Blackberry and Wild Rose

BlackBerry and Wild Rose is Sonia Velton's debut novel. She has crafted an extraordinary historical novel that takes place in eighteenth century London.  It is a tale of a household of Huguenot silk weavers who are pursuing the creation of the perfect silk design.

The publisher's summary:

"When Esther Thorel, wife of a master silk weaver, rescues Sara Kemp from a brothel, she thinks she is doing God's will, but her good deed is not returned. Sara quickly realizes that the Thorel household is built on hypocrisy and lies and soon tires of the drudgery of life as Esther's new lady's maid. As the two women's relationship becomes increasingly fractious, Sara resolves to find out what it is that so preoccupies her mistress... 

Esther has long yearned to be a silk designer.  When her early watercolors are dismissed by her husband, Elias, as the daubs of a foolish girl, she continues her attempts in secret.  It may have been that none of them would ever have become actual silks, were it not for the presence of the extraordinarily talented Bisby Lambert in the Thorel household.  Brought in by Elias to weave his masterpiece on the Thorel's loom in the attic of their house in Spitalfields, the strange cadence of the loom as Bisby works is like a siren call to Esther.  The minute she first sets foot in the garret and sees Bisby Lambert at his loom marks the beginning of Blackberry and Wild Rose, the most exquisite silk design Spitalfields has ever seen, and the end of the Thorel household's veneer of perfection."

I loved this book. As a weaver I enjoyed reading about weaving and design creation.  However, with two strong female characters I would have to say that there are two protagonists.  Both Esther and Sara are featured equally and the telling of this story alternates between them.  However, Esther is supposed to be the protagonist so I don't understand why the two women had equal roles.  I must admit, though, that Sara interested me more. Also, the author did a great job of showing us the history of this era.  The men dominated the women and the silk industry guild machinations were described in detail.  The tensions between the master weavers and the journeymen were part of the plot. The author took events that actually occurred and wove them into her plot (pun intended). The story depicts a riot by the journeymen against the master weavers when their wages were reduced.

The author states in her Note at the end of the book that the idea for the novel came from the life of Anna Maria Garthwaite, a cutting edge designer of silks in Spitalfields during the eighteenth century. Garthwaite has been credited with bringing the artistry of painting to the loom. Many of her patterns can be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Witch of Delft

The Witch of Delft is a historical fiction novel with some magical realism included.  It takes place in Holland in 1692. It has a creative plot and is another fantastic read from Christine De Melo.

The publisher's summary:

"Renowned healer, Lisbeth Vos, concots a cunning revenge against her childhood friend, Hannah Brouwer, for a wrong committed decades ago. The audacious scheme requires a marriage between Lisbeth's granddaughter and Hannah's widowed son.  Desperate for her grandmother's attention and approval, Mila agrees to wed a man she doesn't know. She begins entertaining doubts when Hannah proves to be a loving mother-in-law instead of the monster her grandmother described. Mila is thinking and acting independently for the first time, going as far as initiating an illicit affair.  Her refusal to commit a heinous act at Lisbeth's insistence results in shocking consequences. With danger looming on the horizon, Mila discovers powers that have lain dormant beneath her grandmother's oppressive shadow. Now, she must learn to use her gift and salvage her only chance at happiness."

I don't normally read books about witchcraft but was pleasantly surprised with The Witch of Delft. The book is primarily about the deceptions between the characters than the occult. My choice to read this novel was based on who the author is. I have loved reading all of Christine De Melo's other novels so I had to give this one a try. I was not disappointed.

I adored the main witch in the book, Lisbeth Vos. Her character is a nasty one and I always love the villain in a story. Lisbeth runs the lives of her daughter and granddaughter as she has a bossy personality.  While Mila becomes more assertive as she matures in life, she is not the most dominant character in the novel.  As the protagonist I would expect that she would dominate the story but Lisbeth dominates instead.  It is Lisbeth's machinations that all of the other characters need to maneuver through.  With secondary characters also being witches, the question to ask is who is the official "witch of Delft" in this novel. Read the book to find out.

