THE DISCOVERY: A NOVEL (DAN WALSH)

Baker Publishing Group | April 1, 2012 | Trade Paperback |ISBN 978-0-8007-1981-4

 Story Description: 

Gerard Warner was not only a literary giant whose suspense novels sold in the millions, he was also a man devoted to his family, especially his wife of nearly 60 years.  When he dies he leaves his Charleston estate to his grandson, Michael, an aspiring writer himself.  Michael settles in to write his own first novel and discovers an unpublished manuscript his grandfather had written, something he'd kept hidden from everyone but clearly intended Michael to find.  Michael begins to read an exciting tale about Nazi spies and sabotage, but something about this story is different from all of Gerard Warner's other books. It's actually a love story.  As Michael delves deeper into the story he discovers something that has the power to change not only his future but his past as well.  Laced with suspense and intrigue, The Discovery is a richly woven novel that explores the incredible sacrifices that must be made to forge the love of a lifetime.  Author Dan Walsh delivers yet another unique and heartfelt story that will stick with readers long after they turn the last page. 

My Review: 

Michael Warner has inherited a large sum of money from his grandfather, Gerard Warner, along with his beautiful, old Charleston estate.  Gerard was a well-known and loved author during his lifetime and had fans the world over.  He was very devoted to wife of 60 years and to his family. 

Michael wants to be a writer like his grandfather and settles into his new estate to begin writing when he discovers an unpublished manuscript left behind by his grandfather.  With the manuscript is a journal entry saying: “Michael, you will know what to do with this”.  Michael, of course, is stumped and has no idea what his grandfather means until he sits down to read the unpublished manuscript.  What he discovers will change his life and the life of his entire family. 

This was a riveting page-turner and I’ll definitely be looking for more of this author’s work.   

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

THE NAZI OFFICER'S WIFE: How One Jewish Woman Survived The Holocaust (Edith Hahn Beer)

Story Description:

Zonderkidz | October 15, 1999 | Hardcover |ISBN 978-0-688-17776-8

Edith Hahn was an outspoken young woman studying law in Vienna when the Gestapo forced Edith and her mother into a ghetto, issuing them papers branded with a "J."  Soon, Edith was taken away to a labor camp, and though she convinced Nazi officials to spare her mother, when she returned home, her mother had been deported.  Knowing she would become a hunted woman, Edith tore the yellow star from her clothing and went underground, scavenging for food and searching each night for a safe place to sleep. Her boyfriend, Pepi, proved too terrified to help her, but a Christian friend was not.  With the woman's identity papers in hand, Edith fled to Munich.  There she met Werner Vetter, a Nazi party member who fell in love with her, and despite her protests and even her eventual confession that she was Jewish, he married her and kept her identity secret.  

In vivid, wrenching detail, Edith recalls a life of constant, almost paralyzing fear.  She tells of German officials who casually questioned the lineage of her parents; of how, when giving birth to her daughter, she refused all painkillers, afraid that in an altered state of mind she might reveal her past; and of how, after her husband was captured by the Russians and sent to Siberia, Edith was bombed out of her house and had to hide in a closet with her daughter while drunken Russians soldiers raped women on the street. 

Yet despite the risk it posed to her life, Edith Hahn created a remarkable collective record of survival.  She saved every set of real and falsified papers, letters she received from her lost love, Pepi, and photographs she managed to take inside labor camps. 

On exhibit at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., these hundreds of documents form the fabric of an epic story--complex, troubling, and ultimately triumphant.  

My Review: 

I don’t really have a lot to add here for a review since the story description was so liberal and thorough.  It was truly an amazing story of an immensely intelligent and strong woman.  I’m not sure I could have done what Edith accomplished and my hat goes off to her.  The story was well written and was truly heartbreaking in areas and even a bit of humour was injected in other parts.  On the whole, I’m really glad that I stumbled across this book while searching for something to read on the Chapters.Indigo website.  If you get a chance, pick up a copy and read a most amazing story!

