Tara

I have this on my currently-reading list, but I've been reading it since I bought it about 4 months ago. I pick it up and put it down. It's not that the life of Marie Antoinette isn't fascinating to me, it is, but I just get distracted.

The book begins with Marie's birth in Austria and follows her path to France, where she marries the then Dauphin Louis Auguste, and lives in Versailles with then King Louis 14. I'm still a little foggy as to the history of the French royalty, so I don't know much about the history of Louis 14, Louis 15, but this books does give a good look at Louis 16 and his relationship with Marie Antoinette from the day they met to the day he assumed the crown (upon the death of Louis 14).

I have always had the opinion that Marie Antoinette had a raw deal by being saddled with saying “let them eat cake”. According to this book, she did not actually say that, it was not her statement, but she did overspend and abuse her allowance, leaving a lot of debt for the French Royal accountants (as did other members of Court including King Louis 16).

This is a fascinating book and I think Marie lived a very interesting life. I don't think I would want to be married at 14 and living in a foreign country trying to fit into their rules and ideas, while also trying to uphold my country's interests. There was a tremendous amount of pressure from both the French as well as the Austrians, and I think her immaturity and lack of proper preparation, along with the pressure her mother loaded onto her, helped lead to her downfall, which is unfortunate. Her story is a good read, and so far I've enjoyed this book. I'm sure I'll pick it up and put it down several more times before finishing it, but each time I pick it up, I get sucked right back into her life.

I am having the hardest time getting through this book but I am determined to finish it.

The plot summary of this book interested me and so I picked it up. The inside jacket said that after tragedy strikes Jordan, Sarah a widow and mother of 2, takes him into her home to help him heal (that's a really condensed version). So, I thought that this “tragedy” was going to be a sudden death of his parents, like a car accident. Wow, was I way off.

Sarah is a widow with two sons, Nate and Danny. Nate is an active teeenager, who has been suspended from school for truancy, namely skipping class to sit by his father's grave. Danny is a “straight to the point” child in elementary school who is struggling through his remedial classes and trying to figure out why his best friend hates him. Sarah is a caterer who has managed to keep her family together in the aftermath of her husband's death.

One day, while running errands, Sarah comes upon her young neighbor, and Danny's former best friend, Jordan. He is leaving for school late so she offers him a ride. This ride to school puts the wheels in motion for a very disturbing story. In short: Jordan attempts suicide, Sarah takes him to the hospital, police become involved and it comes out that Jordan is the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of his father and “business associates”. The big question everyone has “did Courtney (Jordan's mother) also abuse him or was she completely unaware of the atrocities her husband and ‘associates' inflicted upon the young boy?”. The answer comes out over halfway through the book.

Child molestation is a topic that is at once horrifying, disgusting, saddening, sickening, heartbreaking and angering. We, as adults (and those who are parents) spend a lot of time telling kids about “Stranger Danger” and the difference between good touch and bad touch. My parents drilled all of that into me when I was a child, and thankfully I never experienced stranger danger or bad touch by an adult. This book takes the horror of pedophilia and puts it into the home of a prominent family in a close-knit neighborhood. The parents in the community are shocked and horrified that these neighbors, Courtney and Mark, would do something so terrible as abuse their son and allow “associates” to also abuse their son and VIDEOTAPE it! This book does a very good job of showing the aftermath of molestation for the victim (Jordan), concerned/confused neighbor (Sarah) and her protective, yet guilt ridden son (Nate).

Katrina Kittle has written a book that is at once engaging and sad. I immediately liked Sarah, and felt for her every time she wished her husband was still around to help her address her sons' various issues, then she opens her home and her heart to this young boy who is badly damaged. Jordan is a good example of an abused child, he fears his father but loves and wants to protect his mother, although both of his parents are guilty of sexual abuse. Nate reminds me quite a bit of my cousins when they were teenagers: parents were a drag, a lot of peer pressure and testing of the boundaries that exist between being a child and being a man. When Nate finds out about the abuse Jordan suffered through he is immediately filled with guilt as Courtney, on several occassions, made passes at him as well as kissed him. He now feels a deep need and desire to protect Jordan from the parents who abused him, as well as work to earn his own mother's trust in him and prove that he will no longer be a disciplinary problem. Danny is a child who is not able to completely comprehend what has happened to Jordan, until he sees photos of the abuse inflicted on Jordan, then all he wants to do is protect Jordan and rebuild their friendship.