5 out of 5 stars!

The Three Women

The Three Women is Valerie Keough's third novel.  It is advertised on the front cover as being a jaw-dropping psychological thriller and it most definitely is.  The ending was such a surprise. I was not expecting it. I think the author did an awesome job in creating this plot.

The publisher's summary:

"When Beth, Megan and Joanne meet at university, they become inseparable friends who'd do anything for one another - even agreeing to keeping what happens on one shocking night a secret. Now in their forties and outwardly successful, each of the three has dealt with what happened in their own way. But secrets and lies leave their mark. When Megan decides to tell her fiancé the truth about that night, it threatens to ruin the lives of everyone around her. And someone is prepared to do anything to stop that happening."

The Three Women scared me straight! The consequences of telling lies is huge here. Of course, I am not really a liar but if you are then you might want to read this novel. It starts out as just the stories of the 3 women but toward the midway point the reader begins to see how lies transform people.  Lies transform the hearers as well as the people speaking the words.  Within the plot, you will be shown how the choices that people make in their lives are impacted by lies.  ooh...scary!

I loved this book!  The characters were compelling but after reading the ending one of them became my favorite. The makeup of her psychology makes sense at the end. While this particular character seemed a little dull during the unfolding of the plot, at the conclusion of the book you see her shining in all her nasty glory.

5 out of 5 stars!

The Oracle Code

Marieke Nijkamp's newest graphic novel addresses the physical and psychological issues of newly disabled individuals. The Oracle Code is a fictionalized account of a young girl, Barbara Gordon, who becomes a paraplegic after a shooting accident. Her father places her in a rehab facility in order to learn how to live with a disability. Manuel Prietano drew the illustrations.

The publisher's summary:

"After a gunshot leaves her paralyzed below the waist, Barbara Gordon must undergo physical and mental rehabilitation at Arkham Center for Independence.  She must adapt to a new normal, but she cannot shake the feeling that something is dangerously amiss. Strange sounds escape at night while patients start to go missing. Is the suspicion simply a result of her trauma? Or does Barbara actually hear voices coming from the center's labyrinthine hallways? It's up to Barbara to put the pieces together to solve the mysteries behind the walls.  In The Oracle Code, universal truths cannot be escaped, and Barbara Gordon must battle the phantoms of her past before they consume her future."

The plot of this book is not only informative regarding the problems of the disabled but it is also a mystery novel as our protagonist, teenager Barbara Gordon, has to solve a mystery in the center for independent living (CIL) where she resides. Using the mystery format makes it easier, and more fun, for non-disabled persons to learn about disability. The author chose her plot well.  The progression of Barbara Gordon's character is a highlight of the book. She solves crimes from her wheelchair using her computer hacking skills and it is through these skills that she sees that she never really changed after her accident. The secondary characters are not as strong and they do not progress as individuals.  This is Barbara's story.

The artwork enhances the story.  The colors focus on certain characters in each panel. Only the characters of interest are in full color while the other characters fade into the background by coloring them all in the same color.  Manuel Prietano did the drawings. The coloring was done by Jordie Bellaire and the lettering was done by Clayton Cowles.  Their joint effort was successful in telling this story. In a Q&A with the Disability Visibility Project the author stated that she sent Prietano photos and videos of wheelchairs and other mobility aids so that he could draw them accurately.

Barbara Gordon, a/k/a Oracle, is an iconic disabled character in the DC Comics world. The Oracle Code is her origin story. Her transition from Barbara to Oracle happens here.

