Marie Benedict is an excellent writer of historical fiction. I highly recommend buying this set if you have not already read the novels. Two of my reviews are below:

Imagine that your family sends you (alone) to the U.S. because of financial hardship in Ireland and you will need to support your relatives back home. Imagine that you are able to take on someone else’s identity to become the servant of Andrew Carnegie’s mother. Will you be found out? Will your position be secure? These are among the premises of this richly detailed historical novel. Relationships between upstairs and downstairs, specifically between Clara and Andrew Carnegie are a major part of this novel. Read it too to learn more about the business world and women’s roles in the post Civil War U.S. Overall, an enjoyable read.

Mrs. Churchill in her voice: Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict

by joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviewsSeptember 22, 2019

Lady Clementine is a wonderful historical novel and one that I highly recommend. As can be seen from the title, it is the story of Clementine Churchill, wife of Winston. The story is told in Clementine’s voice and Ms. Benedict inhabits that so well that, while reading, I truly felt that Clementine was telling her story. The book focuses quite a bit on WWII but there was much before that in Clementine’s biography and these earlier times merit also captured the author’s attention.

Readers learn that Clementine’s childhood was rather insecure and find out why this was so. The losses she experienced and her opportunities to marry before meeting Winston are detailed.

Clementine and Winston had many years together prior to WWII. Readers experience the ups and downs of their relationship, Winston’s political and military woes and their significant family tragedy. Winston’s neediness and strong need for Clementine to be available become quite clear. Readers also witness Clementine’s mental health struggles and the challenges that she faced as a mother. Throughout there is the lens of Clementine finding her own voice and her desire to be appreciated and recognized for the incredible woman that she was.

I give this novel 5 stars, something that I rarely do. I recommend it that highly.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this read in exchange for an honest review.

Simply Philosophy

by DK

This title is exactly as described. It offers simple, concise explanations of concepts in the field.

Following an introduction, this book is broken down into sections including Thinking About the World, Being and Language, Mind and Matter and, Right and Wrong. Each of these divisions has many subsections; to name just a few: An Unknowable Origin, Hume’s Fork, Taking Language Apart, The Helpless Mind, Human Understanding, The Virtuous Life and Moral Choice.

Each entry is illustrated and short. It is the kind of book that will answer questions for many and will encourage others to dig deeper.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

by Loren Glass

Carole King’s album, Tapestry, became an anthem for young women in the 1970s. It later is given its due in the Broadway musical Beautiful, which tells the story of the earlier part of Carole’s life. The album remains beloved by many and that includes new fans as well.

In the introduction the author shares the very personal way that Tapestry became a part of his life, as well as that of the author’s mother. The book goes on to place King in the context of her time. Those who have followed Carole King will revisit material that is known to them including her early family life, her relationship with Gerry Goffin and more. That should not interfere with enjoying this title. Those who want to learn more about 1970s music will also want to immerse themselves in this book. Listen to the album as you read and appreciate all that Carole King gave to the music world.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The Kennedy Debutante by Maher

by joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviewsDecember 14, 2018

This novel is a richly imagined, evocative and detailed portrait of life in England, Europe and the U.S. in the years surrounding WW II.  The book focuses on the Kennedys and their circle.

Readers will spend time with staunchly Catholic parents, Joe and Rose, who have many aspirations for their children.  Joe Jr. and JFK are portrayed as they fall in love and commit to service in the war.  Rosemary and her emotional struggles are described and the younger Kennedy children also have a place.  The book though is most especially the story of Kathleen (Kick) Kennedy and her friends, colleague, romances and search for meaning.

Kick falls in love with England where she strives to find a worthwhile life while also enjoying a busy social life with her friends, including Deborah Mitford and her circle.  Kick is always aware of what is expected of her as a Kennedy but struggles with this.

Nowadays when marriages are not universally expected to take place between people who are the same (the same race, religion, socioeconomic status, etc.), it is hard to recall that this was not always the case.  However, when Kathleen (Kick) Kennedy, of Irish background and Catholic, falls in love with Billy, an aristocratic British, Protestant, her parents clearly do not approve.  How Kick chooses to live her life forms the core of the novel.  I do not want to put in any spoilers so will stop here.

I found The Kennedy Debutante to be an excellent historical novel.  I hope that you will too!

The Barbizon

The Hotel That Set Women Free

by Paulina Bren

There was a time when young women moving to New York City spent their first weeks (or longer) at the Barbizon Hotel. The guests were both famous and not. All were looking for a place that a female could safely and uncontroversially stay. Everyone from Grace Kelly to Sylvia Plath spent time there, beginning after WWI. The building is still there but, of course, is no longer the same.

It was a place of rules. For example, no men were allowed upstairs. But, even so, it offered a welcome sense of freedom to its residents.

Those who are interested in the social history, the roles of women and the city of New York will find that this title is interesting and informative. It is also somewhat nostalgic and, for that reason, may give readers a pleasant escape.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

A Charming Irish Cozy Mystery

by Catie Murphy

Dead in Dublin is Catie Murphy’s first entry in what I think will be a new and enjoyable cozy mystery series. Fans of that genre may want to give this one a look. In it, an American who drives tourists around Dublin becomes involved in a murder investigation. Many of the elements that cozy lovers appreciate are here; there is the Irish setting, not too much blood, an interesting case, a Garda officer and…two puppies. So, enjoy some armchair travel and a relaxing read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

NOTE: THIS BOOK’S E EDITION IS CURRENTLY JUST NINETY-NINE CENTS!

Put this on your TBR pile: Trace Elements A Comissario Guido Brunetti Mystery by Donna Leon

by joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviewsJanuary 21, 2020

MY EARLIER REVIEW

Where I live, the weather is currently cold and the days are short.  When Trace Elements takes place during  a summer in Venice, it is as hot as hot can be.  Clothes are sticking, meals need to be light and our detective, Guido Brunetti is mystified by the tourists who want to be in Venice at this miserable time.  I could feel the heat and the need to drink mineral water.  All of this is to say that Ms. Leon is a master at creating her scenes and characters.  When Brunetti was eating his cheese and salad,   I salivated.  When I followed this essentially good man throughout the story, I wanted to know him and his colleagues as real people.  When Brunetti was with his wife, Paola, I wanted a marriage like theirs.  All of this adds verisimilitude to a novel that, in parts, is deeply tragic.

Tue story begins when Brunetti and a female colleague go to visit Benedetta, a women in hospice care, who is dying a miserable death from cancer.  Readers will feel great sympathy for this character’s suffering.  Before she dies, Benedetta presents Brunetti and Claudia Griffoni with something to investigate.  They learn that Benedetta’s daughters are about to become orphans as Benedetta’s husband recently died in a crash.  Was his death an accident? If it was murder how, if at all, does it relate to his job?

In Trace Elements (an apt title), the crime as it relates to Venice feels all too plausible.  Ms. Leon has done her research and written a believable and sad tale of human corruption and its consequences.  Wrong actions happen but the reasons for them differ.

This title is the latest entry in Donna Leon’s long running series about Guido Brunetti.  It is a most excellent novel and I recommend it highly.

#TraceElements #NetGalley