As part of my job, I sat in a trial on a child sexual assault case, and was deeply bothered by it. “Bothered” isn't even the right word, I cannot begin to express how it affected me, listening to the victim (a 13 year old girl) tell of the events of her assault as well as the testimony of a co-defendant. I didn't know this young victim, but I kept thinking “if only I could have saved her” and “I hope I can save the next child from experiencing this kind of nightmare” during the trial. Sarah did just that, she rescued Jordan and gave him a home and showed him what parent/child love is (respect, appreciation, discipline, concern...) and what it is not (sex). How do you save a child whose parents do to him/her what only two CONSENTING adults should do, but you don't even know and those parents live right next door to you? It's never too late to rescue just such a child, that's what the books shows.

I just finished reading this book and have to say that I was bothered by it. I saw the movie quite some time ago and was bothered by it as well, and thought that maybe by reading the book I would gain a little more insight. Well, I guess in some ways I did gain a little insight.

The book is about the 5 Lisbon sisters: Lux, Mary, Therese, Bonnie and Cecilia, one of whom commits suicide fairly early in the book (Cecilia), and then aftermath from her suicide which leads to the suicides of the remaining sisters. The story is told from the point of view of the teenage boys who observed the sisters over the course of the year between the first suicide and the last, and all of the “evidence” they gathered which they were hoping would help explain to them why these girls did what they did. These boys (who are grown men as narrators) were just as bewildered as I was after reading this. The 4 remaining sisters are made into prisoners in their home, which can drive any teenager to do rash things (like runaway for one), but not these girls. They were prisoners of parents who thought by protecting them from the world, they would not have the same fate of the first suicidal sister.

Jeffrey Eugenides has written an interesting book. I enjoyed his book “Middlesex” and found that this book had a lot of the same issues of angst and acceptance that the character in “Middlesex” had to deal with. That's where the similarities end. Eugenides has written a book that discusses teen suicide which is always a shocking event when it occurs, and it leaves all of us wondering “why?”, “what was so wrong that they chose this way to deal with their problems?”. That's exactly what the narrators in this book are asking themselves, even with all of the knowledge they had of the girls and the neighborhood at the time, these men still (after all the years that had passed) ask themselves “why did the Lisbon girls do this?”. The reader is also left with that question gnawing away at the end of the book. I have no idea, given everything that is laid out in the book from the POV of these men, why these girls felt this was the way out from under their overly protective and domineering parents. The parents were only trying to protect them, and that protection made them feel like prisoners who felt there was only one way to escape. I think that's what bothered me most, that these girls thought there was no other way out from under their parents and therefore, they had no other choice.

After This is a story about the Keane family and the years that this family struggles and grows through. It starts with the day Mary meets John, then moves to their lives with small children. As the book progresses, the reader “watches” the 4 children: Jacob, Michael, Annie and Claire, grow into the adults they are destined to become. It's an interesting look at the lives of people who live through wars and protests.

That being said, I just didn't like the way the story was written. I felt like there was no transition from one year to another. There were several times where on one page, the 4 Keane children would go from youngsters (under the age of 10) to adults/teens. I had a difficult time knowing what year it was and figuring out how old the children were.

The book sounded so very interesting when I picked it up and I was excited to read it, but by the time I was halfway through it, I was bored and no longer cared about the characters. This book did not hold my interest and it took a lot of effort to finish it. My interest was peaked again when the youngest child, Claire, became a teen bride but then the book ended abrupty. I felt like I was “jipped” on the outcome of Claire's life. I knew the outcome of the other three children and wanted to know more about Claire.

I just finished reading this book and it definitely was a page turner. I have never read Tess Gerritsen before, and knew nothing about her, but I'm glad I picked this book up.

This is the story about 1830 Boston and present day Boston, and how the lives of people in the past and present collide. In 1830 Boston, the city is rocked with a series of murders by a killer the press has called The West End Reaper. In present day, a woman discovers a body in her yard as she working the soil. This body leads her to search through boxes of the previous owner of her home, along with the help of her previous owner's brother. They discovers articles and letters relating to the West End Reaper murders.

The 1830s portion of the book focuses on young medical students, including Oliver Wendell Holmes who later wrote a medical journal/discovery that doctors would prevent the spread of disease by (here's a shocking idea) washing their hands, and a group of students struggling to learn the profession as well as defend themselves from the rumors that the West End Reaper is possibly a doctor.

