In April 1837, 20-year-old Mattie was summoned from her slave quarters on the Wainwright's Virginia plantation, forced to leave her own infant son to become a house slave and wet-nurse to Mistress Ann's newborn daughter, Lisbeth.  The author takes the reader through the next two decades as a close relationship will shape the lives of both Lisbeth and Mattie.  Lisbeth finds loneliness in a privileged but distant life with her parents as she grows older and finds Mattie more like family than her own kin, bringing the two closer together.  But can this bond be without consequences?  A deeply moving tale where love follows the journey of two different women searching for freedom and dignity in a time of White vs. Black conflicted Southern feelings.  A warm and sentimental story recommended for book clubs.  I wish to thank a good customer for bringing this wonderful story to my attention.  (Last Union Publishing, $14.95).  Reviewed by Carol

     In late 18th century France, a theory yet unproven, entered into a debate that questioned whether someone could be compelled through hypnosis to commit a crime violating their moral beliefs.  In July 1889, Toussaint-Augustin Gouffe, expecting to spend a delightful evening with young Gabrielle Bompard, was instead murdered--hanged--by her and her companion Michel Eyraud.  The body was then disposed of on a riverbank, only to be discovered days later in a gruesome state.  What followed was an international manhunt for those responsible for the crime and which became a drawn-out saga fueled by French and American newspaper reports impassioned by public opinion while a frustrated investigation and interrogation was carried out, rather typical in solving serious crimes during this time period in France?  Was Gabrielle "mesmerized" during the time of Gouffe's murder or was she a willing accomplice?  Will the court find the "little demon" and her lover guilty of this heinous crime or will it acquit them without showing substantial evidence.  For fans of historical true crime accounts such as The Devil in the White City and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, I highly recommend this well researched account of a stunning crime and the theory behind it.  (Anchor Books, $15.95).  Reviewed by Carol