ENDURING LOVE (BONNIE LEON)

Story Description:

Baker Publishing Group | May 1, 2009 | Trade Paperback |ISBN 978-0-8007-3178-6 

Just when things seem to be looking up for John and Hannah Bradshaw, their world is turned upside down.  Years ago, John was in prison when he was told his first wife, Margaret, died. So how is it that she shows up in Sydney Town looking to pick up where they left off?  Her marriage now null and void, Hannah is distraught.  But she and John feel they must separate to allow John's first marriage to continue.  But is Margaret hiding something after all?  And just what will she do to get what she wants?  This conclusion to the Sydney Cove trilogy will draw readers in with its suspenseful, romantic, and tender narrative. 

My Review: 

Hannah and John Bradshaw and their son, Tommy, are happy living on their sheep farm in Sydney Town.  Little by little they are adding more and more sheep to the farm so they can begin shearing and selling the wool to finance their lives. 

A few years ago when John was in prison, he was told that his first wife, Margaret, had died.  John, of course, was devastated.  Once out of prison he met and married Hannah and together they took in Tommy after both his parents died and they’ve become quite the family. 

Well, lo and behold, the long dead, Margaret, shows up in Sydney Town alive and well and wants John to take her back.  She found out that he was out of prison and living on the farm.  John had a terrible decision to make – stay with Hannah or take Margaret back.  It was an easy decision since he was still legally married to Margaret making his marriage to Hannah null and void.  John couldn’t even have a judge grant him a divorce from Margaret because there were no grounds. 

Tommy and Hannah moved out making way for, Margaret.  Tommy was terribly upset that he and his mother were being forced to move but as a 10-year-old child, he didn’t have a choice. 

Soon one of Hannah’s friends gets word that, Margaret, isn’t all she professes to be and is up to something, but what?  Hannah isn’t totally convinced at first but when a second person repeats a rumour they heard about Margaret, Hannah decides she had best investigate.  What she learns will throw the entire situation into a heart-pounding conclusion.  This is the last book in the Sydney Cove trilogy which I thoroughly enjoyed.

LONGINGS OF THE HEART (BONNIE LEON)

By:  Bonnie Leon

Baker Publishing Group| October 1, 2008| Trade Paperbac | ISBN 978-0-8007-3177-9

Story Description: 

It is the early 1800s and the wondrous land of Australia is full of possibilities as settlers stake their claims.  Hannah and John are settling some land in New South Wales and hoping to a family.  But their bright hopes for the future are clouded with trouble.  As they try unsuccessfully to have a baby, Hannah suffers from guilt over her past.  Now this haunts her and her relationship with John--she's never told her husband about this chapter of her life. Full of the kind of emotional longings romance readers crave, Longings of the Heart is the heart-rending second book in the Sydney Cove series.  Established and new Leon fans alike will finish this story wanting more. 

My Review: 

Hannah and John are married and decide to build their dream home on some land in New South Wales, Australia.  They are hoping for a happy and bright future but Hannah’s conscience begins to bother her as she hasn’t been totally honest with John. 

Both Hannah and John desperately want to have children but after a year of marriage they are still barren.  Hannah’s conscience kicks into overdrive and she worries constantly about not telling John the truth about her past before they got married.  Hannah had been raped and had a baby that was born too early and it died, but Hannah always prayed that the baby would die.  Hannah now thinks that God is punishing her and keeping her womb barren because of the prayer to have the baby die. 

Soon John is picking up that Hannah just doesn’t seem herself and keeps asking her what is wrong.  She finally relents and tells him the story and he is utterly furious and leaves her for 3 days.  During the time he is gone something terrible happens that John will feel guilty for when he returns. 

To make matters worse, there is a woman at their church who knows about Hannah’s past and she is threatening to tell the Pastor and Elders of their church and then Hannah’s reputation will be ruined and they’ll be run out of town.  To keep her quiet they begin supplying this woman with sheep, hogs, cheese, bread, and money. 

