The Champagne Letters

I have previously read two books about Madame Clicquot. One was a biography and the other one was a historical fiction novel. Both were fantastic. I love the Veuve Cliquot champagne that she created and am always up for a story about her. Veuve means widow in French so the champagne is named after Widow Clicquot. Net Galley provided me with an advanced review copy of this historical fiction account of Madam Cliquot's life. The book will be published on December 10, 2024. 

The publisher's summary: 

Reims, France, 1805: Barbe-Nicole Clicquot has just lost her beloved husband but is determined to pursue their dream of creating the premier champagne house in France, now named for her new identity as a widow: Veuve Clicquot. With the Russians poised to invade, competitors fighting for her customers, and the Napoleonic court politics complicating matters she must set herself apart quickly and permanently if she, and her business, are to survive.

In present day Chicago, broken from her divorce, Natalie Taylor runs away to Paris. In a book stall by the Seine, Natalie finds a collection of the Widow Clicquot’s published letters and uses them as inspiration to step out of her comfort zone and create a new, empowered life for herself. But when her Parisian escape takes a shocking and unexpected turn, she’s forced to make a choice. Should she accept her losses and return home, or fight for the future she’s only dreamed about? What would the widow do?

I absolutely LOVED this novel!  It is equally as good as the other two books that I read about Widow Clicquot. The story is told in alternating perspectives and time periods.  Barbe-Nicole Clicquot lived during the 1800s in France and Natalie lives in the present era in Chicago. I have found in the past that when there are dual narratives, one seems to be much better than the other.  Here we have two equally compelling narratives. When one chapter ended, I groaned. However, when the next chapter ended I groaned again. 

I loved that as Natalie's story was told, she kept a biography of Clicquot in her bag. She referenced it as she hit lows in her post-divorce vacation in France. Madame Clicquot inspired her to live differently than she had before. In the past Natalie always served others. She began to put herself first by being as bold as Madame Clicquot was. I myself was inspired by Natalie's musings over how to change her life by acting as Clicquot did.  I, too, am in a transition period as Natalie. One of the sayings that she especially loved from Clicquot was her definition of strength. Madame Clicquot thought that strength was a series of choices. It is not a state of mind.  I like this definition!  

During Natalie's stay in Paris she meets two people who swindle her out of her money and assets. Believing that these two are not connected to each other, Natalie fell prey to a wine fraud scheme and was questioned by the police.  After reviewing the biography Natalie found a way to get her money back that was ingenious. It was risky because the police would then assume that she was involved in the fraud from the beginning.  She wasn't. However, Madame Clicquot took huge risks with her business in order to be on top of the champagne business. We all know how successful she was. 

The Champagne Letters is a must read.  I recommend that you pre-order the book. Amazon will allow you to do so even though the publication date is six months away. I assume that other booksellers will offer pre-sales too. 5 out of 5 stars.

Tiananmen Square

This novel was published on June 4, 2024. However, I purchased a paperback copy at Barnes and Noble on May 24, 2024. Hmmm. The story is an epic coming-of-age novel about young love and lasting friendships forged in the years leading up to the Tiananmen Square student protests.

The publisher's summary: 

As a child in Beijing in the 1970s, Lai lives with her family in a lively, working-class neighborhood near the heart of the city. Thoughtful yet unassuming, she spends her days with her friends beyond the attention of her parents: Her father is a reclusive figure who lingers in the background, while her mother, an aging beauty and fervent patriot, is quick-tempered and preoccupied with neighborhood gossip. Only Lai’s grandmother, a formidable and colorful maverick, seems to really see Lai and believe that she can blossom beyond their circumstances.

But Lai is quickly awakened to the harsh realities of the Chinese state. A childish prank results in a terrifying altercation with police that haunts her for years; she also learns that her father, like many others, was broken during the Cultural Revolution. As she enters adolescence, Lai meets a mysterious and wise bookseller who introduces her to great works—Hemingway, Camus, and Orwell, among others—that open her heart to the emotional power of literature and her mind to thrillingly different perspectives. Along the way, she experiences the ebbs and flows of friendship, the agony of grief, and the first steps and missteps in love.

