until the last minute to try to verify them with the publisher and was unable to verify them so close to the date I promised my review would be up.

Part love story, part mystery, part historical fiction... I loved (!!!) The Physick book of Deliverance Dane by new author Katherine Howe.

The Physick book of Deliverance Dane follows graduate student Connie Goodwin and her dog Arlo in the 1990's, Deliverance Dane and a few of her descendants. In the 1690's Deliverance is accused of being a witch.

While Connie is attempting to clean out her deceased grandmother's home in Marblehead Massachusetts she finds a key hidden in an old Bible belonging to the family. It isn't just a plain, old key though.

It was a key. Antique, about three inches long, with an ornate handle and hollow shaft, probably designed for a door or a substantial chest. She turned the key over in the soft light from the lamp, wondering why it had been hidden in the Bible. It seemed too bulky for a bookmark. As she warmed the small metal object in her hands, puzzling about what it could mean, she noticed the tiniest shred of paper protruding from the end of the hollow shaft.

After finding the key with the slip of paper inside (a slip of paper containing nothing except the words "Deliverance Dane") Connie begins investigating what her advisor thinks maybe the name of a person. Connie comes across not a few obstacles on her journey, including meeting Sam the architectural preservationist she can't stop thinking about. Sam becomes more help than hindrance though.

I'd like to share with you one bit from The Physick book of Deliverance Dane that really struck a chord with me:

"Yeah, but it speaks to how alienated we all are from history," Connie grumbled, blue eyes darkening. "For generations the witch trials were such an embarrassment that no one would discuss them. A proper history of them wasn't even written until the end of the nineteenth century. Now look at it -- it's a carnival."

Connie looked around at the relaxed people milling about the esplanade, gazing into the windows of costume shops and card readers. She tried to imagine other violent, oppressive periods of history that had similarly been transformed into a source of amusment and tourism but could not think of any. Did Spain have Inquisition wax museums, showing effigies of people broken on the rack?

This one is going on my "Keeper" shelf and I hope to have the money to buy the finished book once it comes out June 9th!


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Review of: Shanghai Girls

Author: Lisa See
ISBN: 9781400067114
Pages: 315
Published by: Random House (May 26, 2009)
Genre(s): Fiction, Historical Fiction
Grade: A
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 - Spring Reading Thing 2009 - World Citizen Challenge - 2009 Pub Challenge

Pearl and May Chin grew up in Shanghai, China in the 1920s and '30s. When they are 21 and 19, respectively, they are 'sold' into arranged marriages with a pair of brother, to pay off their father's gambling debts. Pearl is already in love with an artist called ZG. May and Pearl are models, their faces sell everything from baby formula to tobacco. In the process of leaving China for America, after the bombing of Shanghai, many terrible tings happen to and around this pair of sisters.

I learned quite a bit reading Shanghai Girls. I'm not sure what it says about our education system that I'd never heard about Angel Island before. More tid-bits I found interesting:

• In Chinese culture, white is the funeral color, the death color. (Imagine what it was like for immigrants from China that went to a hospital or to see a doctor!)
• There were segments at least that were prejudiced toward the Japanese; calling them things like "monkey people" and "dwarf bandits".

I really found myself pulled in by Lisa See's words. I felt like I was right there with the sisters through their many struggles, fights, joys. I haven't read any of Lisa See's previous novels, but I am looking forward to reading more than Shanghai Girls.

From GoodReads: May and Pearl, two sisters living in Shanghai in the mid-1930s, are beautiful, sophisticated, and well-educated, but their family is on the verge of bankruptcy. Hoping to improve their social standing, May and Pearl’s parents arrange for their daughters to marry “Gold Mountain men” who have come from Los Angeles to find brides.

But when the sisters leave China and arrive at Angel’s Island (the Ellis Island of the West)—where they are detained, interrogated, and humiliated for months—they feel the harsh reality of leaving home. And when May discovers she’s pregnant the situation becomes even more desperate. The sisters make a pact that no one can ever know.

A novel about two sisters, two cultures, and the struggle to find a new life in America while bound to the old, Shanghai Girls is a fresh, fascinating adventure from beloved and bestselling author Lisa See.

(Full disclosure: I won this ARC of Shanghai Girls in a drawing on Random House's website. If you have any questions/concerns about how this may have affected how I feel about the book, please go here and read the last paragraph.)

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