The characters are very easy to relate to and easy to fall in love with. I loved Norris and Rose from 1830 Boston, and Julia, Henry and Tom in present day Boston. I haven't read very many books where the past and present blended so well together, but Tess Gerritsen does a marvelous job of mixing the two and combining the lives of her characters, past and present.

I got this book out of sheer curiosity. What was my education missing, I wondered. This isn't the kind of book where you have to read it from front cover to back, page by page. You can jump around and start where ever you want. It's a fun book. There were topics I remembered learning in school but had forgotten about and then there were topics that I didn't remember learning about at all. I am still reading this book, I just jump around between the different subjects. If only school had been this fun.

I saw Jenny McCarthy talking about this book on Oprah so I bought it. I have not read any of Jenny's other books, but I was very interested in learning how autism effected her life.

I have to say, Jenny McCarthy is a very dedicated mother who was going to stop at nothing to find out what was wrong with her son and how to “fix” it. I thought her journey, from the initial incorrect diagnosis to the numerous breakthroughs Evan completed was both heartbreaking and hopeful.

At age 2.5, Evan is discovered in his room seizing and Jenny immediately is thrust into a world of terror and incorrect medical diagnoses until she begins to push for the answers. The road leading to Evan's diagnosis of autism is a difficult one, with Jenny fighting with her pediatrician and a neurologist, who both think his problems are epilepsy and do not feel it is necessary to do any other tests. Jenny's marriage becomes more strained as the months go by and she discovers that her and her husband have very different ways of dealing with the stress of Evan's illness.

Jenny, finally, arrives in the office of a very brilliant doctor who takes one look at Evan and tells Jenny he's autistic, not epileptic, and he begins a new treatment for Evan as well as encourages her to continue to fight for her son. She does. She uses Google for research and meets other mothers with autistic children, and finds hope in their stories.

Jenny is very upfront and in your face with this story, and she is very honest. I remember Jenny from her MTV days and never realized there was more to her than that MTV persona. This book gave me a completely new idea/opinion of her as well as gave her all of my respect. I think anyone, whether they have children or not, would learn a lot about life, faith, love, and autism from this book. I do not have children of my own, but one day I might and with the statistics being so high, 1 in 150 diagnosed with autism, I think it would be absolutely ridiculous for me to put my head in the sand and think “It won't be my child”. It pays to be diligent in the world of parenting, and Jenny was very diligent. She brought her son through some very dark days and he is getting better. Her love and her faith helped her pull through those hard days and nights. Her strength is something I envy and it is that strength that I think all autistic children and parents of autistic children need from those around them: their friends and family. That's definitely the message I got.

I haven't finished this book yet, but it is so funny. I have never read Bill Bryson, so I wasn't sure what I was going to get.

In In a Sunburned Country, Bill Bryson writes about his travels through Australia. Sometimes, he travels alone, and other times, he has friends or co-workers with him. Bryson tells of his adventures with humor and great description. It shows in the way he writes, that he really loves Australia and respects the Australian people.

I visited Sydney in 1997 and fell inlove with the few things I saw. Reading this book brought back all of the warm feelings I had for the people and city, as well as made me hungry for experiencing more of Australia. There is a lot about Australia's history that Bryson covers in this book, which I found to be very fascinating because all I knew about the history was that it was a country of prisoners from England in its early beginnings. There's a lot more to it than that. He explains the prisoner beginnings, as well as explorations conducted both around the continent as well as across it. Bryson tells some of the, as yet unstudied/unresearched, history of the Aboringines. There is so little known about these people and yet they have been victims of years of abuse.

Bryson also relates very humorous stories about the various deadly creatures that call Australia home. Australia is home to some of the deadliest snakes, spiders and crocodiles in the world. The Box Jellyfish and taipan snake are both mentioned quite a bit by Bryson, many times in humorous stories related to him by Australians. Based on how he describes the stories he is told by “the locals”, I began to picture Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter.

Bryson has a refreshing way of telling a story. He tells it with humor and affection, pride and respect. I'm anxious to visit Australia again and go to some of the places he describes. THis is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about Australia or is planning a trip there. THis book will tell you things that all those tourism guide books don't, and you'll get a good belly laugh as a bonus.

*Quick note: just finished the book. Loved it! Bill Bryson has a fantastic ability to tell an engaging story. I am trying to plan a trip to Australia now, and plan on trying to see some of the places he talked about in the book. Been to Sydney in 1997, think it is time to try Perth and Melbourne.