A gifted student, Lai wins a scholarship to study at the prestigious Peking University where she soon falls in with a theatrical band of individualists and misfits dedicated to becoming their authentic selves, despite the Communist Party’s insistence on conformity—and a new world opens before her. When student resistance hardens under the increasingly restrictive policies of the state, the group gets swept up in the fervor, determined to be heard, joining the masses of demonstrators and dreamers who display remarkable courage and loyalty in the face of danger. As 1989 unfolds, the spirit of change is in the air. . .

Drawn from her own life, Lai Wen’s novel is mesmerizing and haunting—a universal yet intimate story of youth and self-discovery that plays out against the backdrop of a watershed historic event. Tiananmen Square captures the hope and idealism of a new generation and the lasting price they were willing to pay in the name of freedom.

The book has been described by the publisher as autobiographical fiction. Yes, the author is also the main character. Her life story is given but she has added some fictional details. I cannot tell what part is fiction and what part is true. I wonder whether this was done to prevent her name from being disclosed and putting her and her family in danger today from Chinese leaders. All we know is that she is married with two children and lives in the UK.  The author's name is a pseudonym.

This is not a political book. We read toward the end why Lai joined the demonstrators. She was concerned about being censored. The book is mainly about her life beginning in primary school, then high school and then college. Lai spent most of her time reading in her bedroom when she was not at school so there isn't any information on what it was like to live in China during this time period, the 1970s. She did not have a lot of friends. There were five friends that she played with while they were in primary school. However, she only continued to see one of them while she was in high school. Of course, she falls in love with him. Gen is somewhat detached from her and she does not know why. They come from different backgrounds. Gen's parents hold government positions. Lai's father was a mapmaker and her mother was a housewife. Lai was close to her grandmother who was an odd character. You never knew what she was going to do or say. Grandma could be crude and lewd. 

The events at Tiananmen Square were described toward the end of the book. The reader hears about the political views of the student leaders of the protests. Lai does not follow all of their viewpoints but is concerned that she cannot speak freely. The protests began on May 4, 1989. May 4 is the anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. We read about some of those protests but when May 30 rolls around, we read in detail what happened each day, through June 4, as the protestors stood their ground in Tiananmen Square. Lai was there on each of those days and could describe what happened from the protestors' perspective. The events of June 3 are heart wrenching. Lai was part of the crowd that the Army fired upon, killing hundreds of students. On June 4 her best friend stood in front of a tank, preventing it from moving. It is interesting that this person, known to the world as Tank Man, was actually a woman. I would love to know if the gender of this person was fiction or not. There is a famous photo of Tank Man that was taken by a photographer who was standing on the balcony of his hotel room. Look it up if you haven't seen it.

I loved this book. After finishing it, I researched the protests and found the names of the student leaders on Wikipedia. I researched them also and found out that all of them were able to get away from the police and ended up in either Taiwan or the U. S. There were other student leaders whose names we do not know.  One of their mothers has founded a group to identify them and locate their bodies, if possible.

I am rating this book 10 out of 5 stars! It is that awesome. If you haven't read the book yet, you should get a copy. It is a must read.

Happiness Falls

Happiness Falls was published last month on May 7, 2024. It is a contemporary fiction story concerning one family's struggle to care for a severely disabled child while searching for their missing husband and father.

The publisher's summary:

We didn’t call the police right away.” Those are the electric first words of this extraordinary novel about a biracial Korean American family in Virginia whose lives are upended when their beloved father and husband goes missing.

