The Splendor Before the Dark by Margaret George

In her first book, The Confessions of Young Nero, Margaret George takes you through Nero's younger years and as a young emperor. The Splendor before the Dark covers Emperor Nero's last four years, beginning with the fire and then ending twenty-three years after his death.This complex and detailed story of Nero's end is reported with passion and insight.  
  
Nero is best known for his debaucheries, political murders, the persecution of Christians, and for the rumor that he "fiddled" while Rome burned during the great fire in 64 A.D. Many people forget that Nero was also an actor, poet, and architect, and supported athletics, in which he himself competed.

Margaret George follows the conviction of Edward Champlin, who, in his book Nero, explains, "I have assumed that his actions were rational--that is, he was not crazy--and that much of what he did resonated far more with contemporary social attitudes than our hostile sources would have us believe." 

The novel is narrated by three characters: Acte, who is Nero's young lover and dearest friend; Locusta, an herbalist who sees Nero's dark side; and Nero himself. In her review, Stephanie Dray says, "Wow! Margaret George--the reigning queen of historical fiction--is back with this epic saga that vividly reimagines the life of young Nero in all its operatic, dramatic glory." Author Diana Gabaldon, of Outlander, says, "Messy lives make good stories." And Nero's life truly is a remarkable story.

"Why have you come?" I ask one of the families, a mother and two children. 

"I have told the children about him,"the woman says. "As this is a lovely day, I thought I would take them here."

"What have you told them?" That he was insane, a tyrant, a monster? That was the official story, peddled by the Senate. "That he was the most remarkable emperor we have had," she says. "He was not a warrior but an artist; he wanted to please the ordinary man, not the aristocrat; he raced chariots!" she laughs. "When shall we have such another?"

"Never, I fear," I say. Never, I know.  -The Splendor before the Dark by Margaret George

   
~Dani     

A Most Noble Heir by Susan Anne Mason

Meet Nolan Price, a stable hand who is employed by the overbearing Earl of Stainsby. Nolan, a hard-working man, has a deep loyalty to the aunt who raised him. With the money he earns, Nolan plans to purchase a farm, marry the love of his life (kitchen maid Hannah Burnham), and proceed to live happily ever after.

When Nolan's aunt falls sick and is on her death bed, she reveals to Nolan the identity of his mother and father. He is shocked to discover that his employer, the Earl of Stainsby, is also his father. Of course, it is forbidden to marry beneath his station, so Nolan is left shaken and uncertain about his future.

This story is about the struggles Nolan faces with family and while trying to stay true to himself and the people he loves.  A Most Noble Heir provides a bit of mystery and intrigue. If you like Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, you will enjoy this read.

Will gaining the world cost him everything he holds most dear?

~A Most Noble Heir

Dani Green

Once a Scoundrel by Mary Jo Putney

Gabriel Hawkins Vance entered the Royal Navy at the age of twelve and faced many horrific circumstances. At the age of sixteen, he commanded a French prize ship, but when Gabriel had to face his grandfather, Admiral Vance, he felt terrified. He would rather face disease, cannonballs, and ruthless pirates.

Gabriel resigns from the Royal Navy, walking out the door to an unknown future. All he knew was ships and the sea, so he decided to be the commander of his own ship. He could sail wherever, whenever he wanted, and take only the jobs he felt like taking, with the larger the risk the higher the payout.

One of these high-risk jobs is to save a lady who has been captured by pirates along the Barbary states. His mission: negotiate the ransom of fifty thousand pounds and bring her back to England unharmed. (Fifty thousand pounds in 1814 is like $940,000 in today's currency--a kings fortune!)

This "lady" who needs saving is not the average, sweet, curtsying sort. Aurora "Roaring Rory" Lawrence has a reputation for being intelligent, beautiful, charming, and independent--which is what got her in trouble in the first place. The story focuses on the twists, turns, and risks that Gabriel takes to rescue Aurora, her cousin, and the entire crew. With romance, murder, bribes, bartering, harems, and a wicked sheik, Once a Scoundrel is hard to put down. Although it is part of a series, it can certainly stand alone.