I just finished this book and it was very enjoyable. The story is told from the point of view of 10 year old Sally. She is the middle child of three girls: Nell (the oldest), Sally, and Troo (the youngest). Troo and Sally are only a year apart and it is Sally's duty to protect her.

The year is 1959 and Sally is trying very hard to live up to the promise she made to her dying father: take care of Troo (whose real name is Margaret but nicknamed Real Trooper, Troo for short) and tell her mother that dad forgives her. She doesn't know what her father forgives her mother for, but she has every intent to make sure her mother knows.

The summer of 1959 a killer is loose in the usually safe neighborhood in Missouri. Two girls have been found molested and murdered and there are no leads. Sally is pretty certain she knows who the killer is and that she is the next victim. Sally is going to try her hardest to make sure nothing happens to herself and Troo, while also trying to deal with a busy older sister and a very sick mother. She is determined to get the killer before the killer gets her.

I thought Troo had a mouth that would make a sailor blush, which I found a bit unrealistic for a child who is a few months away from her 10th birthday in 1959 (2007 sure, but not 1959). With that being said, I really loved Troo and Sally. These two girls are all they have. Their mother is in the hospital, sick with a staph infection (that she got at the hospital after gall bladder surgery). Their older sister Nell is too busy to ensure their proper care (feeding, bathing, usual child care needs); she's busy with her new boyfriend Eddie and her future as a hairdresser. So, it is just the two girls. They stick together, gathering information from neighborhood kids and adults about the murders, as well as popping in at a few households for dinner once Nell stops buying groceries. Sometimes Sally's train of thought jumped its track, but I think that's what I liked about her. She was very focused on taking care of Troo, praying for her mother, and trying to convince one of the adults she trusted that she knew who the killer was, and it was all very difficult for her. I think any child would have a hard time trying to be that responsible while also trying to be a child. Sally was my favorite character.

This a first book for Lesley Kagen, and I am looking forward to reading more from her.

I just finished this book this past weekend. I have to say this was a splendid novel. There have been times when I just was so angry with my sister, I thought my head would pop off and I think the author does a wonderful job of detailing those things that just irritate us about our siblings, while also examining the strength of blood even after a betrayal.

That being said, here's a short summary: Eve and Kerry are twin sisters raised solely by their father since the age of 6. When tragedy strikes, the girls must face the responsibilities of the adult world while also trying to complete high school. They also have to deal with the ups and downs of love, sex, betrayal, and loss. The story occurs in the 1990s and in the year 2007, which I think works very well for helping move the story along and show how these two sisters are able to put their past behind them and forgive each other.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone. It was a well written story from a new author and I look forward to reading more by her in the future.

I just finished this book and enjoyed it but felt extremely confused by the time I reached the end. My book club is reading it and I think it will garner a lot of really great discussion. This is a book about a street thug, named Tsotsi (which means thug) who is given a baby and his life begins to change. He begins to rethink the path his life is on and begins to remember things from his past that were long forgotten. I really liked Tsotsi and the transformation he goes through because of this baby. I didn't like the way it ended, but I knew it had to end that way so I wasn't surprised. I was just saddened, that's all.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone though. It was a very quick read. I think it took me about two weeks to get through it; I mainly read it during my morning and evening commute.

Loved, loved, loved this book!

I had to go on a waiting list for this book at the bookstore because they were sold out of all of their copies. I originally heard about Tales from the Bed when I saw the documentary “Three Sisters” on HBO. I was so deeply moved by the story of these three sisters (Jennifer, Meredith and Vanessa) as they struggled to get answers and medical treatment for Jennifer, that I wanted more.

Jennifer Estes was struck with ALS, AKA Lou Gehrig's Disease, in the prime of her life. She was living in New York, friends with several celebrities (including Ben Stiller) and having the time of her life. When she first began to develop ALS, her doctors were unable to give her a diagnosis. There were a lot of guesses. Jennifer and her two sisters, and her parents, banded together to get specialists from various medical fields to research what was going with Jennifer and what kind of treatments were available for her. This memoir chronicles Jennifer's fight for a cure, the creation of Project ALS by her and her sisters, and the beginning discoveries medical experts made with stem cell research.

Jennifer spoke in front of Congress on several occassions, along with Michael J. Fox and Christopher Reeve, to gain funding for stem cell research and the hope that stem cells would be able to reverse their illnesses (Parkinson's, ALS, and spinal cord injuries). Jennifer hoped that stem cell research would reach human clinical trials before ALS took her life. The research funding was blocked by President Bush, but that did not deter Jennifer, Meredith and Vanessa from continuing to fight and fund research. Ben Stiller was able to put together several celebrity charity events on behalf of Project ALS to raise money for research.

