fiction

Wolf by the Ears

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Wolf by the EarsWolf by the Ears by Ann Rinaldi

Review by Laurie Doan

 Do you love the music from Hamilton? Want to learn more about that time?
Time is running out for Harriet Hemmings, rumored to be the daughter of Thomas Jefferson, who must choose between a life at Monticello and a life of freedom. This historical novel is told in the form of a diary.

Harriet will be turning twenty-one soon and will be forced to choose between the only home she’s ever known and true freedom. The kind of freedom which can only be bought through secrets and disguise.

Well dressed, well schooled, well fed, and well loved. Harriet Hemmings has it all. Or does she? Raised at Monticello, the daughter of Sally Hemmings, she is also rumored to be the daughter of Thomas Jefferson. Thus she is held in high esteem by the man himself and feels in her heart that he will protect her. But he is getting old and losing his money. If something happens to him, what will happen to her?

Would she be sold with the place? Or will the slaves in Virginia be set free? When the Governor of Virginia pleads with her to take her freedom she is hesitant and says, “But you’re going to free Virginia’s slaves.”

He replies, “The pro-slavery people in this state are too strong. Look at my father-in-law. He can’t make his mind up about slavery. Hates it, yes. Says it’s a wolf America has by the ears. And that we can no longer hold onto it. But neither can we let it go.”

If Harriet doesn’t take her chance when her time comes, can she count on continuing to be treated well? Or will she too be caught like a wolf by the ears?

Check availability on Wolf by the Ears by Ann Rinaldi
About the reviewer: Originally written for the LibraryKeeper’s Review of Books, Laurie reviewed this book back in 2009. She serves Tredyffrin Township as the young adult librarian at TPL.

Ask Me

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Ask MeAsk Me by Bernard Waber, illustrated by Suzy Lee

Review by Kelly Shea

Picture books are NOT just for children, and certainly not limited to children under a certain age, either. Granted, certain picture books are meant only for the very young to enjoy. Ask Me, by Bernard Waber, illustrated by Suzy Lee, is not one of those books. The beloved author of the Lyle the Crocodile stories tells a new tale about a conversation between a father and a daughter.

The illustrations of their walk together are gorgeously rendered in vibrant fall hues. The love between father and daughter is never explicitly stated, but instead resonates through the pair’s adoring looks, mirrored body language, and sweet dialogue. The girl’s inexhaustible enthusiasm and her father’s enduring patience adds to the charm of this everyday adventure. Ask Me is a story guaranteed to win over anyone striving to focus on life’s little moments. Parents of grown-up children will especially appreciate this romp down memory lane.

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About the reviewer: Kelly Shea is a children’s librarian at Paoli Library. She has fond memories of taking long walks with her father in the fall, and she drinks approximately three cups of tea daily.

 

Tea Planter’s Wife

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Tea Planter's WifeThe Tea Planter’s Wife by Dinah Jefferies

Review by Saj Bewtra

Amazon.com describes Jefferies’ US debut novel as “set in 1920s Ceylon, about a young Englishwoman who marries a charming tea plantation owner and widower, only to discover he’s keeping terrible secrets about his past, including what happened to his first wife, that lead to devastating consequences.”

A friend of mine from Detroit read this novel while on a cruise. As soon as she came home she told me I had to read it. She knew I’d love the story. She was right. The Tea Planter’s Wife is beautifully written. A novel that kept me intrigued from beginning to end. I just couldn’t put it down. Simply put, I expect this book to be the next hard-to-get novel. Therefore, place a hold today!

Check availability on The Tea Planter’s Wife

About the reviewer: Saj Bewtra has put in 25+ years at Tredyffrin Public Library. When not working, she enjoys sewing, knitting, and . . . of course, spending time with her grandchildren.

A Curious Beginning

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A Curious BeginningA Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

Review by Michele Bolay

Are you like me? Have you been missing the Amelia Peabody mysteries by the late, great Elizabeth Peters? Well, Raybourn’s newest mystery may just help fill that Peabody-shaped hole in your heart. Whip-smart, opinionated, forward-thinking, fearless heroine? Check. Irascible, worldly, talented, clever, sexy hero? Check. Victorian-era mystery enhanced by travel, adventure, science, danger, humor, and romantic tension? Check.

When Veronica Speedwell’s final living relative dies (or so she thinks), she doesn’t waste time or opportunity and sets out to travel the world pursuing her favorite hobby (collecting and classifying rare butterflies) and her second favorite hobby (no-strings-attached romantic dalliances). After someone ransacks her home, Veronica has a chance encounter — or is it? — with a mysterious but kindly baron, derailing her plans.

The meeting sets in motion a string of events. This sees Veronica thrown together with Stoker, a reclusive but intriguing scientist. Stoker is suspected when the baron is found murdered. He and Veronica must go on the run and join forces to clear his name and to solve the mysteries of her past.

A Perilous Undertaking, the second installment in the series,  set to be published next year. I can’t wait!

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About the reviewer: A few years ago, Michele was lucky enough to attend a panel lecture with Deanna Raybourn and meet her. She is not only every bit as gorgeous as her author photo, she is also incredibly smart and funny. If you get the chance to hear her speak, take it!

Michele loves mysteries but, paradoxically, hates puzzles. Go figure.

