The Lost Gift to the Italian Island by Barbara Josselsohn

Publication December 4, 2023-Bookouture-Historical Fiction-

Book Summary

Italy, 1943. With tears in her eyes, Giulia listens out for the sound of bombers flying overhead and thinks of the baby growing inside of her. Through the fabric of her lace dress her fingers touch the cold bullets carefully sewn into the seams. Luca might never forgive her, but she has to do this…

New York, present day. When Tori Coleman discovers that her mother was adopted, her whole world shatters. Jeremy, her boyfriend, wants to get married, but how can Tori commit when she doesn’t know who she truly is? The only clue to the identity of her biological family is a mysterious postcard with a photograph of an ornate wedding dress her grandmother Giulia made, which she’s told was gifted to a museum on an Italian island…

Tori arrives on Parissi Island, surrounded by turquoise Mediterranean waters, with the sweet smell of orange blossom filling the air. She soon finds the museum and learns that Giulia was Jewish, and secretly lived there during World War Two. She thought her grandmother abandoned her mother, but was she forced to leave and give up her child?

Just as she’s getting closer to answers, an unexpected call from Jeremy stops Tori in her tracks. As he passionately urges her to find out the truth, suddenly Tori wishes he were in Italy by her side, ready to propose again.

But then Tori is shocked to find bullets sewn into the lining of one of Giulia’s dresses and a notebook claiming she did something terrible during World War Two. Will the secrets in her family help her follow her own heart, or send her home from Italy with it finally broken forever?

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab-(Link to Review of Book 1 Below Author Bio)

The Lost Gift to the Italian Island, Book #2 in the Sisters of War, follows the plight of Giulia, as she escapes Parissi Island during the Nazi invasion and becomes entangled in the Italian Resistance. Barbara Josselsohn’s dual timeline alternates between 1943, Italy, and present-day New York City with several threads of mystery, betrayal, and secrecy. Josselsohn explores themes of following one’s passion and understanding identity through main character, Tori, a seamstress with goals of opening her own studio. A client sends Tori a postcard from a museum in Italy with a picture of the perfect wedding dress; some would believe this a coincidence, others God’s plan. As the designer and seamstress of my own wedding gown, this was the hook for me. Tori decides a trip to Italy to discover her past is manageable if she treats it as a dress pattern, one step at a time- the perfect analogy. Sensory descriptions of the castle, Parissi Island, and the Mediterranean are the ultimate setting as Tori discovers that mistakes and misunderstandings are the pieces to her past.

While life lessons like choose life-give the future a chance, and the antidote to mistrust is connection, are important, I believe the key to The Lost Gift of the Italian Island is that “love transcends everything.” Tori’s promise from her mother is one that connects us all. “Wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.”

Memorable historical details of situations with uplifting outcomes. Highly recommended.

A best-selling novelist with a background in newspaper reporting, Barbara Josselsohn loves crafting stories about protagonists facing a fork in the road. She is the author of six novels and has also written hundreds of articles and essays in major and regional publications about family, home and relationships. Barbara’s stunning website: https://barbarajosselsohn.com/

https://gratefulreader.home.blog/2023/05/11/secrets-of-the-italian-island-by-barbara-josselsohn/

The Last Love Note by Emma Grey

Book of the Month Club Pick, Indie Next Pick, Publishers Lunch Buzz Book, Top 10 Washington Post- Publication November 7, 2023-Zibby Books-Women’s Fiction-376pp

Book Summary

Kate is a bit of a mess. Two years after losing her young husband Cameron, she’s grieving, solo parenting, working like mad at her university fundraising job, always dropping the balls—and yet clinging to her sense of humor. Lurching from one comedic crisis to the next, she also navigates an overbearing mom and a Tinder-obsessed best friend who’s determined to matchmake Kate with her hot new neighbor. When an in-flight problem leaves Kate and her boss, Hugh, stranded for a weekend on the east coast of Australia, she finally has a chance, away from her son, to really process her grief and see what’s right in front of her. Can she let go of the love of her life and risk her heart a second time? When it becomes clear that Hugh is hiding a secret, Kate turns to the trail of scribbled notes she once used to hold her life together. The first note captured her heart. Will the last note set it free? The Last Love Note will make readers laugh, cry, and renew their faith in the resilience of the human heart—and in love itself.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The Last Love Note is considered a rom com, but that pigeonhole is not a good fit for me. This novel is about losing. Losing love, jobs, babies. Sounds depressing right, but the novel is about so much more. The setting is Australia, so the places were unfamiliar, but Emma Grey’s sense of place takes over! At the novel’s core is the journey of a widow through grief, the understanding and acceptance of the self-sacrificing actions of others, and the mosaic of the human heart. There are secrets, low points and turning points-all revealed through love notes. Readers will long remember the overall theme that ‘love outlives death.’ This novel is full of humor and scaffolded grief shrouded in wisdom.

