I was
originally intrigued by this story's exploration of a character with
synesthesia. But the deeper I waded into the story, the more I cared
about the characters!
Meissner has a gift for creating characters so real you
catch yourself wondering what they're doing since the story ended. Keep your
tissues handy, knowing those tears will eventually be happy ones!
We like to
think eugenics was something the Nazis did. But it was something America
dabbled in as well. I appreciate Meissner reminding us that casting the first stone is always dangerous.
A Best Historical Fiction of Spring Pick by Amazon, PopSugar, AARP, and BookBub!
A heartrending story about a young motherâs fight to keep her daughter, and the terrible injustice that tears them apart, by the USA Today bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things and The Last Year of the War.  California, 1938âWhen she loses her parents in an accident, sixteen-year-old Rosanne is taken in by the owners of the vineyard where she has lived her whole life as the vinedresserâs daughter. She moves into Celine and Truman Calvertâs spacious house with a secret, howeverâRosie sees colors when sheâŚ
Wow! I see
why this won the Pulitzer Prize. It was deeply moving, engaging, and difficult.
Because it's so deeply true, I don't necessarily recommend it to everyone.
If
you're reading for entertainment, don't read this. If you're reading for
inspiration, don't read this. If you're reading for truth and honesty and an
unflinching look at what opioids have done to Appalachia, read it
immediately.
Prepare to be shocked, disturbed, and deeply troubled. (And brace
yourself for all the cursing.) It's brilliant. And I pray it opens the eyes of
the world.
Demon's story begins with his traumatic birth to a single mother in a single-wide trailer, looking 'like a little blue prizefighter.' For the life ahead of him he would need all of that fighting spirit, along with buckets of charm, a quick wit, and some unexpected talents, legal and otherwise.
In the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, poverty isn't an idea, it's as natural as the grass grows. For a generation growing up in this world, at the heart of the modern opioid crisis, addiction isn't an abstraction, it's neighbours, parents, and friends. 'Family' could mean love, or reluctant fosterâŚ
Delicious.
And not only because of Brigitte's incredible cooking. This was a lovely book
to savor, which is kind of odd since it deals with postwar trauma beautifully.
I loved how the author dealt with
the lasting effects of violence and trauma--of all sorts--on the human psyche.
Now I want to see that center window!
From the critically acclaimed author of Universe of Two and The Bakerâs Secret, a novel of hope, healing, and the redemptive power of art, set against the turmoil of post-World War II France and inspired by the life of Marc Chagall.
One month after the end of World War II, amid the jubilation in the streets of France, there are throngs of people stunned by the recovery work ahead. Every bridge, road, and rail line, every church and school and hospital, has been destroyed. Disparate factionsâfrom Communists, to Resistance fighters, to federalists, to those who supported appeasement of the NazisâmustâŚ
Set in the shadow of the Biltmore Estate, a poignant tale of friendship, restoration, and second chances
Seven years ago, a hidden betrayal scattered three young friends living in the shadow of the great Vanderbilt mansion. Now, when Biltmore Industries master weaver Lorna Blankenship is commissioned to create an original design for Cornelia Vanderbiltâs 1924 wedding, she panics knowing she doesnât have the creativity needed. But thereâs an elusive artisan in the Blue Ridge Mountains who could save herâif only she knew where to begin.
To track down the mysterious weaver, Lorna sees no other way than to seek out the relationships she abandoned in shame. As she pulls at each tangled thread from her past, Lorna is forced to confront the wounds and regrets of life long ago.
Sheâll have to risk the job that shapes her identity, as well as the hope of friendshipâand loveârestored.
