Fourth of July Forgery

Fourth of July Forgery is the 6th Holiday Cozy Mystery from Tonya Kappes. It is a charming, fast paced cozy mystery that was published on June 29, 2023. 

The publisher's summary:

Fireworks aren't the only things causing sparks this Fourth of July in Holiday Junction! The much-awaited sixth book in the Holiday Cozy Mystery series, Fourth of July Forgery, immerses readers in a mystery that's more intricate than a firework's design.

When the festive atmosphere is dampened by the grim discovery of a body on the shore, it's up to our firecracker reporter, Violet Rhinehammer, to fizzle out the truth. Delving into the shadowy world of art dealing and potential forgeries, Violet must crack this case faster than a skyrocket, all while trying to keep her relationships and reputation from going up in smoke.

As she navigates the labyrinth of deception and accusation, Violet realizes that even in Holiday Junction, secrets can still explode like a M80. Can she solve the puzzle before the last sparkler has fizzled out, or will the fuse on this mystery burn too quickly for her to handle?

Violet is a news reporter for the Junction Journal and the amateur sleuth for the story. She uses her job as a journalist to investigate the murder of art dealer Graham Winston, whose body was found during the annual fireworks display. The police have no involvement in searching for the perpetrator, which is a little odd. The only time the police chief is mentioned is when he drives a car in the town’s Fourth of July parade and when he arrests the perp. However, this suspension of belief did not bother me much because Violet's mind worked fast. As a result there was a new twist on just about every other page. The reveal of the whodunnit was satisfying.

All of the characters were memorable. From Violet to her southern mother Millie Kaye, town gossip Goldie and the paper's newest journalist Radley. Violet is a return character from a prior cozy series by the author. She is the main character in each installment of this Holiday Cozy Mystery series so I already know I am going to be reading all of them.

4 out of 5 stars.

A Founding Mother

Just in time for the 250th Anniversary of the birth of the United States comes this sweeping, intimate portrayal of Abigail Adams. She was the wife of one president, John Adams, and mother to another, John Quincy Adams. Her willpower and wisdom helped shape our fledgling republic. The book has been meticulously researched, drawing on the extensive letters that Abigail wrote throughout her life. This 464 page novel was published on May 5, 2026.

The publisher's summary:

In the heart of revolutionary Boston, Abigail Adams raises her children amid riots, blockades, and the outbreak of war. While her husband, John Adams, rises from country lawyer to nation-builder, often away for years at a time, Abigail builds her own independence—managing their farm, making lucrative investments, amassing savings, battling plague and loss, and defending their home. Unafraid to speak her mind, she famously offers fearless political counsel, urging John to “remember the ladies” in the new government. Through it all, she becomes his most trusted confidante and indispensable ally.

When peace is secured, Abigail steps onto the world stage—exchanging ideas with Thomas Jefferson in the French countryside, navigating court life as the wife of the Minister to Great Britain, and presiding over the parlor politics of the early American republic in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. Even after her husband’s presidential administration, she continues battling political foes and working behind the scenes to advance her family, secure independence for the women in her life, and ensure a better life for the next generation of Americans.

From war-torn streets to the chandeliered halls of power, A Founding Mother is the unforgettable story of a woman ahead of her time—one whose voice, vision, and valor still resonate powerfully today.

The story opened with Abigail and John discussing the British army successes of 1814 against the states. The British had just burned down Washington DC and destroyed the White House and Capitol buildings. Both of them feared that the republic might be lost despite a lifetime of efforts from both of them. The story then turns back in history to 1770 where the story of the Adams's marriage was also the story of the founding of the nation. 