Emma is a novelist, feature writer, photographer, professional speaker and accountability coach.
She has been writing since she first fell for Anne of Green Gables at fourteen and is the author of YA fiction, memoir, and nonfiction. She wrote her first adult novel, The Last Love Note, in the wake of her husband’s death. It’s a fictional tribute to their love, an attempt to articulate the magnitude of her loss and a life-affirming commitment to hope. Emma lives just outside Canberra, where her world centers on her two adult daughters, young son, loved step-children and step-grandchildren, writing, photography and endlessly chasing the Aurora Australis.

Here is the link to the Zibby Media page featuring Emma Grey and The Last Love Note. Readers will find the book club kit, bonus content, a play list and much more! https://zibbymedia.com/blogs/our-books/the-last-love-note

To Spark a Match by Jen Turano

Publication November 14-Bethany House-Historical Romance-Gilded Age, Inspirational Fiction- 368pp

**SERIES:** **THE MATCHMAKERS (BOOK 2)**

Book Summary

After five unsuccessful Seasons on the marriage mart, Miss Adelaide Duveen has resigned herself to the notion that she’s destined to remain a spinster forever–a rather dismal prospect, but one that will allow her to concentrate on her darling cats and books. However, when she inadvertently stumbles upon Mr. Gideon Abbott engaged in a clandestine activity during a dinner party, Adelaide finds herself thrust into a world of intrigue that resembles the plots in the spy novels she devours.

Former intelligence agent Gideon Abbott feels responsible for Adelaide after society threatens to banish her because of the distraction she caused to save his investigation. Hoping to return the favor, he turns to a good friend–and one of high society’s leaders–to take Adelaide in hand and turn her fashionable. When danger surrounds them and Adelaide finds herself a target of the criminals in Gideon’s case, the spark of love between them threatens to be quenched for good–along with their lives.

Grateful Reader Review

Jen Turano, known for funny, quirky historical romance, has paired Adelaide, a breath of fresh air, with Gideon, an intense detective involved in a dangerous lifestyle. Adelaide is a 23-year-old lover of spy novels with no feminine skills or fashion sense, and a collector of cats! Adelaide nor her mother is looking forward to yet another New York Season of matchmaking. Turano steers readers from velvet curtained libraries and glittering dining rooms to a dusty, old bookshop with a circular staircase. Filled with witty humor, she deftly weaves society balls and incidents worthy of Adelaide’s spy novels with Gideon’s real life detective agency.

Bainswright Books, with its scent of old leather and dust, is Adelaide’s’ favorite bookshop. Turano’s vivid descriptions of the rambling rooms crammed full of tables laden with piles of books draws readers into Gideon’s quest to uncover a criminal organization. This is a perfect match for Adelaide’s obsession with spy novels and her detective skills. Customers, Vernon and Leopold, darling widowed matchmakers, add an extra measure of spice and cunning to the story.

Society’s perception is that Adelaide needs a “reputation restoration.” Turano’s depictions of Adelaide’s hilarious antics, the Savage Swans and the Bustle Uprising, might at first bring readers to the same conclusion. But Adelaide is genuinely brilliant, not at all shallow. As she swirls across the dance floor, she quickly discerns the false intentions of suitors as Turano is extremely adept at revealing honest human nature in each of her characters. Gideon’s genius introduction of a custom saddlebag for cats will have pet lovers falling for him along with Adelaide!

As the Season unfolds, Adelaide finds no satisfaction when she realizes another unfortunate young lady will take her place among society’s unacceptable. Lessons of compassion, kindness, and understanding portrayed through Adelaide’s treatment of others shine welcome beams of light into Jen Turano’s To Spark a Match.

A Gilded Age Romance filled with delightful, humorous banter and spy novel worthy detectives!