Mia, the irreverent, hyperanalytical twenty-year-old daughter, has an explanation for everything—which is why she isn’t initially concerned when her father and younger brother Eugene don’t return from a walk in a nearby park. They must have lost their phone. Or stopped for an errand somewhere. But by the time Mia’s brother runs through the front door bloody and alone, it becomes clear that the father in this tight-knit family is missing and the only witness is Eugene, who has the rare genetic condition Angelman syndrome and cannot speak.

What follows is both a ticking-clock investigation into the whereabouts of a father and an emotionally rich portrait of a family whose most personal secrets just may be at the heart of his disappearance. Full of shocking twists and fascinating questions of love, language, and human connection, Happiness Falls is a mystery, a family drama, and a novel of profound philosophical inquiry. With all the powerful storytelling she brought to her award-winning debut, Miracle Creek, Angie Kim turns the missing-person story into something wholly original, creating an indelible tale of a family who must go to remarkable lengths to truly understand one another.

The story opened as a monologue from Mia. I expected that the monologue would stop but it continued throughout the book. It was a little hard to get used to but I adjusted to it and I believe that it made the book a fast read. I was expecting that the father's disappearance would be solved, either as a murder or for him to return to the family. The police handled the official investigation but the family had their own investigation through communicating with Eugene. His severe disabilities prevented him from speaking but as information about the father's disappearance was learned, it gave the family new ways of searching for him themselves. They also found out who he had been texting and emailing as well as what documents he had stored on his laptop. All the information led back to something that only Eugene could tell them, if only he could speak. 

The novel is primarily about how to deal with a family member who has severe disabilities. Providing accommodations for such a child is a 24/7 reality for every family member. If their own lives need to be put on hold in order to provide these accommodations, then the lives are placed on hold. With the Parkson family, however, the parents made sure that their three other children were not forgotten.  The reader learns that learning and interpretation of language can aid in understanding. Eugene has undergone several therapies to help him communicate but the one that has been most successful was one that the missing father withheld from the family.  Eugene is the key to finding their father.

Was the father located?  I will not be a spoiler here and hope that you will read the book to find out for yourself.  Happiness Falls was a fantastic read and I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Protector

Another one of my Net Galley wins was this latest book by Wanda Brunstetter.  The Protector is an Amish fiction story about a family that must deal with a mysterious disappearance that shakes their faith. It is the first book in a trilogy and will be published on August 1, 2024.

The publisher's summary:

In book one of A Mifflin County Mystery series, after a night out with her boyfriend, Rosa Petersheim has disappeared from the Big Valley without a trace. Norman Petersheim always considered himself his sister's protector, and he can't believe she would have left home of her own accord. Clearly, he must have failed her. He throws all he has into helping the authorities search for Rosa, while trying to support his parents and siblings--who are struggling both mentally and physically. Salina Swarey loves Norman and hopes they are headed toward marriage, but his obsession with Rosa's whereabouts is driving them apart. Can Norman find peace and contentment, even if he never learns where Rosa has gone?

SPOILER ALERT! Initially I thought that the story would be about finding Rosa. Up until the end I expected her to reappear to her family. That did not happen though. The story is mainly about the fallout. While Rosa's mother and brother were actively searching for her, problems of their own came up that they had to deal with. Mom stopped eating and cried often but she was later diagnosed with an illness where the symptoms were similar. Dad, a bishop, only cared about his reputation with the church and did not like being married to someone who no longer served his needs. Norman and his mother spent so much time searching for Rosa that they stopped living for themselves. Rosa's two sisters dealt with the disappearance differently but their personalities changed significantly. There was a one year passage of time between Rosa's disappearance and the story's end. I think this is a normal period of time where most families in real life who must deal with a missing relative put their lives on hold.

The whodunit and whodunit of Rosa's disappearance was prominent to the story and brought plenty of mystery. I was disappointed that she was never found but this was a realistic ending. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Protector and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Bellevue

I was thrilled when Net Galley announced that I would be receiving an advanced review copy of Robin Cook's newest medical thriller. Bellevue will be published on December 4, 2024 and while the plot is different from his other novels, I found it entertaining and had a few laughs over the ending.

