March 2015
Carol's Latest Picks
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 Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
As always, Larson gives his readers a thriller-nonfiction account of an historical event: the tragic sinking of the Lusitania. Author of previous bestsellers The Devil in the White City, Thunderstruck, and In the Garden of Beasts, Larson's latest narrative is an enthralling story of the sinking of the Lusitania on May 7, 1915. Cunard's luxury liner, "a floating village in steel", set sail from New York on May 1, bound for Liverpool carrying almost 2,000 passengers and crew, several hundred prominent Americans among them. The author's vivid description of events puts the reader "on board" the Lusitania, captained by William Thomas Turner, and "into the mind" of the aggressively ambitious German U-boat commander Walther Schwieger and his submarine's "prize-taking" activities, events some say only later left him a "shattered man". How did weather, tides, conflicting wireless messages and other factors contribute to the Lusitania, just a few hours short of reaching its intended voyage-end, becoming the fatal victim of U-20's torpedo when it detonated on May 7, an event that eventually played a part in the U.S. entering the Great War. This remarkable account surrounding the last voyage leading to the sinking of this giant liner deserves the attention of readers that are fans of history. Dead Wake may possibly become my best nonfiction read of the year: writing deserving of a Pulitzer Prize. (Crown Publishers, $28.00). Reviewed by Carol
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 The Hotel on Place Vendome
During the 1940 fall of Paris to the Third Reich, the Hotel Ritz became a "Switzerland in Paris". Opened in 1898, the Ritz was the most famous French destination for the deep-pocketed rich and famous from around the world, always a "secret fun palace". Ernest Hemingway once said, "The only reason you don't stay at the Ritz is because you can't afford it." From Nazi-occupied Paris, Berlin learned of the hotel's unique "Janus face". Years earlier the Ritz was partitioned--a long corridor connecting what had once been two buildings--one a small eighteenth century palace facing onto the Place Vendome, and another more modern building with an entrance on a side avenue. That corridor would shape the destiny of those who spent time during the occupation in the salons and bed chambers of the Hotel Ritz. The Place Vendome side of the hotel with its gilded rooms would become the sumptuous residence of the high-ranking German officers from which all civilians were excluded. On the rue Cambon side of the hotel, the apartments, bars, and restaurants remained open to the public: citizens of France and neutral countries, and select groups from high society who were allowed to stay in residence. Mazzeo's intriguing historical account traces the years of the Hotel Ritz from its heralded opening in 1898 as the modern center of the "new" Parisian era until its decline in the 1970's, mainly focusing on the events surrounding the Nazi occupation of Paris in the 1940's: Paris's posh circle of society, Germany's art collectors, illicit affairs, collaborating with the enemy as a means of survival, organized resistance within the shadows of the Ritz, and post-war "gangsterism" and betrayal. Highly recommended nonfiction reading. Now in paperback. (Harper Perennial, $15.99). Reviewed by Carol
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Archer brings his fans an "explosive" opening in the fifth book in his bestselling Clifton Chronicles series. Not to give too much away, the author has Harry Clifton visiting his publisher in New York and launching a campaign to release a Russian author imprisoned in Siberia for writing a book about what it was like to work for Stalin. Meanwhile, Harry's wife, Emma, chairman of Barrington Shipping, is facing some of her board members wanting her to resign following an IRA attack on the Buckingham, one of Barrington's passenger liners on its maiden voyage. Giles Barrington, a member of Parliament finds his political career and marriage in jeopardy following a trip to Berlin, while Harry's son Sebastian may have taken his ambitions in his position at the Farthings Bank too far, resulting in his personal life crumbling while an adversary interested in his own advancement in the bank is seeking to remove Sebastian as his rival. Will he be able to rebuild the declining fall in his personal life and the goals he set for himself seeking a career? Archer's compelling chronicles with all the twists and turns his fans have come to expect in the story of the Clifton and Barrington families continue into the 1970's. An outstanding storyteller who is capable of always making his readers wonder intensely what will happen next-- again another cliff-hanger. I highly recommend Mightier Than the Sword as I eagerly await a future Book 6 in Archer's saga of these British families and the characters and international world surrounding them. Readers unfamiliar with the Clifton Chronicles must start at the beginning with Book 1, Only Time Will Tell. I can assure you that you won't be disappointed. (St. Martin's Press, $27.99). Reviewed by Carol
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 The Housemaid's Daughter by Barbara Mulch Ada is the housemaid's daughter, whose voice and music tell this moving story of 1930's apartheid in the unpredictable Karoo desert area of South Africa, as she grows up in Cradock House, the home of an Irish emigrant family. Cathleen Harrington, mistress of the family, forms a bond with Ada, teaching her to read and play the piano, educating her beyond her black roots. Can skins mix, proving apartheid wrong? The joy of music bridges Ada's life and her playing of the piano reveals her moods: sometimes joy, but often opening herself to despair or anger. When Ada abruptly leaves following "duty to her master", Cathleen stops at nothing to bring her home and conceal her shame. This is a story about the war on skin color differences which enters a dark place and the world "terrorism" is born out of apartheid and desperation as the mixed race, confused by who they are and where they can find their place in the world among the blacks and the whites as it builds barriers in 1930's South Africa. A dramatic story portraying the heartbreak of two women who rise above cruelty to find love, hope, and redemption. Highly recommended for book clubs. (St. Martin's Griffin, $15.00). Reviewed by Carol
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 Freedom's School by Lisa Cline-Ransome Days following emancipation, Lizzie's parents decide she and her brother must attend school in spite of the danger they face walking there. The school has little in the way of supplies and is short on heat, but it does have a teacher with skin as brown as Lizzie's. Students come and go as they are needed for working in the fields; but then racism strikes and the school is burned down. The African-American community spirit comes together, and the school is rebuilt in this story narrated in a girl's voice that can help young children understand the importance of school by seeing the part justice and equality play in getting an education. The story expresses the deep-down desire for children to be educated and is illustrated with James Ransome's watercolor paintings that give a dramatic sensibility to the deepness of the story. Recommended for ages 6 to 8. (Disney books, $17.99). Reviewed by Carol
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 Nancy Clancy: My Secret Diary
by Jane O"Connor and Robin Glasser
This fancy do-it-yourself diary is full of fun for ages 6 to 10. The author and illustrator of the Fancy Nancy and Nancy Clancy series have now created a special book for their fans to record secret thoughts and wishes with full-color spreads and writing prompts and plenty of space for writing and drawing along with four pages of stickers, making this a perfect gift for recording favorite moments and experiences. Tons of fun word activities in a girl's secret diary. (Harper, $11.99). Reviewed by Carol.
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