She lifted her chin. "Should I go free and others spend the rest of their lives in slavery because of the lucky accident of my birth?"

"In the eyes of God, no, but it's the way of the world in which we live." 

~Once a Scoundrel

~Daniela Green

Doc by Mary Doria Russell

I do not read westerns. When I picked up Doc by Mary Doria Russell, I had my doubts that it was my type of book. What I found was a historical fiction title with real characters interacting with made up characters solving a murder and trying their best to make a living in the town of Dodge City, Kansas.

What I thought I knew about Doc Holliday was no more than the typical legends of the OK Corral. This book goes into the story of Doc before the famous gun fight. It tells of the Southern gentleman, the piano player, the dentist, the gambler, the man with tuberculosis and the good friend. During one particularly big fight with his mistress / girlfriend / favorite prostitute, Kate, he explains why he is a dentist in the town of Dodge when it doesn't bring in any money. He says he does it because it makes life better for other people. He takes away some suffering for others by helping them escape pain. Doc spends his days as a dentist in town and his nights gambling. 

This book is seasoned with many colorful characters including the Earp brothers, a number of women who work at the brothel owned by James Earp, and perhaps one of my favorite characters a man who was a prince in Austria but left to become a priest on the prairie, "For the rest of his long and eventful life, Alexander von Angensperg might have topped just about any war story told in a Jesuit residence. He could have listened, and nodded, and acknowledged each man's most colorful adventure, and then achieved an awed, respectful silence with just six words: "I heard confession in Dodge City." 

Dodge City was a rough and tumble place and the team of Masterson and the Earps tried to bring law and order to the town the best they could.  At the end of the book Doc Holliday, the Earps, and their ladies are heading off to Tombstone to see what the newly developed mining town has to offer. 

This was an enjoyable title that once I got into I couldn't wait to see what was next in the adventures of Doc, the Earps and Kate in the city of Dodge. 

Shannon 

The English Wife by Lauren Willig

   Set in the Gilded Age of New York, The English Wife is a plot-twisting masterpiece.  I would compare this novel to Downton Abbey or Agatha Christie's, Murder on the Orient Express. Each character is incredibly diverse in terms of personality, and the character development is remarkably done.

  Bayard Van Duyvil is a prominent member of society.  He met a burlesque actress by the name of Annabelle Lacey during his visit to England. Through their friendship, they fell in love and married. When Annabelle became pregnant, Bay focused on building a home for his family.  Bay was introduced to an architect by the name of Daniel and started to plan the re-creation of Annabelle's childhood home in England. The two spent countless amount of hours working together and formed a very close relationship.

   Annabelle persuaded Bay into having Daniel move in so that he could focus on finishing the estate. Rumors of Annabelle and the architect having an affair arose. When Mother Van Duyvil heard about the arrangements, she was outraged and demanded that Bay reconsider. Bay refused to let his tyrannical mother run his household. When finished, Bay and Annabelle held a costume ball for New York's finest to come and celebrate the occasion.  During the ball, Janie found her brother Bay with his dagger in his chest and uttered his last word "George", and Annabelle missing.  Bayard's sister Janie is determined to solve the mystery because something wasn't settling well with the incident. She forms an unlikely alliance with an Irish journalist James Burke and finds out more than she anticipated. Recommended for those who love a great historical thriller.
     

"I don't bother myself about gossip. What is it that they call it? The last resort of the idle? I am surprised that you pay attention to such things, Mother Van Duyvil." 

~Annabelle Lacey

~Dani Green

Eternal Life by Dara Horn

    I have often wondered what it would be like to live an immortal life. After reading The Outcasts of Time by Ian Mortimer and now Dara Horn's, Eternal Life, I am certainly glad that I do not. Throughout the book, Dana examines the very essence of life. Dana illustrates the extremes of parental love, and the downfalls of eternal life.