I am impressed with the amount of historical information presented. The authors did an incredible amount of research. I enjoyed seeing the founding of our country through the perspectives of women. Women had no say in the political decisions that the men made but women were responsible for making those decisions successful. As the men fought back against the taxes, the ladies learned to make their own clothes, to spin fiber and put food on the table without the use of food staples. If the ladies had not been able to do this, independence would not have been possible. Abigail had a double portion of hardship. She had to deal with the shortages while managing her household but also had to work the fields of the family farm in order to earn money. John Adams was frequently absent due to his law practice as well as with his work for the Continental Congress. Had he been present, he would have worked the farm.

The relationships between the Adamses, Washingtons, and Jeffersons was complicated. I wasn't aware of how intertwined their friendships were. The political differences between them only surfaced after the end of the Revolutionary War. For example, Abigail was intimidated by Martha Washington. Martha was wealthy and exhibited the airs and graces of her position. Abigail on the other hand grew up as a meager parson's daughter and had to learn how to behave around those in upper social circles, especially after her husband became president. Jefferson became a close friend of both Adamses but was closer to Abigail. They shared a love of wisdom and humor but Jefferson accepted Abigail's wish to be treated as an intellectual, unusual for the era. 

A Founding Mother is a fascinating account of the events surrounding the birth of a nation. There is so much to learn from its pages and I highly recommend it. Women will definitely want to read the book. 5 out of 5 stars.

America’s First Daughter

America's First Daughter is a well researched historical novel on the life of Thomas Jefferson's daughter Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph. Patsy has to deal with the knowledge that her father loves his country more than he loves his family. When her mother dies, she rises to the challenge and becomes Jefferson's constant companion and helper. She even travels with him to France when he is appointed as America's minister to France. While they are in Paris, Patsy first learns about her father's affair with a slave named Sally Hemings who is the same age as Patsy. Both are fifteen-years-old. She loves appearing at French royal court functions where the dresses, food and atmosphere captivate her. Here, Patsy falls in love with one of her father's assistants, William Short. Short is an ardent abolitionist and has high ambitions for his political career. Patsy has a dilemma to resolve. Should she follow her heart and marry Short or continue as a devoted assistant to her father? Patsy chooses her father in this impressive historical biography and marries an American instead.

A french royal court setting is always going to be alluring for me. I just love reading descriptions of the food and dresses that the ladies wore. Post-revolution America is not as enticing but the author has written into the plot several controversial topics of the time, some of which I never heard of before and they were quite interesting. The women in the novel had to exert their power indirectly as the men had the real power in the nation and in their homes. While I know that this just reflected the times, I hate reading about women having to live this way. 

I knew nothing about Jefferson's daughter before reading this book. She certainly was a plucky character. Patsy's life story included running from the British during the Revolutionary War, handling many of her father's business affairs, helping him run the White House while he was president and, of course, giving birth to eleven kids after her marriage to her American cousin. I imagine that many women of this era had similar life stories to tell and I wish that I could find these stories. Alas, they were not written down unless they were members of famous families.

The authors also wrote a historical biography of Alexander Hamilton's wife Eliza. I loved that novel too and hope that this writing duo continues to write about the ladies of our American revolution. 5 out of 5 stars.

Constitution Illustrated

Constitution Illustrated gives the reader the entire text of the U. S. Constitution. It is a graphic novel with drawings done in the iconic styles of over one hundred different classic and contemporary American comic artists. The characters are well known cartoon characters. This book was published in 2020. 

The publisher's summary:

Among Sikoryak’s spot-on unions of government articles and amendments with famous comic-book characters: the Eighteenth Amendment that instituted prohibition is articulated with Homer Simpson running from Chief Wiggum; the Fourteenth Amendment that solidifies citizenship to all people born and naturalized in the United States is personified by Ms. Marvel; and, of course, the Nineteenth Amendment offering women the right to vote is a glorious depiction of Wonder Woman breaking free from her chains. American artists from George Herriman (Krazy Kat) and Charles Schulz (Peanuts) to Raina Telgemeier (Sisters) and Alison Bechdel (Dykes to Watch Out For) are homaged, with their characters reimagined in historical costumes and situations. We the People has never been more apt.