The publisher's summary:

Twenty-four-year-old Michael “Mitt” Fuller starts his surgical residency with great anticipation at the nearly three-hundred-year-old, iconic Bellevue Hospital, following in the footsteps of four previous, celebrated Fuller generations. The pressure is on for this newly minted doctor, and to his advantage he’s always had a secret sixth sense, a sensitivity to the nonphysical, which gradually plays a progressive role, especially as one patient after another assigned to his care begin to die from mysterious causes. At first he thinks it is just the "luck of the draw," but as the numbers mount, he’s forced to think otherwise. As he struggles to find out why these people are dying while simultaneously having to deal with the unreasonable demands of being first-year resident, things rapidly spiral out of control.

Between fatigue, stress, and nerves, it’s no wonder that these first few days and nights of his surgical residency are tough ones. What is surprising, though, are the visions that begin to plague Mitt—visions of a little girl in a bloodstained dress, hearing bloodcurdling screams in the distance, and worse. As bodies mount and Mitt’s stress level rises, he finds himself drawn into the secrets of the abandoned Bellevue Psychopathic Hospital building, which to his astonishment still exists, defying demolition a few doors north of the modern Bellevue Hospital high-rise. Forcing an unauthorized entry into this storied but scary structure, Mitt discovers he’s more closely tied to the sins of the past than he ever thought possible.

 

I could tell fairly quickly that the plot was not going to be about the usual problems in the practice of medicine. Fuller's visions were bizarre. He both saw and smelled visions whenever he passed certain places in the Bellevue Hospital district.  I initially thought that Mitt was having psychiatric issues and that the book would be about that.  It wasn't. However, these visions were impeding his ability to perform the duties of his residency and he had one problem after another. All seven of the patients assigned to him died. Because the series has always been about issues in medicine, I thought that maybe there was a link to these deaths that led back to Mitt. There wasn't.  SPOILER ALERT!  Toward the end of the book Mitt meets a lady who is in charge of housekeeping.  She tells him that she has also seen the "ghosts" and offers to take him to the old Psychopathic Hospital where the ghosts reside and where there are medical records dating back 150 years in the Psychopathic Hospital's history that may give him the raison d'être for his visions. Yes, this is a ghost story!

The plot was intense and fast paced. I really thought that it was all about why those seven patients died but the truth was bizarre. The ending was both surprising and bizarre but I could not stop laughing for hours after finishing the book. It is definitely worth reading.  5 out of 5 stars.

Book Cover of the Month: May

My favorite book cover for May comes from A Nest of Vipers by Harini Nagendra.  Molly Von Borstel created the cover. She is the Art Director for Faceout Studios in Oregon. This book cover has several elements that I adore. There is a sari and an interior  gateway painted in an orange red color. It is heavily decorated with narrative reliefs of deities and plants. The placement of two snakes on the sides is appropriate for the storyline as well as the title.

Von Borstel graduated with a BFA in graphic gesign and joined Faceout in 2019. She loves the visual storytelling aspect of her job and has won several awards. Last year she was recognized in Print Magazine's Top 50 Covers and received the Best in Show Award from Publishing Professionals Network Book Show.

Book of the Month: May

There were two books this month that were contenders for my book of the month. Historical mysteries The Merchant's Tale and Under Water are page turners that kept me sitting on the edge of my chair until I finished reading them. How did I decide between them? There was one point that separated them. While Under Water had a riveting plot, I knew where the story was headed at the halfway point of the story. With The Merchant's Tale, I did not know until the last pages how the characters were going to end up. The Merchant's Tale is, thus, my favorite book for this month.

