March 2015
Carol's Latest Picks in Paperback
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 Be Careful What You Wish For: The Clifton Chronicles #4 by Jeffrey Archer
In this fourth book of Archer's saga of the Clifton and Barrington families, the reader will pick up where the last cliff-hanger left them at the end of Best Kept Secret. Who died in the fatal car accident: Sebastian or his best friend Bruno? As Emma Clifton becomes chairman of the Barringrton Shipping Company, a sinister plan is put in place to destroy the family firm when Don Pedro Martinez places his "puppet" Alex Fisher in a seat on the board of directors. Fans of this twisting and turning series must read this continuing segment of the saga that will keep you on the edge of your seat, taking the families into the 1960's in a tale of love, revenge, ambition,, and betrayal. Archer is a master storyteller and part six, his latest in the series, Mightier Than the Sword, is now out in hardcover. The Clifton Chronicles are highly recommended, but you must start at the beginning with Only Time Will Tell. (St. Martin's Press, $9.99). Reviewed by Carol
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 I Always Loved You
by Robin Oliveira
In this historical novel, the author "paints" in words the lives of Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas as brilliantly as these two famous impressionists colorfully portrayed their subjects on painted canvases. Following the Civil War, young Mary moves to Paris to pursue her dream of becoming an artist. But after a decade of dedication to her studies, and then rejection by the Paris Salon of the piece she submits, she realizes at age thirty-three that recognition as an artist is not going to be easy and she becomes discouraged. Mary admires the works of Edgar Degas; she studies them, wondering what it is that makes an artist an artist. She doesn't want to imitate, but needs to find her own "vision" to paint what she sees. As she is contemplating a return to Philadelphia at her father's request, a friend that Mary and Edgar unknowingly have in common introduces the two, setting off a relationship that is about to change both their lives. Oliveira "relights" the scenes of Paris's world of art and its artists during the latter 1800's and amazingly breathes life into Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas for her readers. I also highly recommend The Painted Girls by Marie Buchanan, another historical novel about the life of Degas and the novelist Emile Zola. (Penguin Books, $16.00). Reviewed by Carol
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 The Kept by James Scott In rural New York state during the winter of 1897, Elspeth Howell, a midwife, returns home to find her husband and four of her children brutally murdered. Her surviving son, 12-year-old Caleb, tends to the wounds he has mistakenly inflicted on his mother upon her surprise return before they embark on a journey to avenge the violent family tragedy, each with their own secret: Caleb seeking revenge for the deaths of his siblings, while Elspeth expects to find punishment for her hidden sins. Their trek through a frozen wilderness brings them to a remote town where they hope to find the murderers; but they also find out about their own damaged selves. While this debut novel by Scott is not for the faint-of-heart, it will grab readers from the first page. A profound story from a writer to watch. (Harper Perennial, $15.99). Reviewed by Carol
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 The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi Even today, as Afghan girls struggle to gain an education, the author tells a searing tale in her debut novel of two young females who seemed powerless, but let fate and their freedom to control it,change their lives. In 2007 Kabul, Rahima lived with her drug-addicted father and subservient mother. With no brothers, Rahima and her sisters are often unable to attend school and rarely leave their home. Her only hope lies in an ancient custom to dress as a boy until she is of marriageable age and attend school as a "son". Rahima is not the first in her family to adopt this custom. Her great-aunt Shekiba, left as an orphan a century earlier, saved herself and built a new life in the same way. This story interweaves the tales of two women separated by a century and who share like destinies. What will happen when Rahima reaches marriageable age and will Shekiba always have to live as a man? Can they each adapt to life within their chosen destiny? A tender and beautiful multigenerational story portraying Afghanistan in the perplexing ongoing lives and struggles of Afghan women. A spellbinding epic that will truly make the reader think. (William Morrow, $15.99). Reviewed by Carol
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 The Secret of Magic by Deborah Johnson This is a passionate story portraying life in the South following World War II. Regina Robichard, a young black attorney, opens a letter addressed to her employer, Thurgood Marshall, at their New York NAACP office. The letter-sender, famous reclusive author M. P. Calhoun, is asking the Legal Defense Fund team to investigate the murder of Joe Howard Wilson, a young black soldier who has recently been honorably discharged from the army. Regina is sent to Revere, Mississippi to seek out the truth behind the murder where she finds rage surrounding racism and parallels between life in Revere and Calhoun's book. How much of the book is based on reality, and does it have any connection to the murder? Unforgettable characters in a fictionalized account of an actual NAACP case from the 1940's. Part history, part mystery, fans of The Help will enjoy this Southern Gothic story, not wanting it to end. (Berkley Books, $16.00). Reviewed by Carol
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 The Swan Gondola
by Timothy Schaffert
A story-within-a-story begins when Emmaline and Hester Egan discover Ferret Skerritt's fall from a hot air balloon into their front yard. Ferret, a young waif raised as a thief, grows up to become a con-man and ventriloquist performing with his wooden dummy, Oscar. The author writes a page-turner novel full of twists and surprises woven into a romantic mystical tale of love transformed into loss and spiritual reincarnation. The Omaha "World's Fair" of 1898 is the magical setting of midway attractions that bring Ferret and Cecily, a beautiful member of a traveling horror troupe, to quickly fall in love amidst the mysteries and magic of the fair. But their romance is too good to be true when a threat appears in the form of William Wakefield. Schaffert's research and historical detail--clearly a fan of L. Frank Baum and The Wizard of Oz--weaves into his story an enjoyable read for fans of Water for Elephants and The Night Circus. Highly recommended. (Riverhead, $16.00). Reviewed by Carol
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