     Rachel Azaria cannot die. She made a vow to forgo physical death to save her son. Rachel will go through hundreds of marriages, and generations of children. She will see them live, and she will see them die. When people start getting suspicious, she throws herself into a fire only to find herself, eighteen years old, in an unknown place just to start all over again.  

     However, she is not alone in this eternal journey, the father of her first son, Elazar, took the same spiritual bargain. Although their relationship is not what I consider healthy, they do love each other profoundly.

As the years progress, so does science, and hiding is not so easy for Rachel and Elazar.  To make matters even more complicated, her granddaughter, Hannah, is a scientist who studies and manipulates DNA. She is on the verge of discovering how to slow down the aging process. Hannah notices that her grandmother is aging phenomenally well, and asks if she could have a sample of her blood. Rachel grows furious at the request, and turns down the offer.  Surreptitiously, Hannah took a strand of Rachel's hair and discovers that Rachel's DNA reveals her at the age of eighteen! Rachel has no choice but to tell Hannah the truth.

All I can say is, after 2,000 years of living, I sympathize with Rachel's desire to finally die. This book will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride. It is an exceptional read, and a real page-turner. It had me biting my nails in anticipation.

“the absolute loneliness, the bottomless homesick loneliness of years upon years of lies, the deep cold void of a loneliness no mortal can imagine.”

~Dana Horn, Eternal Life

~Dani

Carnegie's Maid

This story takes place in the years 1863 through 1900. Clara Kelley is sent across the Atlantic from Ireland to America by her parents. She is to go to Pennsylvania to live with a cousin and find work, so that she can send money back home. Upon landing in New York, no one is waiting for her as she sees other passengers fall into the arms of waiting relatives. She walks on. She hears her name being called out. She follows the voice. IT belongs to a tall man wearing a bowler hat and topcoat finer than she has ever seen. "Clara Kelley, are you?" he asks. "Yes, sir," she replies. He informs her that he is to take her to Mrs. Seeley, who trains young girls to be hired out as maids.

The "Clara Kelley" for whom the man was looking never made it off the ship. Clara knew she had a choice to make in that moment. She could tell the man the truth, or she could become that other "Clara Kelley," get a ride to Pennsylvania, and have a job waiting for her. As you might guess, she chooses the latter. Once in Pennsylvania, she meets the mistress, Mrs. Carnegie, to whom she will be a lady's maid.

After several months she becomes very good friends with Carnegie's oldest son, Andrew, who is a very successful businessman. As their friendship grows, they also become silent business partners.  Clara becomes very wealthy from her understanding of the business.

I really enjoyed reading this book for its history of immigrants and the establishment of the first Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh. Andrew Carnegie went on to fund more than 2,500 libraries in America, one of which is the Delphi Public Library!
     

   

I, Eliza Hamilton by Susan Holloway Scott

  I, Eliza Hamilton is a spell binding historical read.  Nia Vardalos’s famous quote: “The man may be the head of the household. But the woman is the neck, and she can turn the head whichever way she pleases,” describes the theme of this book very well. 

 Elizabeth Schuyler is the daughter of a well-known and respected general.  She is full of grace, devotion, and intelligence.  She was twenty when she first met Alexander during a party at her family’s home, and knew then that Alexander had the ambition of a thousand men, and to top it off, he is fiercely handsome.

                Alexander and Eliza “Betsy” fall in love and marry.  She becomes his loyal supporter and soul mate, but  heart-breaks, scandal, and tragedy follow poor Eliza.  With her head held high she continues to move forward, and always, even in the darkest moments, stands by her husband.  If you are obsessed with American History, pick up this book and step into the time of the Hamiltons who had a hand in helping to shape our country.  

“Love is not easy with a man chosen by Fate for greatness.”

-Daniela Green

Warden's Daughter by Jerry Spinelli

Reading books together as a family is a great way to bond with each other and have fun. Instead of having a family movie night, have a night together where you share a new story and read together. The Warden’s Daughter is a book that your entire family can enjoy together but is more age-appropriate for upper elementary.