 

This is a short graphic novel; just 132 pages. The "dialogue" or text in this book consists solely of the words of the Constitution. The characters are from TV shows or cartoons. Donald Duck, Dennis the Menace, Charlie Brown, Lucy and Dagwood Bumstead are some of the characters. 

I like that there is background material at the end of the document. There is a Comics Index, Notes on the Constitution itself, amendments made to the original language by Congress, a Chronology of the drafting of the document and the Selected Bibliography. After Congress approved the final draft of the Constitution it was sent to the states for ratification.

There were some amendments that I forgot about so I had a nice learning experience. With the recent decision of the U. S. Supreme Court confirming birth right citizenship, the Fourteenth Amendment was fascinating to read. This book is an entertaining way of learning American history. It is fun and easy to read. I highly recommend it to readers of all ages.

5 out of 5 stars.

My Dear Hamilton

My Dear Hamilton is the story of Alexander Hamilton's wife Eliza Hamilton, from her coming of age to the end of her life. Eliza, known as Betsy by her family, grew up in Revolutionary New York as the daughter of an army general, Philip Schuyler. She is a champion of independence and when she meets George Washington's aide, Alexander Hamilton, she is captivated by his charisma and brilliant intellect. They soon fall in love and marry, despite Hamilton's bastard birth and the uncertainties of the war. Their marriage and the new American nation are far from perfect. The Hamiltons are at the center of the glittery inaugural balls and the bloody street riots as well as the nation's first sex scandal, which forces Eliza to struggle through heartbreak and betrayal to find forgiveness. When her husband dies in a duel, Eliza fights her husband's enemies in order to preserve his legacy. However, long buried secrets threaten everything that Eliza believes about her marriage and her own legacy. She tries to understand the flawed man that she married and the imperfect union he never could have created without her.

I loved this novel. I did not know much about Alexander Hamilton before reading this book and learned a substantial amount of information about him. While I always thought myself to be an expert on the founding of the U. S., I also learned a considerable number of facts about the founding of it's government. Hamilton and how the emerging nation was formed go hand in hand. We simply could not have done it without him.

The writing here is fluid, making this a fast read. The "characters" were all people in real-life and I don't think that any author could have created such characters on their own. The strengths and flaws of each person probably would not have been combined in a made up character as they do not seem to go well together. However, in this novel the author did not have to worry about that. In addition, we don't usually see how our first 5 presidents interacted with one another during both the Revolutionary War and its aftermath. This was fascinating to me. I have never read anything like this before. Another interesting fact was that Mrs. Hamilton kew Congressman Abe Lincoln. I never considered Lincoln to be a contemporary of our founding fathers and mothers but as their careers were ending, Lincoln's was beginning.

My Dear Hamilton is a fantastic historical novel and I cannot recommend it more highly. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Declaration of Independence 250th Anniversary Guide

This 100 page pamphlet is a full-color guide to the document that made a nation, the Declaration of Independence: what the Founding Fathers wrote, what they really meant, the wording that Congress changed, and the full story of America’s founding.

The publisher's summary:

250 years ago, 56 men from the 13 British colonies in North America pledged their lives for freedom in a document that would change the world. This illustrated anniversary book is the ideal Independence Day gift for history buffs, patriots, students and teachers alike ... anyone who wants to rediscover the full story of the Declaration that gave birth to America.

The complete text, with detailed analysis — Read the Declaration of Independence in full, with page-by-page annotations, unpacking exactly what the Founding Fathers meant by every word and phrase.

Examine how Congress altered Jefferson’s draft — The original rough draft alongside Congress’s detailed edits, in full color — the passages removed, the compromises inserted, and how those changes helped define the nation that emerged.

The men who made America — Biographies of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman ... and fascinating facts about many of the other 56 signers. Plus: Jefferson’s eye-witness account of the events of 1776, taken directly from his autobiography.

