The Wicked Redhead AND The Wicked Widow both by Beatriz Williams

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

After leaving us with Gin Kelly down in Florida with her beloved and her much younger sister, we find that she is still in hot water, so to speak. While her true love, Anson, has sworn to remain out of the business of going after those defying the law to cash in on quenching the thirst of their fellow Americans (with illegal alcohol), he cannot help but be pulled back in by those who have been after him – just this one more time. We see this happening over and over, and because he is such a straight-laced, ethical, devoted person, we go along with his life-threatening choices again and again, just as Gin does.

Meanwhile, we continue to follow Ella’s timeline, as she also struggles with her complicated situation. She is juggling her ex-husband and the newly discovered “gift” he’s left her newfound love, Hector. How could she possibly contend with all of this and the possibility of losing her job on top of this? It feels like too much. But as Ella sorts out her life, she also discovers how she is connected to her past and to the past lives of those who have lived in her building before her…

These last two stories in the trilogy are as suspenseful and as tantalizing as the first one and I have to say that I devoured them hungrily. Williams’ writing is consistently engaging, with the dialogue crisp, characters snarky and heartful, and plot twisty and surprising. I was kept guessing throughout. I especially loved Gin’s story – it was never dull, never lagged, never felt predictable. I am envious of Williams talent down to my core.

You may end at the first book, but you will be left hanging. Honestly, even reading to the third, you will be left with a few ends to be tied – but that is how life is, isn’t it?

Loved these books!

The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

NYC 1990’s: Ella has just moved into her own tiny apartment in the Village. Not by choice, mind you – but what’s a girl to do when her husband cheats on her with a prostitute in her own apartment building? Thankfully, she has a job she likes and she can quickly move on. And the super/musician who lives on the top floor with whom she has just had a strange but flirty interaction in the laundry room just might be the right distraction for her…

NYC 1920’s: Gin is living in a tiny apartment in the Village and frequents a speakeasy where she has found a fast but comfortable crowd to match her fast and comfortable wit. Having escaped her western Maryland home, she has made her way to this rather questionable boarding house, if it can be described as such, and found a position in a typing pool down on Wall Street. But her side hustle has gotten her mixed up in some other exploits that may threaten everything she understands about NY and how it operates.

These strong and savvy female heroines are written as only Beatriz Williams can: snarky of wit and soft of heart. Combine that with a plot that is replete with intrigue, suspense, and surprise – not to mention historical context – well, you definitely have my attention. And my attention was held from beginning to end – could not put it down.

And it’s a trilogy! Wow! So get ready to hear about numbers 2 and 3, because I am planning to actually read them in direct order – something I rarely do. But for Williams, one of my favs, I am doing it.

You know I have to make anything by her a MUST READ, so once again, this one is added to that list. Just for the fun of it!

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

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Charlotte Cross is determined to make her own way, create a name for herself in the male-dominated space of 1930’s archeology. The only woman on her expedition, and a student studying abroad, she understood she was fortunate just to be in the presence of some of the most distinguished archeologists and Egyptologists in the world, but she still bristled when she was put off by some of the men on the dig. Not so by Henry, however, who showed her unusual kindness, who respected her the way the most senior member did.

Fast forward to 1978, we meet Charlotte in her later years, working at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC in the Egyptology research department, but her life is quite different then. She is keeping secrets that have been held close for decades. Why can’t she go back to Egypt? What is gripping her so tightly? The newest hire, Annie, who has a complicated life of her own may be the key to helping to unlock Charlotte’s secrets…

This story, which appropriately glorifies the Met Museum and its treasures, is a fascinating look at how ancient history is pieced together, one archeological find at a time. As Charlotte theorizes about a female pharaoh and her reign and how its glory was erased by her successors, contradicting her boss’s famed research, she encounters obstacles that not only threaten her research, but threaten her safety and the safety of her family. In this way, the story builds suspense and tension while educating and deepening our understanding of the culture and values of Egypt and its people. And while she and Annie are an unlikely pair, they make an endearing team, balancing each other and caring almost like the mother and daughter that each is searching for in life.