The book was co-written by two successful authors:  C. P. Lesley and P. K. Adams. The setting was Poland and Russia, areas that Adams has written about before in her Jagiellon Mystery Series. Not too many authors use this setting and it is a breath of fresh air for historical fiction fans. In The Merchant's Tale, Karl Scharping, a merchant from Danzig, has only one thing on his mind: a bride named Selina who is awaiting him in Moscow. A careless leap from his horse derails his plans, confining him to a monastery near the White Sea. When Selina's brother Pyotr is promoted to court translator, he finds that his new job is difficult both because of his lack of skills and also with court intrigue. He hopes his sister will marry Karl who its his best friend. Selina, however, does not love Karl and doesn't want to marry him. She prefers an English trader who has also arrived in Moscow with a company of traders whose business may derail Karl and Pyotr's own business plans.

I loved this book and highly recommend it.

A Nest of Vipers

The third novel in the award-winning Bangalore Detectives Club series finds amateur sleuth Kaveri Murthy involved in a dangerous plot that endangers the life of the visiting Prince of Wales. This historical mystery was published earlier in the month on May 2, 2024.

The publisher's summary:

This latest novel in the Bangalore Detectives Club mystery series takes the reader deep into the historical era surrounding the visit by Edward, Prince of Wales, to Bangalore in 1921. When the prince begins a tour of a number of Indian cities, he encounters passionate crowds demanding independence from Britain, with rioting on the streets of Bombay in November 1921.

The mood of the prince's subsequent trip to Bangalore and Mysore in January 1922 appears, at first glance, very different and is made to large, welcoming crowds. But perhaps all is not what it seems to be. While exploring another (seemingly unrelated) crime scene, Kaveri and Ramu become tangled in a complex web of intrigue, getting pulled into a potentially dangerous plan that could endanger the life of the visiting prince.

This new novel also takes us into the world of jadoo—Indian street magic—with sleight-of-hand magicians, snake charmers, and rope tricks. Kaveri and Ramu continue their sleuthing, with help from the Bangalore Detectives Club, amidst the growing rumblings of Indian independence and the backdrop of female emancipation.

I thought that the beginning was slow. The Prince of Wales did not enter the plot until two thirds of the way into the story. Several murders did occur throughout the story though. Kaveri relied on social functions that she went to with her husband in order to meet people and ask questions. While I am sure this was realistic for the era, it didn't make for an exciting read.

The setting was prominent to the telling of the story. The reader learns alot about gender roles, Hindu rituals and the foods of India. While the book is advertised as a historical mystery, it reads more historical fiction. The reveal of the whodunnit seemed slow but I believe that I am comparing the book to a suspense story. There is no suspense here and I guess I should have prepared my review for the correct genre of the book. However, I cannot but feel that the book should be suspenseful.

It was fun to get reacquainted with the characters but, for me, it was a slow read. 3 out of 5 stars.

Five Years in Yemen

This book is the fifth installment of the Titus Ray Thriller Series by Luana Ehrlich. In this novel Titus Ray is tasked with bringing back to the USA from Yemen a rogue CIA operative. Titus must determine whether he is a traitor or a patriot.

The publisher's summary:

After Titus accepts an assignment to bring rogue CIA contractor Jacob Levin back to the States, he learns the operation has been put on hold pending Presidential approval. That’s fine with him. He’s looking forward to spending time in Oklahoma with his fiancée, Nikki Saxon.

But then, his boss needs a favor.

After that, everything changes.

It begins in Springfield, Missouri . . .
Where he interviews a former CIA employee about the missing Jacob Levin.

It continues in Detroit, Michigan . . .
Where he and Nikki spend Thanksgiving with his relatives.

It leads to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia . . .
Where he encounters a killer.

It ends in Somahi, Yemen . . .
Where he finally discovers the truth.

Along the way, he’s forced to deal with issues about his personal life, confront questions about his past, and make decisions about his future. Can he trust God for the answers? Will Nikki agree with his decision? How will he handle the outcome?