Growing up at a prison would make for a strange childhood, but Cammie O’Reilly spends her time around the prison, and has even gotten to know some of the female inmates personally. When she was just a baby, there was an accident that resulted in the death of Cammie's mother. This story shows Cammie transform into a preteen with only having a father for guidance. Cammie does have some adult female influences in her life through the inmates and, one in particular looks after her on a daily basis. She tries to get attached and form a motherly bond with her nanny, but it does not turn out the way she desires. A girl needs a mother figure in her life and Cammie has tried desperately to fill that void, sometimes ending in disastrous outcomes.

This story has humor, heartbreak, and mystery. I grew to love Cammie early in the book and was intrigued by her story of growing up in a prison. You get to meet some of the inmates and they are all lively, likable characters that you want to learn more about. This coming-of-age novel was well-written and a story that I could not put down until the last word. Cammie provides narration that will keep the reader wanting to learn more about the Hancock County Prison and meet every inmate.  I recommend this book to fans of Jerry Spinelli’s other works, and for families who enjoy reading chapter books together. This book, and the audiobook, are available in the children’s department.

-Lauren

Manhattan Beach

If you like character-driven novels featuring strong, smart women, you might want to pick up Jennifer Egan's latest book, Manhattan Beach. We initially meet Anna Kerrigan as a spunky 12-year-old, accompanying her father Eddie to Manhattan Beach as he visits Dexter Styles, a wealthy man she doesn't know but assumes is connected to Eddie's job. Years later, Anna is a young woman living in Brooklyn with her mother and severely disabled sister as World War II breaks out. Her father has disappeared. To support the family, Anna gets a job at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, one of those Rosie-the-Riveter factory type jobs, but her interest is piqued by her view from the factory floor--watching divers plunging into the depths to perform various ship repairs and tasks. After some perseverance and good luck, she becomes the Navy Yard's first female diver. Egan appears to have done quite a bit of research on this topic and time period, and the details of the cumbersome diving suit and the challenges facing divers make for fascinating reading. Although Anna loves her work and her small family, she is tortured by the absence of her father. When she runs into Dexter Styles at a local nightclub, she begins a relationship with him, to explore possible reasons for Eddie's sudden departure from his family. This takes her into the criminal underworld in which her father and Dexter Styles worked. Manhattan Beach combines historical fiction, crime fiction, suspense, and a war story into one big and boisterous book that was a pleasure to read. I loved Anna, and I think you will, too.

Kelly Currie

The Bloody Black Flag by Steve Goble

  Set in 1722, the same year that 16-year-old Ben Franklin contributes to the 'Dogood Papers' on moral topics and J.S. Bach publishes The well-tempered Clavier, John "Spider" Rush reluctantly joined a crew of cut-throat pirates.


  John and his best friend Ezra planned that after this voyage they would live a life of peace. On the pirate ship, Plymouth Dream, someone recognizes Ezra as the "witches son" and fears for his life.  One night John woke up and saw that his friend Ezra wasn't in his hammock, so he went up to search for his friend and found him dead!  He knew Ezra was murdered and he vowed to find the man who did this and render to him what he deserves a hundred times more. With an amateur detective at work, Spider would have to become an 18th century Sherlock Holmes and start deducting.  Try doing that on a ship full of murderers.  A story of pirating that wouldn't be the life for me!  For those mystery buffs, pick this one up---you won't be sorry mate.

~Dani

Spider stood by Ezra's shoulder. "this is not good..."

"No," Ezra said. "Not at all good." 

The Half-Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker

Norway is an astonishingly beautiful country.  Cascading waterfalls, vibrant flowers, birch trees intertwined with the deep tones of pine trees, and waters so clear you can see the fish swim past your legs. It was spectacular! When I went to visit an old Norske village I wondered what the people of Norway were like back in the day, these so-called "savage vikings" who pillaged and plundered wherever they went. I just had to pick up this historical read, The Half-Drowned King.