John then hears of a 10-year-old boy who is an orphan after losing both of his parents.  He is currently living with another family but they can’t afford to feed him and are looking for another family to take him on.  John decides to surprise Hannah and brings young Tommy home but Hannah doesn’t give him the reaction he expected.  She is livid and tells John that Tommy is NOT her child he is someone else’s child.  Unfortunately, young Tommy was standing on the porch at the time and heard what Hannah said.  This caused a very tumultuous relationship between Tommy and Hannah.  Hannah wants John to get rid of the kid and take him to some other family but John refuses to do that. 

What is going to happen to this once happy couple who had such big dreams?  Will Tommy stay or is he dumped on yet another family due to Hannah’s selfishness?  Will Hannah ever have a baby of her own, a baby that she thinks she can love? 

At 299 pages, I just buzzed through this novel.  It grabbed me right in at the beginning and kept me turning the pages until the end.  Longings of the Heart  is Book #2 in the Sydney Cove Series.  The third and final book is titled: Enduring Love which I’ll be reading next.

TO LOVE ANEW (BONNIE LEON)

Story Description: 

Baker Publishing Group | August 1, 2007 | Trade Paperback | ISBN: 978-0-8007-3176-2

Historical Fiction | Sydney Cove Series #1 | 

Hannah Talbot has no one. Forced to leave the only home she's ever known, she works for a cruel employer who brutally takes the one thing she has left--her dignity.  When she is banished from London, she is certain God has turned his back on her.  John Bradshaw was a successful businessman whose untamed spirit sometimes wanted more.  When he is betrayed by those closest to him, he loses everything--his wife, his business, even his freedom.  John's and Hannah's paths are about to cross.  Aboard a ghastly, nineteenth-century prison ship from London to Australia, John and Hannah must keep hope alive and trust God's unconditional love. 

My Review: 

From the very first page I was sucked right into this fast moving story.  The writing was flawless with no run-on sentences or unnecessary verbiage.  I felt very sympathetic toward all the characters and especially loved Hannah and Lottie. 

Hannah Talbot had been evicted from her sewing shop after her mother died and with nowhere to go she wandered the streets.  She was finally able to garner herself a job as a housemaid for Judge Walker and his family but after a terrible and despicable act she was forced to flee in the night.  With nowhere to go she slept in doorways and one day when her hunger got the best of her, she stole a loaf of bread from a local market and was caught by police.  Standing before Judge “Walker”, he sentenced her to 14 months in prison. 

John Bradshaw was a successful business man sitting at a bar enjoying a couple of drinks with friends when a man challenged him to a fight and came at him with a knife!  After much struggling, John managed to stab the man in the abdomen but the man later died.  John was sentenced to life in prison. 

When Hannah is banished to an Australian prison, she is certain that God has turned His back on her. 

John who now finds himself aboard a horrible prison ship, the same one that Hannah is on, their paths are about to cross.  What will happen when their paths cross and two hearts filled with pain discover how to love anew? 

I can’t wait to begin reading Book #2 in this series titled: “Longings of the Heart”.  Bonnie Leon has a beautiful style of writing that makes the reader want to keep turning the pages.  Well done!

THE SHOEMAKER'S WIFE (ADRIANA TRIGIANI)

Story Description: 

HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS | April 3, 2012 | Hardcover  

The majestic and haunting beauty of the Italian Alps is the setting of the first meeting of Enza, a practical beauty, and Ciro, a strapping mountain boy, who meet as teenagers, despite growing up in villages just a few miles apart. At the turn of the last century, when Ciro catches the local priest in a scandal, he is banished from his village and sent to hide in America as an apprentice to a shoemaker in Little Italy. Without explanation, he leaves a bereft Enza behind.  Soon, Enza's family faces disaster and she, too, is forced to go to America with her father to secure their future. 

Unbeknownst to one another, they both build fledgling lives in America, Ciro masters shoemaking and Enza takes a factory job in Hoboken until fate intervenes and reunites them.  But it is too late:  Ciro has volunteered to serve in World War I and Enza, determined to forge a life without him, begins her impressive career as a seamstress at the Metropolitan Opera House that will sweep her into the glamorous salons of Manhattan and into the life of the international singing sensation, Enrico Caruso. 

