Category: Reviews
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Claire’s Last Secret
In the words of Marty Ambrose, author of Claire’s Last Secret, Claire Claremont is “an incredibly intriguing person in her own right–and a missing voice in historical fiction.” I, too, am delighted by missing voices in historical fiction, and I loved this historical mystery centering around a lover of Lord Byron. Claire is the stepsister…
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Starlight in the Dawn: the Poetic Priestess Who Chose to Fight
(This review also appears on Paper Lantern Writers and Discovery) After teaching Mesopotamian history to sixth graders for many years, I wanted to love this book. It’s not a time period that is overrun with historical fiction, and I love stories about real women. Starlight in the Dawn is very well researched and written. The…
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The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
(First published on Prose and the Pandemic Facebook Group 5/3/21) At a time when our country is struggling with a pandemic, reading a book about surviving hard times is inspiring. The Four Winds begins in 1921 when the Great War is over and everyone is prospering. Elsa Wolcott wants romance and marriage, but she is…
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Five Books for AAPI Month
In this post I’m recommending five of my favorite books with Asian American or Pacific Islander characters. There are tons more great books on this subject, but these five have wonderfully detailed characters you’ll love. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan All of Amy Tan’s books are excellent. The Joy Luck Club was probably…
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The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier
I have long been fascinated by the unicorn tapestries, of which several versions exist. One set, The Hunt for the Unicorn, is at the Met in New York, and recreations of them hang in Stirling Castle in Scotland. Six tapestries, known as The Lady and the Unicorn, are currently housed at The Cluny Museum in…