Nervous Conditions

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Nervous ConditionsNervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga

Book review by Sam Sørensen

“Quietly, unobtrusively and extremely fitfully, something in my mind began to assert itself, to question things and refuse to be brainwashed, bringing me to this time when I can set down this story. It was a long and painful process for me, that process of expansion.” 

Dangarembga’s semi-autobiographical novel Nervous Conditions presents Tambu’s experiences coming of age in post-colonial Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). The novel begins on Tambu’s jarring, unrepentant confession:  “I was not sorry when my brother died.” Immediately, Tambu immerses her audience in one of several tragedies that drive the narrative. Tambu navigates power structures, difficult relationships, and sexism, which are all competing with the main goal of her own emancipation. The novel proves compelling and timeless by engaging the interwoven oppressions of race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Unfortunately, a lot of the same injustices Tambu encounters in post-colonial Rhodesia, we still see today in various countries. Dangarembga published a sequel, The Book of Not, in 2006, but that requires a review of its own!

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Are you participating in our YA Reading Excellence Award? Nervous Conditions would be perfect for it!

About the reviewer: Sam S. has worked as a Circulation Assistant for the Tredyffrin Public Library since 2013. She loves writing, reading, teaching, playing with her cat (Gigi!), and finding the perfect cup of coffee.

A Reliable Wife

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A Reliable WifeA Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

 

Review by Kate Shaw 

A fascinating, unexpected debut novel that examines the dark nature of humanity in the face of illness and loneliness. The book describes the rich landscape of 1907 Wisconsin and delves into how the harsh winters can affect the people of a small isolated town. Imagine Ralph Truitt’s surprise when Catherine Land steps off the train. Ralph, the wealthiest man in town, has placed an ad in the newspaper for “A Reliable Wife” and Catherine does not match the photograph she sent.

The book chronicles the uneasy start of Catherine and Ralph’s marriage. The reader comes to find that Catherine’s certainly not the pure, faithful woman she claims to be. Ralph, too, proves more than he appeared at first sight and encourages Catherine to help him locate his estranged son. The story escalates when Catherine begins to slowly poison her husband, allowing the reader to gain insight to the tortured thoughts of a conflicted woman. Continue reading →

The Paris Architect

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The Paris ArchitectThe Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure

Review by Susan Williams

The Paris Architect follows Lucien, an up-and-coming architect in 1942. In Nazi occupied Paris, a wealthy industrialist offers the architect a lucrative commission to design a secret hiding place for a Jewish client. Initially, Lucien must decide whether or not to risk his own life in an attempt to help save a group that he has little empathy with. He finally decides to undertake the commission. This job leads to many more opportunities for Lucien to devise elaborate hiding places to outwit the German police.

The discovery of one of Lucien’s hiding places leads to tragic consequences. Of course, this makes the book all the more suspenseful. Lucien begins to empathize with the suffering Jews as he never had before.

As a World War II buff, this story kept me riveted to the last page!

This is the author’s first novel; he is himself an architect and historian.

If this isn’t enough to whet your whistle, check out the book trailer for The Paris Architect on youtube.

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About the reviewer: Susan Williams enoys reading, traveling, gardening, my baby granddaughters, and working at Tredyffrin library (since 2001).

When the Killing’s Done

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When the Killing's DoneWhen the Killing’s Done by T.C. Boyle

Review by Gretchen Chamberlin

Serendipitously perfect for summer, the locale of T. C. Boyle’s book is the Channel Islands off the coast of California–a very real place that has been the site of countless assaults over time on the islands’ unique animal and plant populations. Ranching, farming, rogue species hitching rides on seafaring ships, which landed on the islands, all wreaked havoc on  the ecology of these isolated bits of land. In 1980, the islands became a national park. These are the facts.
Boyle’s contemporary novel pits Dave LaJoy, a fiery and fanatical animal rights champion against the cool minded academic, Alma Takesue, PhD, a National Park Service spokesperson and protector of the islands’ indigenous species. Her agenda includes killing the invasive species, including rats and feral pigs, which are threatening the ecosystem. And, this is where the fun begins.  Continue reading →

Pretty Girls

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Pretty GirlsPretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

Review by Angie Andre

“When you first disappeared, your mother warned me that finding out exactly what happened to you would be worse than never knowing.”

There are three sisters; Claire, Lydia, and Julia. Twenty years ago, 19 year old Julia went missing. Not knowing what happened to her destroys her family. The two surviving sisters, Claire and Lydia, have been estranged for most of the past 20 years, but come together for the fight of their lives. Continue reading →

The War that Saved My Life

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The War that Saved My Life

The War that Saved My Life

By Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Review by Kelly Shea

With amazing depth and insight, The War that Saved My Life tells the wartime story of nine-year-old Ada and her little brother, Jamie.  Ada has spent her entire childhood inside her mother’s apartment, with only the view from her window and her little brother’s stories to help her understand the outside world.  Her mother is verbally and physically abusive and blames Ada for her clubfoot.  However, the Second World War brings new and exciting changes to Ada’s life.  When the opportunity arrives, Ada learns to walk as best she can.   She sneaks away from her imprisonment with Jamie in tow.  The pair end up joining many other children evacuating London to travel to the countryside.

Continue reading →