Overall this was a great spy thriller. It's a little different from most as this series is a Christian fiction series. There is no foul language, gore, or sex. There is violence but it is not gruesome. I have always thought it odd that Titus tries to live a Christian life but his job requires him to kill people. His faith is put to the test on several occasions, though, and I was intrigued with his thought process. I have been reading the series in order for the Clock Reading Challenge and have just one more book in the series to read before I switch to a different series. There are 5 more books in this series but I need a break.

Our Titus has had a lot of character growth over the years and he is now engaged to be married. In this installment of the series we see him spending more time on his relationships than on his job as a CIA spy. I prefer the spy aspect of his life more but at least there was enough spy craft in the plot to satisfy me.

4 out of 5 stars.

Girl in the Dark

J. M. Cannon wrote last year's Blood Oranges novel. I loved that book so much that I could not keep myself from reading his newest novel Girl In The Dark. It was published on February 15, 2024 and it is just as intriguing as Blood Oranges.

The publisher's summary:

On a cold evening in November, Zoey Knight gets a frantic call from her sister. Their childhood home in remote Maine has burned to the ground. Two bodies have been discovered in the basement.

When the FBI suddenly takes over the case, it's clear something more sinister than a random double homicide has taken place.

Rumors go back to The Family--cult or commune, the wealthy enclave of Black Castle, Maine has never been sure. Twenty years ago, after the disappearance of a local girl, the group vanished. Now, signs of them are resurfacing.

Zoey finds this is no ordinary conspiracy. It doesn't just involve strangers, but the very people she loves. And if she wants the truth, she'll have to risk everything to find out.

 

The book opens with a gruesome scene. A woman is in the basement of a house that is on fire. She tells herself to wait until a particular time before going upstairs to get the two bodies that she killed. When it is time to leave the basement she wets two hand mittens and runs up the stairs into the fire. The woman grabs the bodies, drags them to the basement, and dumps them in a well that is in the basement.  She then leaves the house feeling positive that her crime has been covered up.  What a prologue! I am now engaged in the story and cannot stop reading until I have finished the book in one sitting.

The plot was amazing. The only suspicious characters in the beginning are Zoey and her sister Evie. As the story progresses you get an inkling that others could have done the crime. Toward the end every character held secrets about the crime and with all of them being depraved, it was impossible to determine the whodunnit. These characters were pathological liars, thieves, and murderers. The ending was quite a surprise and the reason for the title isn't revealed until the last sentence.

This book is an engrossing page turner. Mystery fans will love it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Can't Wait Wednesday #31

This meme is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings. Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme that spotlights the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. 

This week I cannot wait to read Alex Michaelides' The Fury. The book was published in January but I haven't yet found the time read it. The plot concerns a reclusive ex–movie star, Lana Farrar, and her famous friends whose Easter trip to Lana's private Greek island was interrupted by a fierce storm. The group found themselves trapped on the island overnight. When the storm's fury stopped, a group member was found to be murdered. 

I loved the author's Silent Patient novel and have high hopes for this book.

Cool Tokyo Guide

I have reviewed several other comics from Abby Denson. She writes Japan travel guides in comic strip format. This format makes it easier for me to remember all the information that she offers. In this guidebook Denson gives more detailed information about visiting Tokyo and, boy, am I glad I read it.

In this guidebook Abby, her husband Matt, friend Yuuko and her cat Kitty Sweet Tooth show readers a restaurant where clowns drive robots and mermaids ride on sharks, fantastic shops for lovers of everything from vintage manga to dollar-store treasures, great places to take kids, famous sites both old and new, and must-visit spots and even a few spots outside the city. This guide also helps you navigate everyday life in Tokyo, such as train etiquette, trash disposal, tricky toilets, department store fitting rooms and the surgical mask phenomenon. There is also a special family travel section for those traveling with children, as well as information on ways to prepare ahead of time to make the most of your stay in Tokyo.