    Marriages for political gain, wars, battles, betrayal, assassinations, family disputes, and of course, scandalous relationships were all a  part of any royal family, in this case the "royal clans".  When Ragnvald Eystein, the son of a chief, was betrayed and left to die by whom he thought was his close shipmate, Solvi, revenge overcame him. To regain his lands, fortune, and his betrothed, Ragnvald pledged his allegiance to Hakon who was a neighboring Lord, but there is a twist to all this delicious madness.  

 This book is a must read.  A deliciously written masterpiece!

~Dani

"Anger is a pilot who always steers his ship onto rocks. It is a poor guide."

Lord Hakon

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

It is estimated that over 15,000 books have been written about Abraham Lincoln. Many of these are straightforward biographies, while others take quite a few liberties with his life (Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter comes to mind). With all of these published works, it is quite easy to think there could be no new way of looking at the life of our 16^th president, but George Saunders has proven that it can be done.

In February 1862, Lincoln is embroiled in the Civil War and fighting battles of his own in Washington. He and Mary Todd Lincoln are hosting a political party while their 11-year-old son Willie lies upstairs sick with typhoid. When Willie dies the next day, he is interred in the cemetery across the street where he encounters the other residents of the cemetery including Hans Vollman, Roger Bevins, and the Reverend Everly Thomas. These residents and Willie are in the “bardo” a Tibetan word for a transitional zone; in this book it is the place these ghosts inhabit between life and what comes after. When President Lincoln visits in the middle of the night, consumed with grief, Willie vows not to move on. Vollman, Bevins, and Thomas take it upon themselves to convince him to go as children do not fare well when they stay behind. As the night wears on, the ghosts go to more extreme measures to ensure young Willie goes on.

Saunders tells this tale by interweaving narration from these three and others ghosts with first-hand accounts of events in Washington and from the war from newspapers and letters from the time. This format is confusing at first but quickly becomes natural to navigate and gives an impression of the turmoil surrounding Lincoln and the scrutiny of his every move during this time. He was not yet the lauded “Lincoln” we know today, but a man heartbroken for his family and his country.

Normally a writer of short stories and essays, Saunders’s first novel is reminiscent of those forms as well as the works of Dante and Beckett. Lincoln in the Bardo is at times haunting and poignant and others laugh-out-loud funny. The audiobook version is a real treat. With 166 actors including Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, and George Saunders as Vollman, Bevins, and the Reverend, it sounds more like a reader’s theater performance than a normal audiobook.

- Portia Kapraun

Freedom's Ring by Heidi Chiavaroli

A brilliantly written novel which tells the story of two women living in two different time periods in Boston.  One woman is living in the 21st century during a time of terror--the Boston Marathon Bombing. The other  woman is living in the 1700's during a time of war--the American Revolution.

     The story begins with Annie Davis, or Anaya, who was injured during the Boston bombing.  She was rescued by a man who gave her a ring and a promise to come back for her.  Two years have passed since her rescue and Annie has always carried two things: Guilt and a ring of broken promises.
     When Annie finds out that her sister is moving, she quickly reconnects with her. During her visit she finds a business card with a familiar picture on it so she quickly pockets the card and goes home to call the number on the card, hoping it is her hero she held on to for so long.

     Miss Liberty Cadwell, a patriot, was searching for her brother, but to no avail there weren't any traces of him.  Liberty found herself homeless on the cold streets of Boston.  A lieutenant by the name of Alexander Smyth offered her a job as a housemaid, in her desperation she accepted the offer.
During her employment a problem arose, she grew very fond of him and fell in love.  The bigger problem..he is a loyalist and an officer of the crown, no less!
     During an uproar between the Patriots and the British Soldiers (Boston Massacre), Liberty went to aid any who had been wounded.  Among the wounded Liberty found her brother covered in blood.  Shattered by her loss, she knew she had to leave her place of employment.  With her mind set on packing, she quickly went into her room to pack and was attacked by the Captain, during which he took her innocence. Alexander, who tried to save her, was too late. Broken, in pain, and hopeless, Liberty took her belongings and stole the lieutenant's ring, the very same ring that Annie Davis possesses in the future.

     These two women, in their tragic stories, realize where true strength, forgiveness, and love comes from. It is found outside of themselves.  I highly recommend this page turner!