A full visual history of 1776 — A timeline of the American Revolution from its origins in 1763 to July 4, 1776, with full-color images throughout, completes this essential reference book for America’s semiquincentennial.

Whether you are rediscovering the Declaration of Independence or exploring it for the first time, this is your ideal companion guide for the July 4, 2026 celebrations – an engaging addition to your home library or classroom, and a thoughtful gift for any citizen keen to delve into the origins of America’s lasting values.

I loved reading about the history of the document's drafting and the roles of some of the signers, as well as those who were opposed to it. South Carolina and Georgia balked at accusing the King of beginning slavery in the then colonies and that slavery was inhumane so that paragraph was deleted ftom the original text. The book also has maps and fine art commemorating the events surrounding the signing of the document as well as portraits of the signers. There is a listing all the signers and their occupations. I liked that the occupations were presented.

In the two years before the Declaration was signed most of the signers wanted to remain part of Britain. After several attempts at negotiating with King George III had failed, they decided that independence was the only option. These were brave men. They signed the Declaration of Independence without any idea of being successful at separation from Britain. Their lives were on the line as the Declaration was treason to the King. 

I read an electronic version of the book but I would like to own a hard copy. I will definitely buy a physical copy of it. This small book is a great resource for information on how the U. S. came into existence and I highly, highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Declaration of Independence

 

The Declaration of 

Independence

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

That, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and, accordingly, all experience has shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government.

The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless 

suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature; a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing, with manly firmness, his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands. He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers. He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies, without the consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the military 

independent of and superior to the civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us;

For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states;

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world;

For imposing taxes on us without our consent;

For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury;

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses;

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries, so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these colonies;

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments;

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection, and waging war against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens, taken captive on the high seas, to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions, we have petitioned for redress, in the most humble terms. Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from 

time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our 

common kindred, to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that, as free 

and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. 

And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.

Georgia

Button Gwinnett

Lyman Hall

George Walton

North Carolina

William Hooper

Joseph Hewes

John Penn

South Carolina

Edward Rutledge

Thomas Heyward, Jr.

Thomas Lynch, Jr.

Arthur Middleton

Massachusetts

John Hancock

Samuel Adams

John Adams

Robert Treat Paine

Elbridge Gerry

Maryland

Samuel Chase

William Paca

Thomas Stone

Charles Carroll of 

Carrollton

Virginia

George Wythe

Richard Henry Lee

Thomas Jefferson

Benjamin Harrison

Thomas Nelson, Jr.

Francis Lightfoot Lee

Carter Braxton

Pennsylvania

Robert Morris

Benjamin Rush

Benjamin Franklin

John Morton

George Clymer

James Smith

George Taylor

James Wilson

George Ross

Delaware

Caesar Rodney

George Read

Thomas McKean

New York

William Floyd

Philip Livingston

Francis Lewis

Lewis Morris

New Jersey

Richard Stockton

John Witherspoon

Francis Hopkinson

John Hart

Abraham Clark

New Hampshire

Josiah Bartlett

William Whipple

Matthew Thornton

Rhode Island

Stephen Hopkins

William Ellery

Connecticut

Roger Sherman

Samuel Huntington

William Williams

Oliver Wolcott

Declaration Illustrated

Declaration/Emancipation Illustrated is a unique, double-sided graphic novel by cartoonist R. Sikoryak. It pairs the unabridged text of the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Gettysburg Address with visuals rendered in the iconic styles of over 100 different classic and contemporary American comic artists.

The publisher's summary:

The severing of colonial ties to Great Britain and the critical turning points in American history that followed have never been more vividly manifested than in the skillful hands of Sikoryak, who doesn't hesitate to dream up Jeffy from Family Circus as Thomas Jefferson and Mr. Magoo as a British loyalist. King George III is deliciously portrayed as pop culture’s most famous villains, such as Thanos, The Joker, Scar from The Lion King, and many more. Sikoryak also skillfully adopts the styles of such comic artists as Will Eisner of The Spirit, Allie Brosh of Solutions and Other Problems, Morrie Turner of Wee Pals, Mark Beyer of Amy and Jordan, and Floyd Gottfredson of Mickey Mouse. The Civil War era pays homage to Black Panther, Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, Steenz’s Heart of the City, Justice League, and many more.

