New Site Feature: Throw Back Thursday Review

As you’ve probably noticed, Nicole’s Nook has a new look. I finally sat down to took time over February break to add a new theme and categorize my posts more thoughtfully. It is now much easier to use the menu to search for book reviews by genre. I have consistently posted my favorite book of the month since I started the blog in August of 2021. That leaves out a lot of great books I read before then. So, I thought it would be fun to search through my goodreads and share some of my highest rated books prior to starting Nicole’s Nook.

Today’s book: The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

Publication Date: July 21, 2020

Date Read: January 2, 2021

My rating: 4 Stars

Favorite Quote: “There’s something almost miraculous about seeing a child’s eyes light up when you hand him a book that intrigues him. I’ve always thought that it’s those children—the ones who realize that books are magic—who will have the brightest lives.”
― Kristin Harmel, The Book of Lost Names

Goodreads Synopsis:

Eva Traube Abrams, a semi-retired librarian in Florida, is shelving books one morning when her eyes lock on a photograph in a magazine lying open nearby. She freezes; it’s an image of a book she hasn’t seen in sixty-five years—a book she recognizes as The Book of Lost Names.

The accompanying article discusses the looting of libraries by the Nazis across Europe during World War II—an experience Eva remembers well—and the search to reunite people with the texts taken from them so long ago. The book in the photograph, an eighteenth-century religious text thought to have been taken from France in the waning days of the war, is one of the most fascinating cases. Now housed in Berlin’s Zentral- und Landesbibliothek library, it appears to contain some sort of code, but researchers don’t know where it came from—or what the code means. Only Eva holds the answer—but will she have the strength to revisit old memories and help reunite those lost during the war?

As a graduate student in 1942, Eva was forced to flee Paris after the arrest of her father, a Polish Jew. Finding refuge in a small mountain town in the Free Zone, she begins forging identity documents for Jewish children fleeing to neutral Switzerland. But erasing people comes with a price, and along with a mysterious, handsome forger named Rémy, Eva decides she must find a way to preserve the real names of the children who are too young to remember who they really are. The records they keep in The Book of Lost Names will become even more vital when the resistance cell they work for is betrayed and Rémy disappears.

My Thoughts

While I haven’t done a review of this book before, it has shown up on several lists. If you are a regular visitor to Nicole’s Nook, you know I read a lot of books set in WWII. This one has stayed with me for a couple of reasons. First, it’s reverance for books and preserving identity. Eva and Remy not only create new identities fore refugees, but they also create a coded record of their real identies, for those too young to remember. Second, I love the characterization of Eva. In the present timeline, we see her as a quiet librarian, who most would perceive as living a boring life. But, we see in the past that she took extraordinary risks to save countless people. It really shows the assumptions society makes about the elderly. Lastly, I love the relationship between Remy and Eva. It adds just the right touch of romance without distracting from the main story.

February 23, 2023

Middle Grade Book of the Week: Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park

Summary:

Hanna is a half-Asian girl living in California during the 1880’s. At a time of extreme prejudice against Chinese people her simple dreams are nearly impossible: graduating from school, becoming a dressmaker and making a friend. As the story progresses, Hanna finds ways to fight for what she wants.

My Thoughts:

If you’re a regular reader, you know that I love Laura Ingalls Wilder. But, even as a young white girl in the 1980’s I recognized how insensitively Native Americans were portrayed in the novels. Park gives readers a more realistic view of pioneer life, while still paying homage to Wilder. Hanna faces prejudice ranging unintentional microaggressions to legalized racism. At the beginning of the novel, she is very timid. I love the way she finds ways to quietly stand up for herself. Rather than focusing on a major historical protest or legal case that promoted change, Prairie Lotus small ways change individuals hearts and the power of friendship.

October 3, 2022

My Favorite Read of July 2022

Just when you think this war has taken everything you loved, you meet someone and realize that somehow you still have more to give.
Ruta Sepetys, Salt to the Sea

Goodreads Synopsis

While the Titanic and Lusitania are both well-documented disasters, the single greatest tragedy in maritime history is the little-known January 30, 1945 sinking in the Baltic Sea by a Soviet submarine of the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise liner that was supposed to ferry wartime personnel and refugees to safety from the advancing Red Army. The ship was overcrowded with more than 10,500 passengers — the intended capacity was approximately 1,800 — and more than 9,000 people, including 5,000 children, lost their lives.

Sepetys (writer of ‘Between Shades of Gray’) crafts four fictionalized but historically accurate voices to convey the real-life tragedy. Joana, a Lithuanian with nursing experience; Florian, a Prussian soldier fleeing the Nazis with stolen treasure; and Emilia, a Polish girl close to the end of her pregnancy, converge on their escape journeys as Russian troops advance; each will eventually meet Albert, a Nazi peon with delusions of grandeur, assigned to the Gustloff decks.

My Thoughts

Every time I think I’ve had enough of reading about WWII, I find a book with a book with a different perspective. I knew nothing about the Wilhelm Gustloff. I love learning about events that should be considered major historical events, but somehow get lost. This is listed as YA, but I would consider it adult. I think that teenagers could read and enjoy it. However only one of the four main characters is in the YA age range. I wouldn’t want an adult to miss out on the book thinking it wasn’t for them.

What I liked about this book:

It’s an event that hasn’t been written about a lot in historical fiction novels
The characters are complex, and their secrets aren’t revealed immediately, but they aren’t drawn out so long that it becomes frustrating to the reader.
I loved the shoemaker character. He is a minor character, but I love the way he adds touches of humor and sentimentality to scenes.

August 1, 2022

My Favorite Read for January 2022

The Queen's Fortune — The Queen’s Fortune

Goodreads Synopsis:

As the French revolution ravages the country, Desiree Clary is faced with the life-altering truth that the world she has known and loved is gone and it’s fallen on her to save her family from the guillotine.