From the stately mansions of Carnegie Hill, to the cobblestone streets of Little Italy, over the perilous cliffs of northern Italy, to the white-capped lakes of northern Minnesota, these star-crossed lovers meet and separate, until, finally, the power of their love changes both of their lives forever. 

Lush and evocative, told in tantalizing detail and enriched with lovable, unforgettable characters, The Shoemaker's Wife is a portrait of the times, the places and the people who defined the immigrant experience, claiming their portion of the American dream with ambition and resolve, cutting it to fit their needs like the finest Italian silk. 

This riveting historical epic of love and family, war and loss, risk and destiny is the novel Adriana Trigiani was born to write, one inspired by her own family history and the love of tradition that has propelled her body of bestselling novels to international acclaim.  Like Lucia, Lucia, The Shoemaker's Wife defines an era with clarity and splendor, with operatic scope and a vivid cast of characters who will live on in the imaginations of readers for years to come. 

My Review: 

Eduardo and Ciro loved their mother, Caterina who had recently become a widow and wasn’t handling her emotions very well.  Eduardo was the scholarly older brother to, Ciro, who was a big strong boy.  Caterina cannot care for the boys so she drops them off at the convent.  The nuns absolutely adore Ciro and appreciated his wonderful sense of humour.  Both Eduardo and Ciro worked tirelessly for the nuns ensuring most of the work in the convent was done so they could earn their keep. 

One day, Ciro sees the town’s much beloved priest engaged in a scandalous situation and reports his findings to the nuns.  To protect himself the priest sends Eduardo and Ciro away from the convent, the only place they’ve ever really known as home. 

A day or so before the boys are to be sent away, Ciro meets Enza while he is digging the grave for her baby sister, Stella.  Enza and Ciro immediately like each other and will never forget each other as their lives move in different directions. 

Enza’s family is being evicted from their home and they have no money to pay for another.  Enza and her father, Marco set sail for America where they both plan to work and send money home to their mother so they can build the house of their dreams. 

While in American, Enza is eventually found working for the Metropolitan Opera as a seamstress and is introduced to the great singer Enrico Caruso.  She has love interests but becomes a friend to Caruso who loves her for making him “macaroni”.  

Meanwhile, Ciro is working in America building boots and shoes for men, shoes which he is extremely proud of.  Eventually Ciro and Enza meet again in New York but their separate and busy lives do not allow them to stay together, but they both still love each other, they just don’t know it yet. 

The story flips back and forth between the beautiful Alps of Italy, to New York, to Minnesota, through World War I, to the Metropolitan Opera House.  This is a mesmerizing story of family, love, romance, dedication to family and work ethic, and the immigrant experience of the early 1900’s. 

The characters are well-developed, strong, independent people who are determined to be the drivers of their own lives rather than leaving it all to fate.  At 468 pages, you’ll be quickly drawn in by Trigiani’s beautiful and evocative prose with lush sentimental dialogue.   

THE SHOEMAKER’S WIFE is a lush historical epic of the early twentieth century and the touching immigrant experience.  This is Adriana Trigiani at her best!!

HOLES (LOUIS SACHAR)

Story Description: 

Random House Children's Books | May 9, 2000 | Trade Paperback  

Stanley Yelnats is under a curse.  A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats.  Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys'' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes:  five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake.  The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something.  Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment-and redemption. 

My Review: 

This was a cute story for kids.  Stanley Yelnats is accused of stealing a pair of running shoes donated to a homeless shelter to raise money to fund the program, however, Stanley is truly innocent but the judge doesn’t believe him.  He is sentenced to 18 months at Camp Green Lake where he is forced to dig holes under the blazing hot sun every single day including Saturday and Sunday.  The holes must be exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. 

Each kid at Camp Green Lake is given a camp name and Stanley’s is ‘Caveman’.  He hates digging holes and soon winds up looking for his friend ‘Zero’ after he storms out of camp into the barren lands.  What they find might surprise you. 

All round cute story that was darkly humorous.