JEN TURANO

Named one of the funniest voices in inspirational romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today bestselling author known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publishers Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from RT Book Reviews, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. She and her family live outside of
Denver, Colorado. Jen’s delightful website: https://jenturano.com

Purchase Links & Formats: Paperback, eBook, Audiobook

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Match-Matchmakers-Book-ebook/dp/B0BW12TFMC

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-spark-a-match-jen-turano/1142992266

Chasing Eleanor by Kerry Chaput

Published October 2023-Black Rose Writing-Historical Fiction YA-277pp

**Historical Novels Review Magazine-Editor’s Choice**

Book Summary

Newly orphaned Magnolia Parker must protect her sick little brothers, but when the authorities send the boys to an unknown orphan asylum, Magnolia calls on her unwavering grit to bring them home. She’s lost everything but still has a secret weapon-a promise from Eleanor Roosevelt, the most famous woman in America. Setting out on a cross country quest, she befriends two unlikely travelers: Hop, a migrant worker with a big heart, and Red, a young girl traumatized into silence. Hunger and dust storms aren’t the only dangers this found family faces on the rails. After an assault, they’re forced to outrun the police, all while trying to track down the First Lady. But time is running out and Magnolia’s chance to reunite her siblings depends on one thing-finding Eleanor.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

First Published in Historical Novels Review Magazine-November 2023- Editor’s Choice Award

During the Great Depression in 1935, riding the rails and standing in breadlines was part of daily life. Kerry Chaput’s main character, Magnolia Parker is consumed with hate and fear as she lives to protect her brothers, seven- year- old “cute as a bug” Johnny, and tender hearted, twelve- year- old Oscar. Magnolia’s determination not to fail her brothers is fueled by her father’s abandonment, the accidental death of two-year-old Emily, and ultimately the death of her mother.

Chaput’s prose is boiling over with Magnolia’s sense of anger, drenching her with determination. After Chaput’s eloquent foreshadowing of the family being splintered apart Magnolia gains the strength and fortitude to search for her brothers, wondering if finding them will make her worthy. Penniless, overwhelmed with disappointment, and desperate, Magnolia finds work as a maid at the Pilot Butte Inn. A life-changing conversation with Eleanor Roosevelt leaves Magnolia finally feeling seen by Eleanor’s discerning heart and later a promise to help find the boys. Readers ride the rails from Oregon to Georgia with teens Magnolia, Hop, an Italian migrant worker, and Red, a traumatized run-away. Always searching for clues to trust each other, the teens’ pact and Eleanor’s promise to help, increases their resolve to find the brothers. Chaput’s narrative is packed with harrowing, gut-wrenching adventure and encrusted with pearls of wisdom Magnolia gathers from Eleanor’s MyTime column and newspaper articles. “Meet each struggle one at a time” jump starts Magnolia’s chase to find the First Lady. Chaput emboldens her characters with optimism, emotional intelligence, and wisdom gained over a lifetime.

The core theme in Kerry Chaput’s Chasing Eleanor is learning that forgiveness is a gift to yourself. Chaput’s novel, a love letter to Eleanor Roosevelt, reflects “Learning to love is an education in itself.” Highly recommended.

KERRY CHAPUT: All my stories explore the journey of young women, found family, and first love. I blend history, adventure, and magic into my own version of historical fantasy. I believe in inclusion and exploring the broad range of experiences with young women so my readers may see how truly diverse women’s history is. Born a California girl, I now live in Bend, Oregon where I can be found hiking and enjoying the amazing trails of the Pacific Northwest. I live with my husband, two children, and two dogs, sharing the love of Oregon and finding inspiration in the world around me. I hope you enjoy my stories as much as I love writing them. https://www.kerrywrites.com/

A Christmas Vanishing by Anne Perry

Publication: November 7, 2023-Random House-Ballantine-Historical Mystery

Book Summary

Charlotte Pitt’s clever grandmother investigates the sudden disappearance of her dear friend in this chilling holiday whodunit by New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.

Mariah Ellison, Charlotte Pitt’s grandmother, accepts her longtime friend Sadie’s gracious invitation to spend Christmas with her and her husband, Barton, in their picturesque village. But upon arrival, Mariah discovers that Sadie has vanished without a trace, and Barton rudely rescinds the invitation. Once Mariah finds another acquaintance to stay with during the holiday season, she begins investigating Sadie’s disappearance.

Mariah’s uncanny knack for solving mysteries serves her well during her search, which is driven by gossip as icy as the December weather. Did Sadie run off with another man? Was she kidnapped? Has someone harmed her? Frustratingly, Mariah’s questions reveal more about the villagers themselves than about her friend’s whereabouts. Yet in the process of getting to know Sadie’s neighbors, Mariah finds a kind of redemption, as she rediscovers her kinder side, and her ability to love.

