Morgan's March Picks

Historical Fiction for March 

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

I loved this young adult novel. It is a fantastic story of friendship during WWII. The two main characters are best friends who meet during their service in England during WWII. One is captured and the other is missing. An intense drama of Nazi capture, hiding out in France and the struggles we face between freedom and life are highlighted throughout the book.

 The story definitely keeps you guessing and I loved the drama when the perspective flipped between the two characters in the middle of the book.

Additionally, this book provides great insight into the roles women played during WWII. Too often the women and girls who were critical in the resistance, flying of planes and general support roles during the war go unnoticed.

I would definitely recommend this for middle to high school students and for adults who just like a good read! 

 

The Paris Wife by Paula Mclain

This book was incredible. Although this is historical fiction it reads almost like a tell-all diary of Ernest Hemminway's first wife. The story is wonderfully told and does a good job illustrating an important part of Hemminway's life.

A tragic story and one that is definitely easy to sympathize with I was struck with the simultaneous fragility and strength of the main characters. I also enjoyed the historical context - reading about Paris during the time of some of the greatest writers of all time.

For fans of Hemmiway's work and anyone interested in a historical romantic tragedy. 

  

Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan

I spent most of this book waiting for it to redeem itself at the end. It did! This book gets a little slow in certain sections but I thought it was a very complex and interesting character study and it had enough twists and turns that I felt like my time spent reading it was worth it.

A look into a bizarre project sponsored by british intelligence this is a love story, a coming of age novel and a look into british society. Very different from Atonement I still felt like Ian McEwan pulled out a win on this one.

Marti's March Picks

Mercy Snow by Tiffany Baker

 

This is a story about power and secrets.  There is a flow of life around a river in a small logging town.  The river defines the rhythm and their fortunes of the people through the mills.  The Androscoggin is such a river and the small town of Titan Falls, NH is such a town.  The people of Titan were hardscrabble people.  Surviving in the bitter cold and heat, along with the noxious fumes of the plant and its toxic runoffs.

The family who owned the mill ran this world. They held the power over who survived in this small town.  Into this world came three siblings, used to making do. Needing a place to be.  There was family land and a place to stay.  Mercy, Zeke and Hannah Snow struggled to survive the harshness of Titan.  

Things might have been quietly the same until the bus accident. From the wreckage of the accident, another body was found and another mystery opened up. Someone caused it and someone would need to pay.

Zeke went on the run to hide as he was going to be accused of causing the accident.  Mercy who had found work with Hazel and her sheep struggled to survive and take care of Hannah.  Meanwhile, June the wife of the mill owner Cal has her own suspicions and continued to force people to turn away from the Snow family.

To me the book showed so much of what could and did happen in small mill towns.  I found all the characters realistic – with both good and bad traits.  I worried over Mercy and Hannah. I became disgusted over the capitulation from some of the town’s peoples.  I found the book built slowly after the initial accident and might have even dragged a bit in the middle.  Much like the river that slowly moved the logs to the mill and left the toxins to leach into the water until the whole river was enmeshed.

The end was a surprise to me, which I liked. There was a little of magical realism in the book, which I didn’t mind surprisingly. The resolution showed the corruptness of power and the fallibility of people and to me - hope.

Fear Nothing by Lisa Gardner

Lisa Gardner's new book might be titled Fear Nothing, but don't let that fool you. There are things in the dark to fear. In this case a serial killer on the loose that is somehow wrapped up in a serial killer who has died and his two daughters. One is in jail for murder and is an antisocial personality disorder, a narcissistic nightmare and the other a prominent psychiatrist who feels no pain, literally.

Into this maelstrom, DD Warren investigates a murder. She goes back to the scene to investigate late a night only to be found at the bottom of the stair unconscious later. She is badly hurt and is off the case, but that did not stop her, because another killer is on the loose, the serial Rose Killer. DD has drawn his/her attention and now she is being “stalked” by the killer. 

Great Read! Fun Read! Creepy Read! Fear Nothing has very nice structure to the story with several great characters and mounting tension. This is one to enjoy.

The Wind is Not a River by Brian Payton

In June of 1942 During WWII, the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands and through massive efforts of the United States Military were evicted the following May (1943). This arena of the war was mostly unknown as there were black outs of the media in Alaska.  This is the setting of Brian Payton’s book The Wind is Not a River.  John Easley, a reporter decides to honor his brother’s death in WWII by investigating the rumors of what is happening in the Aleutians. Meanwhile, his wife does not want him to leave.  He leaves after harsh words quietly in the middle of the night.

The plane that John was able to sneak onto crashed over the islands.  John and a young service man found themselves on an island without any resources.  It is from here that the story truly starts to take your breath away, as they try to survive without being caught.  Meanwhile Helen knows something is wrong and is determined to get to where her husband is.  She finds herself cast in many roles as she looks for her husband.   

The book was a journey of love and survival at the most basic level and opened my eyes. I continue to be astounded over how far some people can go for love and how much suffering is too much. The Aleutian Islands are some of the harshest places on earth for survival. The search for a missing man who was secreted in the area for news was both painful and powerful.

The Wind is Not a River will resonant with me for quite some time. Emotionally the book brings you on a journey of life allowing you to witness both characters as they struggle to survive.  The sheer will of survival is highlighted again and again. 

A Great Read.