The comic is short; just 134 pages. The Declaration part of the book is on one side of the book. Turn it over and you find the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address. The verbage is exclusively the words of the Declaration, the Proclamation and the Address. At the end of each of these three documents is a chronology of events that brought us the documents and a bibliography. The illustrations use characters ftom comic strips and TV series including The Simpsons, Black Panther and the Powerpuff Girls.

The author stated in an online interview that he had a rule to only use American characters in this book. Also, his reason for putting the Emancipation Proclamation as the second side of this book was because 

"someone, Abraham Lincoln, took what was in the Declaration and said, ‘This is important, this part at the beginning about “All men are created equal,” because he references the Declaration in the Gettysburg Address and in the Emancipation Proclamation. 

“Four score and seven years ago,” that’s referring directly to the Declaration, so you can take these documents and you can think about what they’re saying to you, and you can act on them."

I had no idea that that the Gettysburg Address referred to the Declaration. I always wondered what "four score and seven years ago" referenced. 

I agree with the publisher's blurb that this book is an entertaining trip through American history.  It is a fun, easy to read history of three of the U. S.'s foundational documents and I highly recommend it to readers of all ages.

5 out of 5 stars.

Daughters of the Sun and Moon

Lisa See's newest novel takes place in post Civil War Los Angeles. I have never read nor heard of any book concerning Chinese immigrants at this time and place. It was eye opening to learn about this era. The book was recently published on June 9, 2026.

The publisher's summary: 

In 1870, three Chinese women arrive in the small, dusty, and violent pueblo of Los Angeles. Dove, the bound-footed daughter of an imperial scholar, is entrancing and innocent. These characteristics should bring her great rewards, beginning with her arranged marriage to a much older merchant. Petal, the big-footed daughter of peasants, has grown up hungry and with dirt between her toes. In a moment of desperation, Petal’s father sells her to buy money for rice seed, and she is loaded onto a ship to the Gold Mountain—America—where she is once again sold. Moon is married to a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. She is educated, speaks fluent English, and has been endowed with a face of great beauty, yet her failed footbinding as a child has left her with a limp that lessens her value in the eyes of many.

Each woman has her own desires. Dove wants to love and be loved, Petal desires freedom, and Moon seeks justice. Together they face a larger society that wishes them not one ounce of good will. Anti-Chinese sentiment is strong in Los Angeles, and this eventually leads to the Night of Horrors during which all three women are challenged in ways they could not have imagined. Brought together by hardship and heartbreak, they must use their bravery, endurance, and ability to “eat bitterness” to discover their voices, find freedom, and connect through solace and friendship. Together they are daughters of the sun and moon.

The story is told from the alternating perspectives of each of the three friends. We read about the life stories of Moon, Petal and Dove from two different years: 1870 and 1926. In 1870 all three girls met on the ship from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Their families had sold them to men in America who were looking for wives. Moon is the only woman whose promised marriage was successful. Dove's marriage contract married her to an old man. Petal, unfortunately, was sold by her parents unknowingly into prostitution. The story is character-driven and quite emotional. All three girls went through horrors of their own upon arrival in America. I was astonished at how quickly they adapted to being sexually abused by their husbands and other men in both China and America. These were strong women.

The book focuses on the small community of approximately 200 Asian immigrants in Los Angeles, a county of only 5,000 people in 1870. At the time, anti-Asian sentiment was rampant and tensions built up into a night when a mob massacred 18 Chinese men. It was called The Night of Horrors and it actually happened. The book highlights this awful night in detail. We read about Chinese men being hung and shot numerous times with rifles with the mob screaming to kill more. The lengthy description of each murder was difficult for me to handle. I felt like I was there witnessing it myself.