A chance encounter with Napoleon Bonaparte, the ambitious and charismatic young military prodigy, provides her answer. When her beloved sister Julie marries his brother Joseph, Desiree and Napoleon’s futures become irrevocably linked. Quickly entering into their own passionate, dizzying courtship that leads to a secret engagement, they vow to meet in the capital once his career has been secured. But her newly laid plans with Napoleon turn to sudden heartbreak, thanks to the rising star of Parisian society, Josephine de Beauharnais. Once again, Desiree’s life is turned on its head.

Swept to the glittering halls of the French capital, Desiree is plunged into the inner circle of the new ruling class, becoming further entangled with Napoleon, his family, and the new Empress. But her fortunes shift once again when she meets Napoleon’s confidant and star general, the indomitable Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte. As the two men in Desiree’s life become political rivals and military foes, the question that arises is: must she choose between the love of her new husband and the love of her nation and its Emperor?

From the lavish estates of the French Riviera to the raucous streets of Paris and Stockholm, Desiree finds herself at the epicenter of the rise and fall of an empire, navigating a constellation of political giants and dangerous, shifting alliances. Emerging from an impressionable girl into a fierce young woman, she discovers that to survive in this world she must learn to rely upon her instincts and her heart.

Allison Pataki’s meticulously researched and brilliantly imagined novel sweeps readers into the unbelievable life of a woman almost lost to history—a woman who, despite the swells of a stunning life and a tumultuous time, not only adapts and survives but, ultimately, reigns at the helm of a dynasty that outlasts an empire.

My thoughts:

I love fiction that focuses on the lesser-known historical figures. Before reading this book, I knew almost nothing about Desiree Clary. She was engaged to Napoleon Bonaparte, until he met Josephine. Even after the engagement ends, Napoleon’s influence dominates her life. Yet, in the end, she is the one whose blood still flows through European royalty. I found her story fascinating.

My Favorite read for November 2021

My favorite read for November was a The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See. A beautifully written tale of female friendship and strength, the book introduced me to facets of Korean history and culture that were new to me. Mi-ja and Young-sook live on the island of Jeju, a matrifocal society where women divers are the providers for their families. Occupied by the Japanese during WWII, then later by American soldiers, the story of the island is tragic. This is not a light, feel-good story, but it is the story of resilience and the power of forgiveness.

This book is perfect for readers who like

… strong female characters.

… complex relationships between characters. (not romantic)

… reading about lesser-known historical events.

… are interested in Korean culture.

… books about tragedies or injustice.

December 2, 2021

Top Ten Books with dual timelines

I love books with two stories from different times intertwined. The authors on this list often write in this style, but I limited the list to one book per author.

10. Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio

Claire Aldridge is a reporter assigned to cover the 1933 blackberry winter storm. While researching she learns of an unsolved abduction the same day and vows to solve it. Through her research she discovers unexpected connections between herself and he child’s mother, Vera.

9. Off the Wild Coast of Brittany by Juliet Blackwell

Natalie and Alex were raised by survivalist parents. Once she reached adulthood, Natalie fled and sold a bestselling memoir about her experiences. The memoir ends with her falling in love, but real life ends with her boyfriend leaving her. Hiding this from the public, she’s living on a small island restoring her estranged boyfriend’s family guesthouse when Alex shows up with a secret of her own. The two uncover a cookbook from the WWII era and investigate the story of Violette, whose story the reader learns in alternating chapters.

8. Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

In 2018 Morgan Christopher is released from prison to restore a mural from 1940. The mural holds the key to the mystery of what happened to the talented artist who disappeared without a trace. Like many of the books on this list, half of it takes place during WWII, however set in a small southern town, the war is not really part of the story other than vague references.

7. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

This book is different from the others on the list in that the two time periods are close together. Osla, Mab and Beth are code breakers during WWII. They are as close as sisters, until a betrayal turns them into enemies. In 1947 they reunite to unveil a traitor. Readers also get to meet a young Prince Phillip and Princess Elizabeth.

6. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

As far as her family knows, =retired librarian Eva Traube has lived a quiet life. No one suspects that once upon a time she forged papers which helped Polish Jews escape to Switzerland. But, when she recognizes a book from a photo, she must follow its trail.

5. The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White

Sarah Blake is a bestselling author desperate for a new idea. When she discovers secrets regarding her great-grandfather’s death on the Lusitania, she goes to England to investigate. With three different authors there are three very distinct points of view, that manage to come together to make an intriguing story.

4. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

In the late 1930’s a Memphis adoption agency kidnapped poor children and sold them to rich parents. In the present day Avery Stafford has a chance encounter which leads her to dig into her family’s history. I love the Wingate finds lesser known pieces of history to write about. I knew nothing of this real-life scandal.

3. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

When Cassandra’s grandmother dies, she inherits a book of fairy tales written by an authoress who disappeared in the early 1900’s. As she investigates, she finds unexpected family secrets. This one is more than a dual timeline as the story spans from the 1890’s to the present.

2. The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

If I didn’t limit this list to one book per author, it would’ve been almost entirely comprised of Susanna Kearsley books. It was a difficult decision, but the second book in her Scottish series is my favorite. Nicolla has the gift of seeing the past through touching objects. Through a wooden firebird carving, she traces the history of a young girl named Anna and the Jacobite movement. The ending makes more sense if you’ve read The Winter Sea, but it works as a stand alone as well.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Vianne and Isabelle are sisters living in France during WWII. As the men go off to war, the women are left behind to deal with invading Nazi soldiers. Vianne does what she must to protect her family, while Isabelle joins the resistance movement. A beautiful story that will bring tears to your eyes.

October 4, 2021