Jennifer's story is at once heartbreaking and joyous. THrough the convictions of three women, medical professionals from different specialties came together to work for one cause: find a cure for illnesses like ALS, Parkinson's, Alzheimers and spinal cord injuries. These professionals may not have collaborated if it had not been for the love these sisters had for each other. Project ALS has had many more breakthroughs since being formed by the three sisters. Jennifer's story and determination send the message: “Never give up.”

After watching “Three Sisters” and reading “Tales From the Bed”, I have followed the progress of Project ALS and the efforts of the Estes sisters (Meredith and Vanessa), Nancy Reagan and MIchael J. Fox as they continue to speak in front of Congress on stem cell research. The story of Jennifer Estes broke my heart! This is the kind of book that I would recommend to anyone, it's so beautifully told and very heartbreaking real.

This was an interesting book. Written in the form of a diary, the story follows the lives of 100 women who volunteer to become wives to warriors and chiefs of a Native American tribe. The characters are very compelling and well developed, and I thought reading the story in the form of a diary made it more interesting. The history of the US government's relations with the Native Americans is used as the backdrop for this story, which also makes for a fascinating narrative. I enjoyed this book, and might reread it in the future.

Review coming soon...

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I picked it up because I had heard a lot about it as well as had seen previews for the movie version of the book. I didn't know there was another Boleyn girl, so I was definitely interested.

I have always been very interested in Henry VIII and his 6 wives and have been willing to read just about anything about them, whether it was fiction or non-fiction. As far as historical fiction, I thought this book was well written and the author, Phillippa Gregory, did her research. I was a bit surprised by a few things in the novel, like the way she portrayed Anne Boleyn as a power hungry, controlling, manipulative and corruptive woman who would stop at nothing to get Henry VIII and become queen. I did not know there was a Mary Boleyn, but she's a very compelling woman.

I found this book to be a fast read, there was not a moment when it dragged for me. I was able to read it and not get bored or distracted. I found myself thinking about the book and the relationships of Mary, George and Anne Boleyn, as well as how the three of them worked throughout Henry VIII's court. I don't want to spoil it too much for those who haven't read the book, but there were a few surprises I wasn't expecting as far as the relationship between George and Anne. George is the older brother of both Mary and Anne, and all three siblings are very close, but there was a different level of closeness between George and Anne. Some of the “hints” definitely have left me wondering what was going on in Henry's court, either with or without his knowledge.

This book was an enjoyable read EXCEPT for how completely annoying I found the main character, Rae Wilder, to be. She receives an entire description of a possible future regarding her and the vampire Tomas, by the White Witch Anna, and still doesn't seem to grab the big fat clue in front of her that says she probably should not engage in any interaction with the vampire and then screws things up for everyone. I was a bit annoyed with that. Other than that, I did enjoy reading the story, it was definitely different from other fae stories I had read, mainly being that anything non-human is considered demon. I thought that was an interesting premise. I am on the fence as to whether I'll read the rest of the series. I think I'll wait a little while, at least, before going into the next book.

I read this book when I was 16 for a summer reading project I was doing with the local library. This book definitely made me think about possible conspiracy theories surrounding Hitler, the Nazis and the Allies during WW2. I thought this book was a great work of fiction and it really was very engrossing. I would definitely read this book a second time.

I'm reading it off and on in the evenings when I get home from work. Somehow, it has a calming effect over this cough I have right now.

If I could give this book millions of stars, I would. I loved it! I have always been a fan of Carol Burnett. I have memories of watching her as a young child and giggling a lot. This book is all Carol. Her humor is here. Her genius is here. She is here, in every page.

There were times when I laughed outloud and times when I got choked up. This book contains so many wonderful stories about Carol Burnett's career, her family, and her friends and they were all so enjoyable. I loved this book!

I've decided to reread this before reading the second book in the series. It's even better the second time around! Love this book!

This is the first book I've ready by Sarah Addison Allen and I loved it.

It was a quick read and it made me smile numerous times. I liked the characters and their interractions with each other. It was very easy to figure out which characters you were supposed to like and which you were supposed to hate.