The characters are based upon real women and men who lived in Los Angeles during the early 1870s. A list of the real characters is at the back of the book. Moon is based on Tong Yu who was married to Dr. Tong, and Dove is based on Yut Ho who was the wife of a much older merchant. Petal's character is a composite of two real life ladies. Sing Ye was kidnapped and tortured by one of her husband’s rivals. Sing Yu ran away from her brothel several times. Others include secondary characters that the girls knew. 16 of them were hanged during the Night of Horrors: hotel worker Ah Wing, laundrynan Leong Quai, cigar maker Ah Long, Moon's husband Dr. Gene Tong, Dr. Tong's assistant Chang Wan, Dr. Tong's brother Wong Gim,  liquor maker Ah Cut, cooks Wan Foo, Tong Won, Lo Hey, Ho Hing, Day Kee, Ah Waa, Wing Chee, Ah Won, storekeeper Wong Chin and Petal’s fourteen-year-old brother Ah Loo. Ah Loo had recently arrived in Los Angeles 3 or 4 weeks before his murder. Two additional men were shot to death. You will find all their names in the Wikipedia account of the event.

I am amazed that the author was able to write this fictionalized account, given the restraints of so many known facts about the event. How she wove these real life characters into the story is beyond me. I had never heard of The Night of Horrors before reading this novel. After finishing the book I read several online historical accounts of what happened. The author got all the facts right. This history was eye-opening to say the least. History always asks the question: have we learned from the past or are we destined to repeat it?

Concerning the title of the book, I am a little confused. I do not understand what it means to be a daughter of the sun or a daughter of the moon. Internet research did not find an answer so I sent an email to the author requesting information. A link to an interview with the author about the book can be found here.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Rail Splitter

The Rail Splitter is a historical fiction novel about our 12th president Abraham Lincoln. It tells about his journey from his youth living in a log cabin to his candidacy for the Presidency.

The story begins with Lincoln’s youth on the frontier, where he grows up with an ax in one hand and book in the other, determined to make something of himself. He sets off on one adventure after another, from rafting down the Mississippi River to marching in an Indian war. When he is twenty-six, the girl he hopes to marry dies of fever. He spends days wandering the countryside in grief. A few years later, he purchases a ring inscribed with the words “Love Is Eternal” and enters a tempestuous marriage with Mary Todd.

Lincoln literally wrestles his way to prominence in Illinois. He teaches himself the law and enters the rough and tumble world of frontier politics. With Mary’s encouragement, he wins a term in the US Congress, but his political career falters. They are both devastated by the loss of a child. As arguments over slavery sweep the country, Lincoln finds something worth fighting for, and his debates with brash rival Stephen Douglas catapult him toward the White House.

The story has many aspects to it. It is a coming-of-age story, an adventure story, a love story, and a rags-to-riches story. The Rail Splitter shows the reader the making of Abraham Lincoln. The story of the rawboned youth who goes from a log cabin to the White House is, in many ways, the great American story. The Rail Splitter reminds us that the country Lincoln loved is a place of wide-open dreams where extraordinary journeys unfold.

I loved this book! It was a page turning exploration into Lincoln's life. I wondered as I read whether the story would be as interesting if it was not about Lincoln. I couldn't figure that out because Lincoln is such a beloved figure in America that it doesn't matter. I also wondered what parts of the story were historical and what parts were fiction. Obviously, Lincoln's work history was true. I am wondering whether the social aspects of the story were true. The author tells us in the Acknowledgments that he found information about Lincoln's social life in the Abraham Lincoln Museum in Springfield, Illinois. 