I think that The Oracle Code is the best book that I have read thus far in 2020. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The First Husband

The First Husband is McGarvey Black's second novel. It was a fast paced psychological thriller that I was unable to put down. It opens with Trina Holmgren and her best friend Jenn Fairfield arriving in India for a vacation. When they step off a bus in Kashmir they are met with the loud shouts of men trying to rent their boats. When they meet Sam Ayad, who is quiet among this crowd, he offers them his parents' houseboat as a place to rent while they are there. They agree. Sam stays with them all day guarding the boat and provides tours in the Kashmir area. Trina and Sam begin to fall in love with each other and Trina decides not to return to America at the end of her stay. She agrees to remain in Kashmir for another two weeks in order to spend time with Sam. Just before her departure she agrees to marry Sam and gives him her grandmother's silver locket as a promise that she will return to India for him. When Trina returns several months later Sam refuses to return the locket unless she marries him. In order to get it back, she and Sam are married and Trina returns to the U.S., promising him that she will begin the process of getting him entry to America. However, she has no intention of seeing him ever again. Trina returns to her life in New York City and ignores all of Sam's letters. After 18 months of writing to Trina with no response from her, Sam resolves to get revenge. He comes up with a plan that will devastate her and many others.

Wow! This book was fantastic. The suspense began in the first chapter and continued until the last page. The ending was unexpected but brilliant. The characters were compelling and believable, although I felt that Trina was superficial in all of her relationships. She was presented as a sweet woman but deep down I thought she had a cruel side. I don't think that I can find any fault with this book. It was written tight as a psychological thriller should be written and was a satisfying read. I am just blown away with how Sam gets his revenge. Not wanting to be a spoiler, I will leave it at that. The First Husband is a must read!!

5 out of 5 stars.

The Cup

The Cup takes place in Morocco in the 11th century. It is a 112 page novella that is the first historical novel in a four book series, all of them set in Morocco.  Each book focuses on a different woman.

The book begins by introducing the main character, Hela, helping her slave trader father with his sales. This first chapter was uncomfortable reading for two reasons. It was disheartening to see people bought and sold and viewed as chattel.  In addition, Hela's nonchalant attitude toward the slaves was gut-wrenching. Fortunately, this setting ended as the next chapter brought the reader a character learning her healing trade from her mother. The rest of the novel is about Hela plying her trade.

The publisher's summary:

"Hela has powers too strong for a child - both to feel the pain of those around her and to heal them. But when she is given a mysterious cup by a slave woman, its powers overtake her life, forcing her into a vow she cannot hope to keep. Trapped by her vow, Hela loses one chance after another to love and be loved.  Meanwhile, in her household a child is growing into a woman who will become famous throughout the Muslim world."

The Cup was an enjoyable read once the discomfort of the first chapter passed. I have some questions for the author about why the story was written with an initial focus on slavery.  There are the scenes with Hela interacting with her father's slaves.  One of them gives her the cup but no information is given in the story as to why this particular female slave gave Hela her cup. There are no other scenes with this slave.  While I was reading I thought that this slave would be mentioned later in the story.  She wasn't. Neither was Hela's slave-trading father's business. The theme of the story is obviously slavery as Hela later gives up having her own life to staying with and making another woman feel safe. However, there is no connection between the opening and the rest of the plot. With that said, the book was splendid reading.  It's just that as I was reading, I was expecting the people in the first chapter to be somehow connected to the rest of the story.

4 out of 5 stars.

The Land Beyond the Sea

Sharon Kay Penman's latest novel The Land Beyond the Sea was just published last month on March 3, 2020.  It is the story of King Baldwin IV of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and his defense of his kingdom from Saladin's army.  It takes place in the Middle East beginning in 1172 when Baldwin was 10-years-old and concludes in 1187, long after he has died.

The Kingdom of Jerusalem is the land beyond the sea. After the Franks captured Jerusalem from the Saracens in the First Crusade, it became a medley of different cultures that included everything except Muslims.  The young Baldwin is quite intelligent but he becomes afflicted with leprosy at an early age.  Political machinations abound as he has no heir and is expected to die at a young age. However, when Saladin starts a war to recapture the city, Baldwin has to respond in a way that shows him as a strong leader.

I felt that this story had a rough start. It was hard for me to stay interested until page 200 of this 670 page novel. There were many characters to keep track of as well as where they were from.  Many of the place names were foreign to me and it was hard to figure out who was from where. Another problem is that the story opens with 2 characters who aren't featured in the rest of the plot. One is dead and the other is his wife. This caused me to be confused as I expect that when a story begins with a character that the character will be important to the story. Around the 200th page the plot became centered on Baldwin the king.  The story then became more focused and it was easier to read and much more enjoyable.

