“The Address”

 

I’ve probably said it before, but I would not have wanted to live in the 1880s. No rights, limited opportunities, constantly fighting simply to be heard... 

Two stories. Two women. One hundred years of lives intertwined. New York City 1884. New York City 1984. The Dakota. The Statue of Liberty. Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum. Lies. Deceit. Adultery. Sacrifice. Love. Each woman had their own “demons” - each woman tried to live with their past...their heritage, or lack thereof. Drenched in the history of New York City - Nellie Bly, Central Park, and the 1980s nightclub scene. As the novel marched toward its climax, I was not prepared for the twist that was to come. Happily-ever-after? Maybe. Maybe not.

“March”

“...the North’s mixed record of high idealism, negligence, and outright cruelty.” (294)

This story follows the father from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott as he rationalizes his abolitionist fervor with the realities of the Civil War. Part historical fiction, part cobbled together from Alcott’s words and the story being told - there is so much to live with in this novel. History is never a straight line. History writers are not without their bias. While some may want to look at the past and draw a line - showing the North to be noble in their quest to end slavery, historically, that wasn’t necessarily the case. March, a chaplain in the Union Army, soon finds what we know to be true; that the relationship between North and South was much more complicated than it seemed on the surface. Slavery. The Underground Railroad. Cotton plantations. The Cotton mills. Abolitionists. Contraband. Violence. Loss. Love. Peace. March tried to see his world through rose colored glasses, only to find that the lenses may have been cracked long before. I feel this book challenges what we think we may know relating to the “why” of the Civil War. It also shows how hard it is to remove those prejudices and stigma and find lenses that show that time period for what it really was…

“Harry Houdini Mysteries: The Dime Museum Murders”

 

Book 1 of 3

Murder. Greed. Escape. Ego. Showmanship. Harry Houdini and his brother Dash are believable amateur detectives. New York at the turn of the century is a perfect backdrop. Oh, and there are automatons...I LOVE me some automatons.

This novel reminded me of Steve Hockensmith’s series Holmes on the Range. Both protagonists are enamored with Sherlock Holmes and use their unique skill set to solve murders. Both novels feature a brother crime fighting duo. However, one novel is set in the Wild West and the other in New York City. 

Truth and justice are the driving force behind the brother’s quest to solve the mystery set before them. Of course, there’s bound to be a little magic along the way…

“Montana 1948”

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” -Edmund Burke

But, what if that evil lies in your own brother? Then what? How do you reconcile your obligation to uphold the law with your loyalty to your family? What if that family is laced with prejudice? What if “saving face” for the family feels like a betrayal of your moral compass? How do you explain the complexities of culture and societal norms to a child? How do you do what is right, when it would be easier to just look the other way? How do some people choose to see others as “less than” instead of equal? Will the means justify the end? At what cost? Is there any way there can be a “happily-ever-after” ending here?

“Recipe for a Perfect Wife”

 

Lies. Secrets. Expectations. Society. Deception. Power. Recipes. 

I couldn’t put it down. I don’t know if I was more drawn to Nellie’s story from 1955 or Alice’s from 2018. Both women lived in the same house decades apart; one constrained by the social norms of her era, the other dealing with who she is without a career label. Their husbands couldn’t be more different, yet each a product of their time, as well. Balance. Tipping the scales of power. Infidelity. Death. Hope. Promise of a brighter future.

Not necessarily a “happily-ever-after-ending,” but an ending that brings closure. Suspenseful.

“Entangled Threads”

 

“...the working class women of the late nineteenth century, women who struggled to earn money and help support their families in what could be a difficult environment of low wages, long hours, and dangerous working conditions, and where their sex, class, and ethnicity limited their opportunities.” (Author’s notes)

Old friends...they have returned to share their lives with me, once again. The time between novels dissolves, just like time and distance dissolves when friends are reunited.

I felt myself being transported back to San Francisco. I could hear the horse carts, feel the fog, imagine the warmth of the fire. I also felt the sore, tired feet, inhaled the wool dust, and heard the deafening roar of the textile mill’s machinery. I was at once caught up in each woman’s plight. Inheritance. Fire. Murder. Evil intentions. Greed. Family. Love. Trust. Each trying to find their way in a man’s world. Trying to carve out their own place in that world on their terms. 

(On a side note: Who else longs for the next book in the series, then when it comes out, you can hardly wait to tear into it? Should I savor it...read slowly...take my time? Nope...I devour it. Fingers crossed there’s another installment in the series.)