One thing that surprised me was that Lincoln's bouts of depression and anxiety began in early childhood. I had always thought that the depression began while he was in the White House. However, he had an episode of delirium that lasted 3 days before he was even 18. Later in life he tried hard not to give in to these impulses. It would be interesting what diagnosis today's psychologists would come up with. I am sure the death of his mother when he was young was a factor but I have never heard any commentary on this subject.

The book does not tell us why Abe left home at 18 but if you really think about it, there had to be trouble at home. The book shows Abe having a good relationship with his step-mother. That leaves his father Thomas as the source of the family feud. Lincoln couldn't wait to get away so this relationship had to be tense. 

Wife Mary appears sympathetic until she reaches her 50s, around the time her husband is being considered to be a candidate for the Presidency. She has become a nag and has violent arguments with Abe. She even hit him with a piece of wood on his nose,causing it to bleed. Since I am female, my mind automatically goes to menopause as the cause of her outbursts. Again, I have never heard any realistic reasons ever being given for her mental disorder.

You will not be able to put this book down. I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.

The President's Wife

The President's Wife is a historical fiction account of the life of Edith Wilson. She married President Woodrow Wilson three years into his first term as President. She is most known for taking over his job after he suffered a stroke during his second term.  

Edith Bolling Gault was widowed, preferring to fill her days with good friends and travel. But the enchanting courting of President Woodrow Wilson wins Edith over and she becomes the First Lady of the United States. The position is uncomfortable for the fiercely independent Edith, but she's determined to rise to the challenges of her new marriage which include the bloodthirsty press and the shadows of the first World War.

Warming to her new role, Edith is soon indispensable to her husband's presidency. She replaced the staff that Woodrow found distracting, and discussed policy with him daily. Throughout the war, she encrypted top-secret messages and despite lacking any formal education becomes an important adviser. When peace talks begin in Europe, she attends the meetings at Woodrow's side. But just as the critical fight to ratify the treaty to end the war and create a League of Nations in order to prevent another, Woodrow's always-delicate health takes a dramatic turn for the worse. In her determination to preserve both his progress and his reputation, Edith all but assumes the presidency herself.

Now, Edith must contend with the demands of a tumultuous country, the secrets of Woodrow's true condition, and the potentially devastating consequences of her failure. At once sweeping and intimate, The President's Wife is an astonishing portrait of this First Lady and the sacrifices she made to protect her husband and her country at all costs.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It has alot of minutiae surrounding Edith's role in her husband’s administration. However, I wondered whether readers who are not interested in politics would like the book. In the past, I always assumed that Edith was falsely accused of being acting president. After reading this book I am not so sure. She definately wanted to know how Woodrow came about making his decisions. Early on in their relationship she asked to be part of all of his meetings so that she could advise him. While there was a physical attraction between them, I think Edith sought out the power she would be able to gain from her association with Woodrow. 

The President's Wife is a well written historical biography that reads more like history than a fiction story. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Choke Point

Choke Point is the 25th novel in Brad Thor's Scot Harvath series, a political thriller where Harvath hunts a rogue American operative assisting China's plan to seize a critical geopolitical "choke point" in Southeast Asia, leading to a high-stakes conflict with global implications. It was published on June 16, 2026.

The publisher's summary:  

A devastating series of bombings tears through Bangkok. Scores of American citizens are dead. The attacks send shock waves around the world.

As global assistance pours into Thailand—including the FBI’s famed Evidence Response Team—the president of the United States quietly prepares a plan B: Scot Harvath, America’s top spy, trained to operate outside the law and probe the dark corners others can’t…or won’t.

But the bomber Harvath is pursuing isn’t a terrorist. He’s something far more dangerous—one of ours.

Meanwhile, in Washington, a former United States Marine is being hunted—and he has no idea why. Desperate for answers, he turns to the one person he still trusts—his ex-fiancée, a rising star in the White House. The problem is, she isn’t sure she can trust him.