The story begins when Josey wakes up to find Della Lee hiding in her closet. Josey lives a sheltered life, waiting on her mother and trying to repent for the meanness she showed to her moter and the town as a child. Josey's father, Marco Cirrini, made the town of Bald Slope well know for it's skiing and winter activities and everyone in town knows Josey as the spoiled daughter of a self-made rich man. Poor Josey. Enter Della Lee, who starts sending Josey out on odd errands for sandwiches, and then turns down the sandwich when Josey returns, thus resulting in Josey eating the sandwich.

These particular sandwiches are made by Chloe, who owns the small dining shop in the courthouse and who has just broken up with her deputy district attorney boyfriend, Jake, whose father is also a prominent figure in Bald Slope high society. Poor Chloe. She not only has to deal with the fact her boyfriend cheated on her, but she has several persistent books chasing after her. Josey has a woman in her closet and Chloe has books following her around. That right there says that this is not going to be a normal encounter for these two young women.

Della Lee then assists Chloe with attracting the attention of the local mailman, Adam, who Chloe has been “mooning” over ever since he started delivering her mail. Della Lee encourages Josey to wear makeup, attend the annual town fair with Chloe and even have a conversation with Adam. All of this advice comes from Della Lee as she sits in Josey's closet.

Josey and Chloe both discover things about themselves and the town that they did not know and they both begin to face secrets they weren't ready to face, and that's in part thanks to Della Lee. These three women are connected but it isn't until the end of the book that you truly discover what that connection is and why Della Lee decides to take up residence in Josey's closet.

Old wrongs are righted and past mistakes are forgiven. In the end, Josey and Chloe find the happiness they deserve and accept the history of their lives, while developing a truly wonderful friendship.

I read this book in lit class sophomore year of college and was immediate drawn into the story by Sethe and Denver, and the loss that surrounded their lives. [b:Toni Morrison 6149 Beloved Toni Morrison http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165555299s/6149.jpg 736076] is an incredible story-teller, and this work definitely showcases her talent. After reading the book, I read an interview with Ms. Morrison, where she said she got the idea from an article she found while doing research in library archives. There was a small “blurb” about a runaway slave who killed her children in order to prevent her owner from taking her and the children back to the plantation. I was very impressed that Morrison was able to take a 10 sentence article and develop it into a gripping ghost story.

I read this book right after it came out and finished it in about 2 days. I really enjoyed the story and characters. It made me think a lot about loved ones I have lost and how great it would be to have at least one more day with them to tell them all the things I felt about them and say I love you, one last time.

I received a free galley copy of this book from Penguin First to Read program. The book is about Sarah Wildman's search to find out what happened to her grandfather's first love during World War II and the Holocaust. Sarah comes across some papers belonging to her grandfather after his death, and among those papers are pictures of a woman she has never seen before, Valy. Her grandmother informs her that the woman is her grandfather's, Carl Wildman, first love but will not say anything more on the subject. This sends Sarah off on a journey to Europe to find out who Valy was and what happened to her after her grandfather fled to America as Hitler moved into Czechoslovakia and Poland.

Sarah uncovers a lot of information about how immigrations were handled for European Jews wanting to flee Europe as Hitler and the Nazi Regime took control of countries and spread anti-Semitic discrimination. Sarah's research leads her to several different cities and she meets several interesting people along the way, who help her decipher the documents she finds and answer burning questions she has about life in 1939 and 1940, leading up to the execution of Hitler's Final Solution. As Sarah follows the clues about Valy and the life she lived in Europe, she learns more about the kind of life her grandfather was living in America, about his own struggles and his determination to work hard enough to bring more family and friends, including Valy, to America. By the end of the book, Sarah has a clear understanding of her grandfather's life, but she also has managed to figure out what may have happened to Valy, as the path grows cold and there's no definite answer. Sarah can only assume what Valy's fate was.

I enjoyed this book and learned a lot of things about the immigration process for European Jews to the United States, including the limits the US government put on the numbers of European Jews entering the country during a time when being Jewish was not safe. Not only does Sarah learn a lot about her grandfather's life before her own father was born, but she learns a lot about how dangerous day to day life was in 1939 Europe. She talks about Kristallnacht and the Anschluss, about the businesses Jews lost as Nazi support grew, the work Jewish leaders did to keep track of Jews within their own communities and possibly provide them with useful jobs that would bring them food and water. As she journeys to find Valy, Sarah is very open about her feelings and her hopes for a happy ending. I think Sarah does an excellent job of giving a voice to Valy, making her real for the reader and bringing closure to her grandfather's own love story. This was a well written story and I'm pretty glad that I was fortunate enough to receive a free copy.

I was not compensated by the author or Penguin books for this review