It is up to Mariah to master her own feelings, drown out the noise, and get to the bottom of what occurred, all before Christmas day. With the holiday rapidly approaching, will she succeed in bringing Sadie home in time for them to celebrate it together—or is that too much to hope for?

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

A Christmas Vanishing takes place during a miserable winter, outside foggy, sooty London, around the turn of the century. Anne Perry’s vivid descriptions of the English countryside whisk readers by train to a quaint village green with decorated shop fronts, the aroma of roasting chestnuts, and church bells that peal to gather the townspeople. Main character, Mariah, is escaping demons from her past, an unhappy marriage, and the person she has become. Anne Perry’s ability to peer deep into Mariah’s past and express her heartfelt misgivings and admitted mistakes, illuminates human frailties in Mariah, the townspeople, and in ourselves. Who invites a guest for Christmas and then disappears? Sadie, Mariah’s confidant from decades past, is described as spirited and engaging. The severe cold, approaching Christmas Eve, and her place in village society makes Sadie’s disappearance quite disturbing and mysterious. Is Sadie being selfish or is she desperate? Will the townspeople solve the mystery in time for Christmas? Anne Perry’s A Christmas Vanishing deals with mistakes, repaying old debts, and forgiveness. Listen for the church bells!

Anne Perry passed in April 2023. I’ve enjoyed reading and reviewing her annual Christmas novels for many years. Read about her incredible career in her own words: https://anneperry.us/about-me/

Anne Perry : 28 October 1938 – 10 April 2023

Anne’s publishing career began with The Cater Street Hangman. Published in 1979, this was the first book in the series to feature the Victorian policeman Thomas Pitt and his well-born wife Charlotte. This is arguably the longest sustained crime series by a living writer. Murder on the Serpentine is the latest (32nd) in the series. She has now started a series featuring their son Daniel, beginning with 21 Days (2017).

In 1990, Anne started a second series of detective novels with The Face of a Stranger. These are set about 35 years before and features the private detective William Monk and volatile nurse Hester Latterly. The most recent of these (24th in the series) is Dark Tide Rising.

Hidden Truths by Elly Swartz

Publication October 31, 2023-Random House Children’s -Middle Grade-272pp

Book Summary

How far would you go to keep a promise? Told from alternating points of view, Hidden Truths is a story of changing friendships, the lies we tell, the secrets we keep, and the healing power of forgiveness.

Dani and Eric have been best friends since Dani moved next door in second grade. They bond over donuts, comic books, and camping on the Cape. Until one summer when everything changes.

Did Eric cause the accident that leaves Dani unable to do the one thing in the world she most cares about? The question plagues him, and he will do anything to get answers about the explosion that injured her. But Dani is hurting too much to want Eric to pursue the truth—she just wants to shut him out and move on. Besides, Eric has a history of dropping things he starts. Eric knows that and is determined that this will be the one time he follows through.

But what if his pursuit brings him into direct conflict with another friend? Where does Eric’s loyalty really lie?

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The middle grade novel Hidden Truths by Elly Swartz is about the forever people in our lives. Loving them. Forgiving them. Fighting for them. It’s also about chasing dreams, finding your superpower, and forgiveness.

Elly Swartz hit a homerun with Hidden Truths. Parents, teachers, and students will become ardent fans of the main character Dani, who truly loves baseball, (it’s not just a phase), and her best friend since second grade, Eric, who loves crossword puzzles and has worn the same swim trunks for two years. (Yes, he’s smart, skinny and gets bullied at school.) The novel is told from alternating points of view, with a signed baseball for Dani’s chapters, and a crossword puzzle for Eric. Kids will love that!

Dani and Eric learn that friends can be jerks, friends lie, friends use you. Both fans of superheroes and shapeshifting, they learn that superpower is not so great among friends. An accident happens and Elly Swartz helps young readers navigate the emotions of guilt, making mistakes, and the consequences of lying or telling the truth. Readers are faced with characters who are brave, reckless, scattered (ADHD), and sideways; but all friends grow and change. Are they who we think they are? Readers will eagerly follow Dani and Eric onto the baseball field, down the school hallways, and out to the Cape to find out how Elly Swartz solves this best friend dilemma.

Readers of all ages are reminded that goodbyes are hard, not everything can be fixed with cookies and donuts, (but they help), and we all need forever people. Insightful. Enlightening. A homerun!