"It is not memorializing a soldier but the bond we as humanity have.  A bond where love and sacrifice can be used to purchase freedom."

Freedom's Ring

--Dani Green

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley

It’s 1859 and world-traveling botanical expert Merrick Tremayne believes his days of adventure are over after a leg injury. He has resigned himself to a life of solitude on his family’s deteriorating Cornwall estate with no company but his unhappy brother. When an old friend shows up to convince him to set off for Peru in search of cinchona tree cuttings for the East India Company, Merrick is initially resistant. With much needling from his friend and his brother threatening sending him to an asylum, Merrick relents and joins the expedition. Peru has a monopoly on the cinchona trees, the only source of quinine, and has begun charging exorbitant prices for the anti-malaria drug. The East India Company believes the Tremayne family’s ties to a remote village will allow him to sneak into the forest and smuggle out the cuttings under the guise of searching for frost-resistant coffee plants. Upon arriving in the village, Merrick discovers that the Peruvian mountains hide more than just the cure for malaria. There are exploding trees, a border of salt that is said to be fatal if crossed, moving statues, and a priest with a strange illness. When the quinine runners catch on to Merrick’s plan, he and the priest cross the salt border and enter the unknown forest hoping to make it out the other side alive.

This is Pulley’s second book, and has some loose ties to her debut, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, though each can be read as a stand-alone novel. A gifted storyteller, Pulley manages to make the fantastic aspects of her stories seem just as plausible as the mundane and shows the reader that true magic is found in love, trust, and enduring friendship. The Bedlam Stacks will be released in August 2017, but you can put your name on the holds list today!

- Reviewed by Portia

Trusting Grace by Maggie Brendan

Set on a farm in Gallatin Valley, Montana, Grace Bidwell who longed to have children had unexpectedly lost her husband. Broken, she had to run the farm and take care of her father, Owen, who is sick.  She needed help and fast.  She placed an ad for a hired hand hoping that someone would respond quickly.

Meanwhile, handsome Robert Frasier arrived with three meager children Tom, Sarah, and Becky.  However, they were not his own.  After he lost his farm and newly wed wife, Ada, Ada's sister burst into the court room with the children. Robert surprised and angry packed his belongings, his newly found out children and traveled to wherever there was an available job.  When he arrived in Gallatin Valley to pick up a few items he noticed Grace's ad and immediately inquired about the job. 

Robert, however, purposely didn't tell Owen or Grace about his children and hid them in the wood which made things a little complicated, especially when Grace found out.  Grace gave Robert no choice to leave the children unattended in the woods but to come live on the farm with her and her father. Robert knew to comply. If not, it could cost him his job.  

Grace immediately fell in love with the children. Robert saw her nurturing side and how she interacted with the children and started to grow feelings towards Grace.  However, Robert vowed that he would never fall in love let alone trust another woman after what Ada had done to him.  Both Grace and Robert both realized they needed to stop looking into the past, a past filled with hurt, anger, and resentment to find peace and a future they are both longing for.

For those who love historical fiction, pick up this charming and lighthearted story about faith, trust, and unexpected love.  

Dani Green 

Barkskins by Annie Proulx

 Annie Proulx’s sprawling saga, Barkskins, is at once a cautionary tale and an epic testimony to the force of will. The story follows the lives and descendants of two indentured servants, René Sel and Charles Duquet, who land in New France with the crude social climber Monsieur Claude Trépagny. Shortly after discovering the true nature of his master’s plans, Duquet runs off, taking his chances in the forest-choked landscape of modern day Canada. René Sel stays behind, letting winds of fate decide his destiny.

Duquet survives his trek and begins to make a name for himself among the fur traders.  With an eye for business and a desperate need for status, he expands his scope to including the burgeoning timber industry.  Suddenly, before cementing his status as a man of worth (after starting life as a street urchin in Paris), the patriarch mysteriously disappears. His progeny continue to expand the venture, bringing fortune and recognition to the “Duke” family name, with two or three members of each generation inheriting his drive and acumen.

