A Wolff in the Family (2024) Francine Falk-Allen "Writing a novel based on a family story requires an author to choreograph what is known and what must be surmised into a compelling narrative. Francine Falk-Allen has skillfully accomplished this saga-to-novel rebirth in A Wolff in the Family. The hard-scrabble life, children and marriage of Naomi Wolff vividly recall a world of societal rules, privation, race and class restrictions, and the human spirit that can prevail over all of them. Another great read from this author!"
The Forger of Marseille (2023) Linda Joy Myers "This well-paced story of an artist-turned-forger in WWII-era France weaves fictional characters with real-life people in a novel of gripping authenticity."
The Earthquake Child (2023) Elayne Klasson "Elayne Klasson's second novel, The Earthquake Child, demonstrates her psychologically sophisticated treatment of a woman's journey toward building a family. Anyone who has ever had to send a child away for his safety will relate to Klasson's authentic, sensitive portrayal of that agony. This deeply affecting, well-told story has no villains or heroes. Rather, good human beings trying to address the hurdles of forming and blending families, never knowing which challenges for an adopted child are just tremors, which will become major quakes, and how to manage expectations in the aftershocks. Don't miss this book."
Finding Grace (2022) Maren Cooper "Cold mothers and troubled children. A father's desperate wish for vital and lasting connections. The peculiar, senseless decision-making of teens who are hurting. Second chances at love. The essence of community. These are the themes in Maren Cooper's Finding Grace. Set on the shores of Minnesota's Lake Superior country, the novel's beautiful descriptions of the harsh beauty in the outside world perfectly frame the complex inner worlds of the central characters. This is a poignant story of enduring love's victory over disappointment and trauma."
Home So Far Away (2022) Judith Berlowitz "Judith Berlowitz's Home So Far Awayis like stepping into an Ernest Hemingway novel, with Kristin Hannah whispering in the reader's ear. Caught in the political strife around her, devoted to the war-injured she cares for, and struggling to surmount the betrayals of country, the powers over her, and her emerging and conflicting identities as a woman, a Jew, and a Communist, Klara Philipsborn is tossed in the storms that surround her, threatening her person and profession. This vividly told story, written as diary entries, is a captivating picture of one of the many young foreign nationals who committed their lives to this fraught time in twentieth-century Spain."
How to Make a Life (2020) Florence Reiss Kraut "A gutsy and poignant novel...Kraut's superb writing and deeply drawn characters, and her faithful evocation of distinct places and eras over the whole of the 20th century keep the reader grounded and engaged."
The Best Part of Us (2020) Sally Cole-Misch "With exquisite descriptions of Canadian lake and forest country and the Ojibway life rooted there, Cole-Misch expertly weaves the elements of those differing cultures, fraught but tightly bound family relationships, young love, old love, and the wonder of coming of age?at every age?into a luminous novel. The Best Part of Us is a beautiful story that will keep you up reading, and then keep you company for a long time afterward."
The Moon is Missing (2020) Jenni Ogden "Jenni Ogden's powerful novel is a mother-daughter coming of age story exploring a woman physician's passion-driven work, the terrible mistakes and long-held family secrets that haunt her life, and the power of loving connections to heal. The evocative settings on three continents are an added bonus!"
A Girl Like You (2016) (Henrietta and Inspector Howard, book 1) Michelle Cox "The Depression-era world of a poor girl’s Chicago is a dicey deal for Henrietta Von Harmon - but she is resilient. In Michelle Cox’s capable hands, Henrietta takes the reader of A Girl Like You on a wonderful romp through the seamier side of an early 20th-century working girl’s life. The realities of a fatherless family, a weary mother, and a dearth of opportunity don’t overpower Henrietta’s curiosity, her willingness to work hard, her knack for making alliances, and her vision of a better future. The book’s cast of additional characters, headed by Inspector Howard, accompanies Henrietta through a murder, a dangerous job, and touching reminders that life turns on small intimacies. This engaging book bodes well for the following works in the series!"