Here’s another historic NYC building around which Davis has managed to build an intense, engaging story. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Run by Ann Patchett

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Both Tip and Teddy have really had enough of their father dragging them to political events; they both feel they’ve done their share and they’re pretty over it; but at the same time, neither has the ability to say no to him. Tip is more annoyed than usual on this particular night, since he’s got so much work to do before his final exams, so much more to finish up in his lab, and it’s snowing like crazy outside (and of course he did not bring an appropriate jacket). When the speech has concluded, they are outside negotiating their next step – their father is still wanting more from them – a shocking and terrifying event occurs that completely rocks their world.

This is a beautifully crafted story about a complicated family and their complicated relationships. Tip and Teddy had been adopted by Doyle and his late wife when their older son Sullivan was 12 years old. This had a very negative impact on Sullivan, as we learn in the course of the narrative. But the relationship between the younger boys and Doyle is quite tender, in spite of their friction over his ambitions for them. To complicate things further, it appears, as they learn as the story unfolds, Tip and Teddy’s biological mother has been keeping an eye on them their whole lives without them having any clue.

It is almost impossible, I believe, to not love each of these characters and therefore to not love the story itself. Each has a vulnerability, a longing, a concern for the others that is endearing and present almost in spite of him or herself. Each is tied to the other because of their sense of family that goes way beyond genetics.

I highly recommend this book – not only because most anything written by Ann Patchett is extraordinary, but because it is a unique story, rich with complex characters, and told with her remarkable wit, imagination, and gift for words.

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

New York, 1913: Laura Lyons feels restless. She knows she has a good life, privileged to live in the apartment deep within the vast dimensions of the New York Public Library with her husband, Jack, and two young children. But she craves more. Perhaps if she could obtain a Master’s in journalism, she might be able to contribute to the family income so that Jack won’t feel as much financial pressure as he has been.

New York, 1993: Sadie is beside herself with excitement. She has just been chosen, over her co-worker (and former love interest) Claude, to be curator over the newest exhibit of the Berg Collection, a planned showcase of the library’s collection of their most prized rare books and artifacts. Her mood collapses, however, when she learns that someone has stolen one of the books in their collection – and now, on her watch. As she does some digging, she learns that this is not the first time this has happened in the library’s history…

This is a beautifully rendered story that engenders a deep appreciation for the magnificent New York Public Library building on Fifth Avenue. In telling the stories of both characters, Laura and Sadie, who are both colorful, smart, and ambitious women, the author also portrays the inner workings and operations of the building itself. We learn of how this main branch functions: as a keeper of books, relics, documents – not for lending out, but for preserving, so that anyone may utilize whatever is kept there for research purposes. There are precious first editions, handwritten documents by famous authors parsing out their thoughts, and random items used by the authors as well. More importantly, there are millions of books, both famous and not, kept under tight security, so that our culture, our knowledge, our history is guarded.

The stories themselves are also poignant and, of course, come to intersect. Laura is plagued by the sexism and narrow-mindedness of her era and she learns to fight against them with her pen. She is also torn because it is a hard fight and there are hard choices to make. Sadie’s story is more suspenseful and we find her tracking down the stolen books and the thief in very surprising turns of events.

All in all, this makes a great read – highly recommend this one!!

Forbidden Places by Penny Vincenzi

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Grace feels literally swept off her feet by her new beau, Charles. He’s way out of her league and she cannot fathom what he sees in her, but she is grateful for his attention. He is just so handsome, debonaire, quite the socialite – it feels hard to keep up. If only his mother and sister would show her just a little more warmth, just a little more approval, she’d feel a bit more comfortable about it all. But he’s so reassuring that she feels marriage to him will work everything out in the end. When she is further overshadowed, even dominated by Charles, she begins to question her judgement, but the oncoming war makes her hesitate to make any changes in her life. When Charles is called to serve, Grace sees herself become empowered to stand more firmly and independently than she ever thought possible.