4 out of 5 stars.

Fever Year

Fever Year is a history of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic told in a graphic novel format.  Don Brown published this book in 2019, the newest addition to his disaster novels. Brown has previously written about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Great American Dust Bowl, and about Syrian refugees.

Fever Year is a short, 51 page, book on the 1918 flu pandemic.  It is written as a straight history book.  There are no characters or plot.  The author tells the reader how the pandemic began,  how it worked its way around the globe and how people reacted to it.  It is eerily similar to our current COVID-19 pandemic. With governments arresting those who violated the quarantine it provides some details concerning what may be next for us today.  This quarantine was a real quarantine.  It was not a stay-at-home order where you could leave your home to buy food and prescriptions. People had to do without. Those who needed medication for pre-existing illnesses died. Masks were required to be worn and there were several health care hucksters pedaling drugs that did not ease the symptoms of the flu.  Sound familiar?

I liked this book.  It gives us a history of an event that we should know about and inside are clues to what can happen again.  Humans being humans, it does not matter how technologically advanced society is. We will act in desperate ways.  5 out of 5 stars.

Almost American Girl

Robin Ha is a new author for me.  Almost American Girl is her second graphic novel, behind Cook Korean: a Comic Book with Recipes.  It tells the story of her emigration to America when she was 14-years-old.

Chuna Ha and her mother have taken many international vacations while they were living in their native Korea.  One day Chuna's mother tells her that they are going to Alabama for a visit with one her mother's friends.  Chuna doesn't think Alabama sounds interesting but packs her bags for the trip. After a month in Huntsville, Alabama Chuna's mother informs her that they are staying there permanently as she is going to marry their host, Kim Minsik.  Chuna is horrified. She hates Alabama and misses her friends in Seoul.  She did not even get the opportunity to say goodbye to them or pack up all of her belongings. While her mother arranges for their belongings to be sent to them in Alabama, Chuna, now Robin, begins her awkward assimilation into American culture.

Almost American Girl is a wonderful coming to America story.  It is told with so much emotion that the reader can "feel her pain" as she learns English while simutaneously attending school and trying to get along with her step family who ignore her most of the time.  It is easy for native born Americans to understand the immigrant experience by reading this story.

I loved the colorful drawings.  Ha used alot of color when she was showing her life in America.  When she looked back on life in Korea the author used sepia tones. You would think that she would have used the sepia for her life in America since she had such a difficult experience adjusting to life here. However, she did adjust and I assume she now enjoys living in America.

This is a must read for graphic novel fans. In addition, I think young adults would benefit from reading this story of a new immigrant. 5 out of 5 stars!

Dragon Hoops

Gene Luen Yang is one of my favorite graphic novelists. His new book Dragon Hoops is a memoir about his 17 years as a teacher at the Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, CA.  The book focuses on his interactions with the school's basketball team during his last year as a teacher.

The author begins with his story as a youth.  Being unathletic he hated sports and focused on academics in school.  After he learns that his first graphic novel will be published, Yang tries to find something interesting to write for his next book.  He decides to have a talk with O'Dowd's coach Lou Richie. The men's varsity basketball team, the Dragons, is headed to the state championships.  Yang decides to follow the team all season, interviewing the athletes, the coach and former coach who had to resign due to a sexual abuse allegation.  This book is the result.

I am not a sports fan but because Yang wrote this book I was excited to buy it.  I knew he would make it interesting and he did.  The book is more than a memoir as Yang gives mini-bios of the athletes on the team as well as the history of the game.  He even has a section on women's basketball. He also delves into the race issue is basketball from all perspectives: middle school, high school and college.  I learned a lot about the game while being entertained with great writing and graphics.  With an impressive 434 color pages,  the artwork was drawn by Yang but colored by Rianne Meyers.