Rene, far less driven, stays put on the Trépagny land and is forced into a marriage with Trépagny’s mi’kmaq cook Mari. Their children, along with her previous children, wander the land of New France, some spreading as far as New England. Mixed-raced, they live on the fringe, working as barkskins (lumberjack). Several attempt to flee the white man’s influence, and are constantly being pushed west and north as new settlers arrive, devouring the land like locusts.

Impeccably researched and told without the heavy gloss that tends to romanticize colonial times, Barkskins is a masterpiece of historical fiction.

Jennifer Wilson

The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George

Nero is known for being ruthless, murderous, and a man who indulged in every sensual pleasure.  In Margaret George's book, The Confessions of Young Nero, she writes about a different side of Nero.  A lonely boy who was almost murdered by his uncle, has a love for music and arts, and becomes a devoted husband and father.

Growing up in a household of scandal, plot, and unexplained deaths was not easy for young Nero nor did he understand it until he grew to be a young man. He asked his mother, after she killed her husband, how she could do such a thing and she told him one does not grow up to be a murderer, it just happens.

Later, when his mother plotted to kill him, Acte, a slave, saved him from this egregious crime. This complicated story of love, passion, fear, and guilt will give you an understanding of why Nero became the most notorious ruler of all time. Was it for love, the fear of being killed, or the fear of being hated by the people?  Read it to find out you will not be disappointed.

~Dani Green

Magdalen Girls by V.S Alexander

A horrific story about girls being sent away to The Sisters of the Holy Redemption due to being unwed mothers, being involved in prostitution, or in Teagan Turnan's case, being beautiful.  This historical fiction takes place in Dublin, Ireland in the early 1960's.

Teagan who met a VERY handsome priest at a party finds herself being sent away because of his lust for her.  She was stripped of everything she knew and had, even her name, and was to have no contact with anyone from the outside world.
The Mother Superior who claims to punish in the name of love has a nasty little secret of her own. It shows in her unwavering contempt towards Teagan. 

Teagan befriends a hot spirited fiery girl, Nora, whose plan was to escape the moment she set foot in the Magdalen Laundries and Lea, who has been there for some time. The three girls band together to plan an escape.  
The Magdalen Girls is a sinfully delightful story about friendships, hope, forgiveness, and courage.

The Evening Road by Laird Hunt

The Evening Road is ostensibly about the events surrounding a lynching in the fictional town of Marvel, Indiana, but it is really the story of two very different women, Ottie Lee Henshaw and Calla Destry, who are changed by the events of the day.

Ottie Lee is at her job in an insurance office when her boss tells her to put her things away, they’re going to a “rope party”. Everyone in the office is aflutter with the excitement. Ottie and her boss pick up her husband and begin a very circuitous trip to Marvel on which they see two dogs wearing neckties, get threatened by a Civil War veteran, and meet many other colorful characters. They also learn more about themselves and each other than any of them expected.

Calla comes home from a picnic only to find that her foster parents and many neighbors have left Marvel. She sets off to find them and finds a good amount of trouble along the way. Calla’s story, much like Ottie’s, is both funny and sad, but also carries with it an overarching sense of fear. As a person of color so near to a lynching, Calla is in danger from the minute she walks out the door. While both women’s stories occur at roughly the same time and even overlap in strange ways, their experiences of the day could not be more different.

Hunt does not use the terms “cornsilk” and “cornflower” as racial epithets. While this could have easily been a hokey literary device, it was instead a way to encourage the reader to slow down and think. By removing known words for race from the vocabulary of the characters, Hunt forces the reader to think about what words we ourselves use that so often reduce someone to one aspect of their personhood. Each time a character refers to someone as a cornsilk or cornflower, the reader is confronted with the assumptions that are being made about that person and why.

The Evening Road is inspired by real events that happened in Marion, Indiana in 1930. A photograph of the Marion lynching was the inspiration for the song “Strange Fruit” written by Abel Meeropol and made famous by Billie Holiday. 

-Portia Kapraun