However, the information most needed by me has to do with JR Rail Pass. I wasn't considering a rail pass for my Autumn trip. I thought that I would take cabs and buses for places not within walking distance from my hotel. After discovering just how expensive cabs are, I have decided that I need the rail pass. It's a good thing I figured it out at this time because ordering one takes five months and it has to be purchased before your trip. I can pick up the pass upon arrival at the airport in Tokyo. Another line! The author has done a great job of explaining that the train stations have information in both Japanese and English. I wasn't expecting to see English posted on transportation hubs. In addition, I was not aware that the SIM card in my smart phone may not work in Japan. I am worried about being able to take photos and store them on the device but I have never heard anyone talk about this so I don't know what to believe. 

I love that the comic strips have dialogue in a large font.  It is easy for me to read. Also, it is amusing to read that the favorite Christmas meal in Japan is Kentucky Fried Chicken. It's a little weird but Japan does not have many Christian churches.  Most citizens follow the Shinto faith. 

The Cool Tokyo Guide is a fantastic resource and if you are going to travel to Japan, I recommend that you take a look at it.  5 out of 5 stars.

Under Water

I was lucky to receive from Book Sirens a copy of Rachel Callaghan's Under Water. The book was published earlier this year.  It is a historical mystery novel with a dual timeline. The mystery is revealed so slowly that the book reads more like a historical fiction story. The story alternates between the 1860s and the present day.  

The publisher's summary:

Submerged beneath layers of history lies a long-ago buried secret. 

During the pandemic lockdown, Iris Pearl impulsively relocates her dulling marriage across the country in a bid to revive it. But renovating their Prerevolutionary Pennsylvania homestead gives Iris more than she bargained for when she makes a gruesome discovery, one that hurtles her and Benny’s haunted past to the present. 

Iris is desperately consumed by the desire to know what happened on her property over a century and a half earlier. Her search leads her to Irish immigrant Aoife Sprigett, the wife of Union soldier William. The further she digs into the mystery of Aoife’s fate, the deeper she reaches into her own secret history.

While William serves in the Civil War, Aoife struggles to uphold her vow to maintain their livelihood, their farm, during his absence. Aoife’s only companion is their hired help, Thomas Walker, a freeborn black laborer. Aoife and Thomas develop a warm friendship as they toil side by side in the fields. Together, Aoife and Thomas sow deep seeds that bear deep-rooted consequences, which are now coming to light.

Will unearthing the truth behind Aoife’s tragic past, which so closely parallels Iris’s own, free her and Benny from their marriage’s haunted history, or will revisiting that dark time destroy it?

I thoroughly enjoyed this Civil War era story. It was meticulously researched and I was particularly impressed that the story was about the people left behind by the soldiers, instead of being a typical war story. The author obviously did a ton of research on the era. She brought alive the 1860s rural Pennsylvania landscape for both the black and white characters. Callaghan was truthful about life for those left behind. She wrote into the plot the tensions between the black and white characters and the tensions between the wealthy and the serving classes. Callaghan also portrayed the divisions between characters who supported the Union and those who were ambivalent about the war. It was interesting that she did not give us characters who supported the confederates. I don't know much about the history of the Civil War but on my past readings on the subject there were only two sides, those heavily supporting the Union and those heavily supporting the Confederacy. There was no in-between. Perhaps there really were Southerners living in this era who did not support the Confederacy or who just didn't care and wanted to continue their lives without any interference from a war.

Aoife's story was the most compelling. Her husband William volunteered to fight on behalf of the Union and left her to deal with their farm with only one farmhand to help her.  I had to check Wikipedia to determine how to pronounce her name because I knew this was going to bother me.  It is pronounced "eefah."  Aoife went through many changes during her husband's absence but she probably endured them so well because she was a former servant. She knew how to get things done. The mystery about the baby found on Iris's property was also a big part of the plot.  The reveal was not written like the usual historical mystery. There was no investigation by a law enforcement agency but rather by a professional genealogist. The body that was found in the pond was over 100 years old. I will leave my comments at that in order to not be a spoiler.

Under Water was an engrossing read. Historical fiction fans will love it. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.