Elly Swartz grew up in Yardley, Pennsylvania, where she lived a happy childhood filled with laughs, family dinners, and crooked birthday cakes. She studied psychology at Boston University and received a law degree from Georgetown University School of Law. The mother of two grown sons, Elly now lives in Massachusetts with her husband.https://ellyswartz.com/

Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renée Rosen

Publication April 2023-Berkley-432pp

Book Summary

It’s 1938, and a young woman selling face cream out of a New York City beauty parlor is determined to prove she can have it all. Her name is Estée Lauder, and she’s about to take the world by storm, in this dazzling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces and Park Avenue Summer.

In New York City, you can disappear into the crowd. At least that’s what Gloria Downing desperately hopes as she tries to reinvent herself after a devastating family scandal. She’s ready for a total life makeover and a friend she can lean on—and into her path walks a young, idealistic woman named Estée. Their chance encounter will change Gloria’s life forever.

Estée dreams of success and becoming a household name like Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, and Revlon. Before Gloria knows it, she is swept up in her new friend’s mission and while Estée rolls up her sleeves, Gloria begins to discover her own talents. After landing a job at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York’s finest luxury department store, Gloria finds her voice, which proves instrumental in opening doors for Estée’s insatiable ambitions.

But in a world unaccustomed to women with power, they’ll each have to pay the price that comes with daring to live life on their own terms and refusing to back down.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab : This review was first published in the May 2023 issue of Historical Novels Review magazine.

New York City and its fashionable department store Saks Fifth Avenue is the setting for Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl. A chance encounter at a local beauty parlor turns into a complete makeover for Estée Lauder, Gloria Downing, and the cosmetic industry of the 1930’s and 1940’s. Rosen’s novel is written from fictional friend Gloria’s perspective as she is interviewed for an unauthorized biography of lifelong friend Estée Lauder. Rosen’s unique hook in the prologue is a question of whether Gloria will tell the truth or lie. Because Gloria knows everything.

Readers are familiar with the major names in the early cosmetic industry, Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, and Revlon. Estée’s goal is to become a household name. She mixes skin care products in her tiny kitchen and Gloria, due to a family scandal is reinventing herself and looking for a job. Estée’s natural beauty and charisma paired with Gloria’s fashion sense make for a dynamite team and over the decades an explosive relationship develops.

Rosen’s well researched anecdotes highlight how the unlikely friends complement each other’s weaknesses with support and encouragement. Rosen accurately depicts Estée’s brash, tenacious personality which adds humor to unlikely, sometimes awkward situations on the beaches of Florida or the executive offices in NYC. The choices and expectations of women during the depression are perfectly blended with each young woman’s dreams, giving readers insights into how they each become independent and self-sufficient. Gloria goes out of her way to avoid men, and Estée runs toward them, providing readers situations for personal analysis and discussion.

Estée Lauder’s pioneering spirit and ingenuity have certainly had a lasting impact on the cosmetic industry. In Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl Renée Rosen’s themes of friendship, reinvention and family relationships are explored like the layers of a fine perfume.

COMPANION READ:

A Beautiful Rival by Gil Paul – The story of Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein; household names by the time Estee Lauder was mixing creams in her kitchen! Here’s the Grateful Reader review for readers:

https://gratefulreader.home.blog/2023/09/05/a-beautiful-rival-by-gil-paul/

The Porcelain Maker By Sarah Freethy

Publication Nov.7, 2023-St. Martin’s Press-Historical Fiction-Romance-416pp

Book Summary

Two lovers caught at the crossroads of history.
A daughter’s search for the truth.

Germany, 1929. At a festive gathering of young bohemians in Weimar, two young artists, Max, a skilled Jewish architect, and Bettina, a celebrated avant-garde painter, are drawn to each other and begin a whirlwind romance. Their respective talents transport them to the dazzling lights of Berlin, but this bright beginning is quickly dimmed by the rising threat of Nazism. Max is arrested and sent to the concentration camp at Dachau where only his talent at making exquisite porcelain figures stands between him and seemingly certain death. Desperate to save her lover, Bettina risks everything to rescue him and escape Germany.