I loved Dragon Hoops and highly recommend it to young adult readers as well as adults.  5 out of 5 stars!

Book of the Month: March

Apartment 6 was my favorite book this month.  It is a psychological thriller that grabbed my attention from the first page.  The book reminded me of an Alfred Hitchcock movie.  Each chapter ended with an eerie type of suspense that kept me reading until I finished it in one sitting.  The book tells the story of a woman named Meagan, alternating between 20 years past and the present.  Meagan's mother was murdered by her father and as an adult she is the victim of domestic violence from her husband.  After meeting a man named Oliver on her work commute, she tells him about her husband.  Soon thereafter Meagan asks Oliver to kill him.  Thus begins Oliver's downward slide as Meagan messes with his mind.

Dreamland

Dreamland is Nancy Bilyeau's latest book.  It takes place in New York City in 1911 with 20-year-old Peggy Batternberg agreeing to spend a summer with her wealthy family at the luxurious Oriental Hotel.  The Hotel is about one mile from Coney Island but because her family disapproves of that type of entertainment she is forbidden to go there.  Peggy preferred to spend her summer working at the Moonrise Bookstore in New York City instead of socializing with her controlling and snobbish family.  In order to help her sister Lydia set a wedding date with Lydia's fiancé Henry Taul, she leaves her job at the bookstore and travels with them for the summer.  A marriage between Lydia and Taul will save the Batternbergs from financial ruin.  A chance visit to Coney Island captivates her even before she meets a poor artist named Stefan in the Dreamland section of the amusement park.  It is love at first sight for both of them and Peggy agrees to meet Stefan often.  However, she has to keep this love affair a secret from her family as they would disapprove of her seeing a poor immigrant. Before long, there are murders occurring with Peggy and Stefan at the center of them.

I loved this book!  It was an engrossing read.  While the beginning was a little slow as the author set up the characters, once the family was settled at the Oriental Hotel the action increased the speed of the novel.  What sets this historical mystery apart from others is that the author addresses discrimination issues such as immigrant rights, women's rights, socioeconomic status, and privilege within the plot.  It works seamlessly with her superb writing.  If there is anything to criticize about the novel it is that the murders do not begin to occur until well into the book.  I expected a historical fiction story based upon the beginning but it turned into a mystery as well.

5 out of 5 stars!

Allie Aller's Crazy Quilting

Allison Aller is one of the top crazy quilters in the world today. Her 2011 book is chock full of eye candy as well as how-to information on crazy quilting.  I read her blog for years and have read every book on this subject.  I can honestly say that Aller's book is the mother of all books on crazy quilting. Much of what she wrote in her blog is in this book.  It is a physical book that cannot be deleted online, making it a great reference guide.  In addition, this book has more eye candy than other crazy quilting books that I have seen.

As with all other crazy quilting instructional books there is the usual section for beginners where materials, fabrics and tools are discussed. Ideas for selecting fabrics and threads for embellishment are shown in color photos. Instructions on how to print images from your computer onto a special fabric that you can print from a printer are also included.  Several traditional embroidery stitches are shown too.  The photos of her work are where the reader gathers ideas on seam treatments.  Aller normally combines 5 or 6 embroidery stitches into one seam treatment.

What I liked most about the book is Aller's methods for piecing the squares that she later embellishes with embroidery.  For many years I made my squares too big.  Her squares are just 6 inches square while mine were 12 inches or more.  The reason that her embellishments cover the square entirely is because those squares are small.  The heavy embellishment is what makes her crazy quilts  look exquisite.

Another interesting feature of Aller's work is that she does not always attach her squares in a traditional shape.  Included in the book are designs that the reader can follow to make a landscape quilt out of crazy quilt squares.  Another design attaches several squares into a larger square for the middle of a piece and then attaches borders that are later embellished.  Sometimes the borders are embellished to continue looking like a border.  Sometimes they are not.

Allie Aller's Crazy Quilting is the best book on the subject that I have seen.  If you are interested in learning about this craft I highly recommend her book over others that are out there.