This is a unique perspective on the second World War: that of the impact on the women “left behind.” While they were often victims of the violence, they were also fighting battles of their own, juggling the care of their homes and families with having to survive both emotionally and financially. As many of them had to earn livings while their husbands were sent off to battle, others also volunteered in the many services that supported the war efforts, bolstering the soldiers’ supplies and also participating in espionage and technical maneuvers. Their support was often disregarded and minimized, but they contributed enormously to the effort, and many discovered a new self-worth through their work. They discovered that there was more to life than being subservient to their husbands, and that they were able to find gratification and fulfillment through work outside the home as well as inside it.

Grace grows tremendously throughout the narrative, and her growth is aided by the characters around her. Her sister-in-law, Florence, is a particularly complex character, who teaches Grace humility in the most unexpected and enlightening way. Florence is brutally frank, curt, and awkward, which Grace interprets as hostile. As the story unfolds, we learn that while Florence is, indeed, awkward and frank, she also has justification for her anger, even if it need not be directed toward Grace. Eventually, Grace learns this as well, and she learns to accept folks more and more for who they are, becoming more accepting, less judgmental. We learn much from Grace’s lessons.

There are so many layers to this story, so many lovely characters, so many threads. I am in awe of how the author has woven the story in such a way as to create a world in which we are so entangled, so engaged that we cannot put the book down and yet are stricken when it ends. This is how all books should be.

Definitely read this one! I guess this is a MUST READ!

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

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Cass has fond memories of her family when she was younger – playing with her father and younger brother, PJ, in the woods in the back of her home. But it is hard to reconcile those memories with her life now, with her father forever working at the car dealership, her mother either complaining or being completely absent, and her brother, well, he’s just annoying. Why can’t they understand that all she wants to do is hang out with her friend, Elaine, who is cool, beautiful, knows how to navigate being a teenager. Later, when we transition to the perspectives of each of the family, we learn the true story of each of them and how their lives lead up to one precarious moment.

This novel begins VERY slowly. The author lays down the bricks one by one to set the foundation for building the characters as well as the plot. He also rotates the perspective of the characters, while mostly still writing in third person, varying the grammar/punctuation with the character, which provides a unique voice and tone for each of the characters. We hear about events from each of their perspectives, learn new details and explanations. Each brings a new “aha” moment, a new enlightenment that gives the story a deeper meaning.

I suppose the question is does it have to be as slow and plodding as it is? Perhaps not, but because it is, it is more and more gratifying when you get each of the “aha” moments. Each one carries with it a reveal, a connection, a wiring of one plot point to the other that makes sense of the whole picture. It is like putting together an enormous puzzle, one piece at a time, which can only be done slowly and methodically. If done haphazardly, one might never quite get it right.

But the story itself is complex, tragic, and ultimately beautifully rendered.

So, if you’ve got the patience and the time, and you’re after an intense and complicated plot with deeply complex characters, this novel is absolutely worth your while. Just keep at it – I believe it’ll be worth it!

Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand

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Kayla is getting ready for her 20-year ritual of the annual midnight swim with her two best friends on the island, Antoinette and Val. She understands that they are an unlikely trio – so different in their backgrounds and even their current personalities – but perhaps that is what makes this ritual of going out to their distant point on the island with their champagne and their lobster and their secrets to share so magnetic. She suspects that after the magic, she will likely just return to her routine of worrying that her husband might be cheating on her since she’s put on the pounds of middle age, and that her friends will continue to live the glamorous lives they live. But after Antoinette goes missing during their midnight swim, Kayla’s life – and all of their lives – are anything but routine. Will she ever get back what she has clearly taken for granted?

This is a surprisingly suspenseful novel, told from the perspectives of the various parties involved in Antoinette’s mysterious disappearance – possible drowning – and it holds fast until the very end. While we may find it hard, at first, to find compassion for these characters fortunate enough to live on Nantucket Island where life seems beautiful and luxurious, it is also a small town, with small town competitiveness, petty grievances, and long memories. Nothing happens without everyone knowing about it. There is no anonymity. So while it may be monied, life there comes at a high price.