As Harvath closes in on the bomber, a devastating truth begins to emerge. China has quietly deployed its most elite intelligence unit to Thailand. Their objective: to ignite chaos, trigger a military coup, and seize control of a narrow but critical piece of land, one that could give Beijing a decisive advantage.

If the plan succeeds, Beijing will secure a key gateway between two oceans, eroding American naval dominance and tipping the balance in any war between the world’s great powers.

China will control the ultimate geopolitical choke point.

The story opened with Kevin Koebler setting off a car bomb and then walking away. Each of the subsequent chapters alternate between Koebler's activities and Harvath's activities. Harvath's involvement began after a significant bomb was set off in Bangkok that resulted in the deaths of over three hundred people.

Harvath and his team of four were called in to the U. S. Embassy in Manila for a briefing on the disaster. The team was tasked with determining the identity of the bomber and then to capture him. The politics of the region were highlighted in the briefing. Thailand and neighboring Cambodia have been in a cold war for twenty years because of border disputes. If evidence of the involvement of the Cambodians was discovered there was a fear that the Thais would begin a war against them. While the blueprint of the bombs pointed toward a Cambodian bomb maker, Chinese men are always seen at the bombed out sites. 

I was pleased to see that Scot Harvath's post spy career made much more sense in this installment of the series than in earlier novels. We read that he was recalled from retirement to help out in a mission in Thailand. Nothing more. I was glad there were no scenes with Harvath's new wife.

It seemed that the whydunnit of the story was based off the current Iran War. It even included a mention of the closing of Hormusz. However, I have been seeing ads for the book for at least five or six months. The timeline of the publication doesn't meet this test though. The mention of Iran and Hormusz was fleeting but the exact same scenario taking place in the Gulf of Thailand is ironic. 

I always enjoy a Thai setting. In this story, it's the politics of the country that are described. There wasn't any depiction of the foods, architecture, or other cultural aspects of Thai society. I learned alot, though, about the politics of the areas surrounding Thailand. 

Choke Point is a fast paced story with fascinating twists. It was an enjoyable read but the first half of the book lacked the suspense seen in the latter half. I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

July Armchair Travel Plans

I did not complete my reading plans for June. What was I up to? Visiting my local beach. The weather was too beautiful to stay indoors and I find it hard to concentrate on reading when I am outside. Violence in my area worries me so I prefer to be alert while enjoying the scenery. It was sooooo relaxing.

In July I want to complete those books that I chose to read this month. I have put off White River Crossing for several months and I must prioritize it. It takes place in sub-Arctic Canada. Also, Eve Chung's The Young Will Remember is a must read. The story takes place in China at the end of the Cultural Revolution. Another Asian fiction novel that I want to read is Lisa See's Daughters of the Sun and Moon. This story takes place in post Civil War Los Angeles. I think this is a new, to me, setting for a Chinese immigrant story. I am looking forward to getting my hands on the book. It's pretty cool that it qualifies as a selection for the July Key Word Reading Challenge. Wanda Brunstetter has a newly published novel called Melody of Love. It takes place in Amish country in Indiana and Ohio.

My July reading plan also includes July, July by Tim O'Brien. This is historical fiction because it takes place in 1969. It's hard to believe 1969 was that long ago to be considered historical fiction. I remember it clearly. I also found a few new cozy mysteries that will be published in July but they aren't published until the end of the month. I will be reading them in August. Michael Robothan is the author of Tell Me Something True and it is another  priority for me. This novel occurs in rural Australia. Tempered for Murder is a chocolate cozy murder mystery by Puja Satiani and it should be a fun read. The Doctor in the Corner Clinic is a murder mystery written by Paderthi Vijay that I would also like to read.

I know that I will be at the beach almost every day so I cannot promise that I will read more books. I have tinkered with the idea that I should just read books regarding the American Revolution in honor of our 250th birthday. Who knows what I'll read. My mind changes frequently. I feel that I need to catch up on my TBR list though. 

Where are you traveling to next month?