Book Reveiw: "The Book of Lost Saints"

"The Book of Lost Saints"
by Daniel Jose Older

This book was a gift from my son, Brian, for Christmas. Daniel Jose Older is one of his favorite authors. So I started reading, about Cuba and revolution, disappointment and courage. I can’t lie, I was confused, constantly looking up Spanish phrases on my phone, and yet I was filled with wonder. I pondered the idea of saints - their ordinary lives, their sins, their redemption...could we all be saints in our own right? The main characters, Marisol and Ramon, shared a world I only knew superficially (now my husband knows more than he ever wanted - sometimes you just have to share). Hatred, betrayal, death, and terror swirl around them pulling the reader along. Older weaves their lives together...bringing their ancestral baggage with them. Like my son, this is an author I would read again.

Book Review: "The Book of Lost Friends"

"The Book of Lost Friends"

by Lisa Wingate

I wished I had found this book while I was still teaching...Lisa Wright added another layer to history that I hadn’t really considered. Reconstruction for freed slaves meant trying to reconnect with their families. Wingate uses two voices; Hannie Gosset, a freed slave (1879), finds newspaper ads where one can “advertise” their histories looking for lost loved ones. Bennie Silva, a teacher (1987), used a living history project to connect her students to their ancestors. As the chapters alternate between 1879 and 1987 the story builds until the past meets the present. Along with the hope that the ends justify the means, Wingate shows us the brutality of the South during Reconstruction. She also shows us that even after desegregation, education was still not on equal footing. Hannie and Bennie are tough, driven, sensitive, caring women. I especially enjoyed the rich descriptive language.

Book Review: "The Beekeepers Apprentice"

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice
By Laurie R. King 

All the players are present in Laurie R. King’s reimagined Sherlock Holmes adventure. King even threw in Conan Doyle and Moriarty...but I’m not sure she hit the mark. Yes, a female lead, with skills that rivaled Holmes was intriguing. The mystery to be solved kept me on my toes. Unfortunately, as this is the first in a series, I’m not sure this is a storyline I would pursue. I can’t envision a romance between the apprentice, Mary Russel, and Holmes, which is hinted at throughout the novel. In my mind it just doesn’t fit.