One issue I have with the story is how it paints women in a stereotypically negative light. The relationships between the three women on the surface appear to be close, but on digging deeper, they are quite catty and competitive. It is utterly adolescent: they cannot possibly be true friends because they are competing for the men, the status, and the “coolness.” Kayla is blindsided by the other two: she is set up, backstabbed by them just because she is the stable and “normal” one. It is high school “mean girls” all over again – but with potentially devastating consequences.

That said, the story is engaging, creative, and does make for an intriguing summer read. Just be sure that if you’re packing it into your beach bag, be sure to swim during the daytime and leave the champagne at home!

The Secrets of Flowers by Sally Page

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Emma has been virtually immobilized by grief following the death of her husband months ago. She can barely work, can barely even speak. When she leaves her medical research position to work part-time as assistant florist, she realizes just how mute she’s become. She can barely express to the owners, Les and Betty, why it is that she was unable to attend Les’s lecture on the secrets of the Titanic one evening. Was her whole existence, her whole ability to function in the world tied up in her husband? After trying to make amends to Les by doing a bit of research herself on the Titanic, namely who might have been the florist on the notorious ship, it sparks a journey for Emma that begins to remind her that she might have a life yet to live after all.

This is a beautiful story told through the language of flowers. It is also told in two voices, that of Emma’s and that of Violet’s, a stewardess on the Titanic. The narrative goes back and forth between the two women, telling their parallel stories. The narrative describes vividly how connecting to the flowers around them has connected both to their past (to their fathers), how its rooted them in their identities, and how it has essentially saved them at different points in their lives.

The character of Betty is quite a lovely character. I believe we all need a “Betty” in our lives. This is someone we might easily take for granted. She’s not someone fancy, not someone shiny, with a lot of flare, but she is wise, she is loyal, and she is kind. She is actually someone we should all aspire to be, each and every day.

This is a sweet novel that will bring heart and wisdom – and a few interesting tidbits about the Titanic, if you’re interested! – to your summer reading list.

Isola by Allegra Goodman

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Marguerite, born to aristocracy in France, has been raised on her estate, with a view of her gardens and lands beyond. Sadly, however, after her mother died in childbirth and her father three years later in battle, she is now at the mercy of her guardian, a mercurial gentleman who is largely absent. What he does do is chip away at what is rightfully hers – first assigning her a teacher to guide and tame her, then confining her to a limited space in her own home so that he can rent out the rest of the house. Over time she discovers that he has mortgaged her entire property for his own purposes, after which he removes her from the only home that she knows. Eventually, she learns she must accompany him on a sea voyage to the New World (Canada) and when she develops a covert relationship with his assistant, he punishes them both by leaving them both, along with her elderly nurse, on a deserted island to fend for themselves. The unspeakable challenges and sorrows that ensue are alternatively gripping and devastating, horrifying and inspiring.

This novel is an extraordinary tale of passion, survival and faith. Goodman describes unfathomable circumstances under which Marguerite, initially privileged, helpless and resentful becomes wise, emboldened, and resourceful. We see her grow not only in strength, but in faith. She is initially very rebellious, and her cynicism serves her well. But as she grows, so does her humility and with it her understanding and her belief in something outside herself. She is able to see how the teachings of her nurse and her former teacher show comprehension of a larger world, a deeper meaning that encompasses the worthiness of giving, the benefit of compassion, what goodness truly means.

A current thought about trauma is that it can go two ways: it can lead to post-traumatic stress, or alternatively to post-traumatic growth. Occasionally, one has to go through a traumatic experience to become the best one can be. Experiencing pain gives us humility. Knowing pain enables us to understand it in others. (Not that we all have to be left on a deserted island to have a modicum of compassion for others, but you understand my point here, I hope!)

This is a wild story based on documentation of an actual person who went through this insane experience. Details are largely embellished but the basis of the story appears to be true. I would love to hear what others think about this one! Comments please???