The Summer Before The War- Helen Simonson- Astonishingly poignant and meaningful~ Must Read~ 5 Stars +

 What a wonderful book this was, so full of emotion and feelings. I am glad I purchased it and will read it again. I actually went right back and reread the last chapters as there were revelations and nuances I needed to firm up.

A picture of WWI in Europe, reminiscent of the books "While England Slept" and "Why England Slept" about WWII by Churchill and Kennedy. This was an earlier war while sleepy English villages like Rye held dear to their "standards" aka "prejudices", as war thundered towards them.

The main characters Hugh and Beatrice had integrity and compassion and happily found love but many other of the characters grew in depth, some sadly in death. I had to dig out who Daniel really was so definitely will reread this one soon.

Summa Cum Laude to Helen Simonson for both novels which I loved.

The Night Hawks - Dr. Ruth Galloway mystery #13- #TheNightHawks #NetGalley- 5 Stars~ Awesome~

 #TheNightHawks #NetGalley Thanks to all for this very exciting ARC, which I am hoping is pointing to a book #14 to at least answer a question or two. The ending -WOW!

Ruth is back at Uni of North Norfolk and taking Phil's old job as head of the Archaeology department. A new lecturer seems to get on her nerves both with his associates and his theories. The Night Hawks are a group of amateur archaeologists who use metal detectors at night. A find of theirs, a Bronze Age cache, brings DCI Harry Nelson into the mix, with Ruth always seconded to the Police Major Crimes Division.

A string of murder and deaths coincide, one is found at the Bronze Age site and two immediately after it.All of Nelson's staff get drawn into these multiple murders which may have common ties to a local legend of the "Black Shuck",called a harbinger of death.

Death seems imminent for Nelson, Ruth and Michelle for a brief time. After they are saved and Nelson is recovering from his wound, he and his mother have a discussion. Not only does he divulge that "Katie" is his daughter but he and his mum have a heart to heart. Loved this ending.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson~ 5 Stars~ Wonderful read!

 Such a delightful book that I almost couldn't put down, big thanks to my book club for the selection. I purchased the author's second book, hoping it's also terrific. I found myself laughing out loud often at funny things Major Ernest Pettigrew said.

Major Pettigrew, a widower 'pushing 70' and faced with his only sibling's sudden death becomes enamored with Jasmina Ali a widow ten years younger. Most of his small English village of Edgecombe St. Mary is horrified as she is a Pakistani shopkeeper. This shock includes his only son Roger and Mrs. Ali's extended family who scheme to send her to Pakistan, although she was born and raised in England.

His acknowledgement of this multifaceted prejudice, and his awareness of what and how things might change is a literary masterpiece. "We must concentrate only on the next step and then the next.. We do what we can do and and the rest is "God's problem" Major Pettigrew stated as he and Mrs. Ali rushed to her nephew's rescue.

The book ends with his ecumenical ( sort of ) marriage to this delightful person with invited guests who are both happy and unhappy with his choices. 

The Forest of Vanishing Stars- Kristin Harmel- A "Must Read" - 5 Stars~

#ForestofVanishingStars #NetGalley 5 Stars Thanks author, publisher for the ARC.

An amazing book. which was not just about Jews fleeing the Nazi's near Belarus- it had some mystical almost magical elements. Yona ,who was born Inge to a wealthy young German couple was stolen the night of her second birthday and raised in the forest.

Jerusza, her kidnapper never let her see others, but taught her all she knew and more., Jerusza was old then and mystical voices told her what would happen in the future and that Inge/Yona would play a part.. What she never showed her was love or how to love or even to interact with others.

When the old lady died at 102 In early 1940 the Polish Holocaust was driving Jews into the nearby Naliboki forest. Yona interacts with them with compassion and tries to save them by sharing her forest lore. The author's fine notes tells us about the Bielski Partisans who practiced guerrilla war against the oppressors. Yona and her groups of survivors eventually did the same.

I have read " The Book of Lost Names" and this novel is just as excellent in a different way.

Three Times the Lady- Anna Chant - Women of the Dark Ages Book #3 ~ Terrific~ 5 Stars

 I am very much enjoying all the books from Anna Chant's "Women of the Dark Ages " series..Judith was very much an anomaly for her times but had an interesting and productive life. Alfred the Great was her beloved stepson and his youngest daughter married Baldwin II her son.

I am starting "Dawn of the Franks" now and will finish up with "The Girl from Brittia" before starting the next series about Siward of Gloucester and his compatriots. 

Recommended strongly for fans of Medieval Historical novels

Judge Thee Not- Edith Maxwell- A Quaker Midwife Mystery~ Very Enjoyable ~ Only ONE left to read!!

 Really enjoying this series and only one left to read, having started with an ARC for Book #7.

Lots of exciting events all with a theme of being accepting of others' differences, and of course murders!

Happily all of the main characters, most of the support characters and their children are well at the end of this book. Rose and David are anticipating their wedding and David had a big surprise for her.

Recommended! I actually sent a copy of book #1 to my friend in New Jersey to read, I enjoyed the pace so much. 

The Steel Beneath The Silk - Patricia Bracewell - Book 3 of the Trilogy~ Incredibly well done~

 

"In the year 1012 England’s Norman-born Queen Emma has been ten years wed to an aging, ruthless, haunted King Æthelred. The marriage is a bitterly unhappy one, between a queen who seeks to create her own sphere of influence within the court and a suspicious king who eyes her efforts with hostility and resentment. But royal discord shifts to grudging alliance when Cnut of Denmark, with the secret collusion of his English concubine Elgiva, invades England at the head of a massive viking army."

Like many others, I have waited years to read this final book in the trilogy of Patricia Bracewell's Emma of Normandy saga. I loved this book and must admit I love Emma also, my mother's family came to Ireland with the Norman kings by the early 12th century.

It was a wonderful tale enhanced by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle excerpts which give it great credibility. I think it ends in a very good place with a relationship between Emma and Cnut amicably looking toward the future.

Very much recommended to all, even those who have not read the other two books ( but I recommend them to you) 5 Stars!