America, 1993. Clara, Bettina’s daughter, embarks on a journey to trace her roots and determine the identity of her father, a secret her mother has kept from her for reasons she’s never understood. Clara’s quest to piece together the puzzle of her origins transports us back in time to the darkness of Nazi Germany, where life is lived on a razor’s edge and deception and death lurk around every corner. Survival depends on strength, loyalty, and knowing true friend from hidden foe. And as Clara digs further, she begins to question why her mother was so determined to leave the truth of her harrowing past behind…

The Porcelain Maker is a powerful novel of enduring love and courage in the face of appalling brutality as a daughter seeks to unlock the mystery of her past.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

This dual timeline novel carries all the emotional and physical burdens of World War ll, the Holocaust, and the impact of these events on relationships and families. The porcelain figurines found at auction in Cincinnati,1993, represent the tension and anxiousness fired into Sarah Freethy’s characters. From the opening of the novel in Germany,1929 when the main characters meet, through America, 1993, when Clara is searching for clues to her past, readers will experience love and marriage consequences, the Allach Porcelain Factory and the concentration camp in Dachau, along with frightening rescue attempts.

The climax of the plot is set in the basement of the porcelain factory. As an escape plan is formed Freethy’s chilling descriptions, plot twists, and courageous characters keep suspense at a peak. The porcelain making techniques and regimens of the prisoners, aside the brutal treatment and plight of the Jews makes this an emotionally challenging and demanding novel. Sarah Freethy’s The Porcelain Maker is a work of art. And as “The Porcelain Maker of Dachau” believes, “Art should serve a purpose beyond beauty.”

Allach porcelain (pronounced ‘alak’) a.k.a. Porzellan Manufaktur Allach was produced in Germany between 1935 and 1945. After its first year of operation, the enterprise was run by the SS with forced labor provided by the Dachau concentration camp. The emphasis was on decorative ceramics —objets d’art for the Nazi regime. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allach_(porcelain)

**Available for purchase on Amazon**-Book Description below:

“For the first time, the brief nine year history of SS Allach Porcelain (1936-1945), the infamous nazi run porcelain factory, is presented in this new two volume reference. Explored in detail is the fascinating array of sculptures made by Allach, and also the historical significance as to why each category of porcelain was established. Close-up views of figures show the skilled artistry of some of Germany’s greatest sculptors, potterers and painters including Theodor Karner, Ottmar Obermaier and Richard Forster. And why this little known porcelain factory named Allach may be considered the producer of some of the finest porcelain the world has seen to this day. This two volume reference is the result of many years of painstaking research and collecting. No expense was spared to bring the facts to all Allach Porcelain collectors and porcelain aficionado’s alike. The books feature over 600 photographs, including many never before seen porcelain figures, and comprehensive text.” From Amazon site.

The Other PRINCESS a novel of Queen Victoria’s Goddaughter by Denny S. Bryce

Publishing October 3, 2023- William Morrow-Historical Fiction-400pp

Book Summary

A stunning portrait of an African princess raised in Queen Victoria’s court and adapting to life in Victorian England—based on the real-life story of a recently rediscovered historical figure, Sarah Forbes Bonetta.

With a brilliant mind and a fierce will to survive, Sarah Forbes Bonetta, a kidnapped African princess, is rescued from enslavement at seven years old and presented to Queen Victoria as a “gift.” To the Queen, the girl is an exotic trophy to be trotted out for the entertainment of the royal court and to showcase Victoria’s magnanimity. Sarah charms most of the people she meets, even those who would cast her aside. Her keen intelligence and her aptitude for languages and musical composition helps Sarah navigate the Victorian era as an outsider given insider privileges.

But embedded in Sarah’s past is her destiny. Haunted by visions of destruction and decapitations, she desperately seeks a place, a home she will never run from, never fear, a refuge from nightmares and memories of death.

Grateful Reader Review & Companion Read by Dorothy Schwab

This four-part saga is told in first person and based on the life of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, an African princess who became the ward of Queen Victoria. Author Denny Bryce has completed impeccable research to bring this little-known historical figure to life. Bryce uses a blue pendant throughout the novel as a tangible, emotional touch point connecting readers to the haunting, tragic loss of the royal family of the princess. Bryce’s vivid descriptions of West Africa, Windsor Castle, Sierra Leone and Lagos Colony take the reader from the brink of seven-year-old Princess Aina’s execution to Queen Victoria’s death almost six decades later. Fans of the PBS series, Victoria, will appreciate the vivid details of Queen Victoria’s household, including the death of Prince Albert, and the wedding of Princess Alice. The superb storytelling, analogies, and wisdom expressed through Sarah’s thoughts and travels across continents reveals the rich history and political situations in Africa and England spanning 1843-1900. Denny S. Bryce has created a gripping account of an intelligent young girl with no choices who becomes a royal insider; a bold woman fighting for independence, love, family, and home.

Denny S. Bryce is a best-selling, award-winning author of historical fiction. A former dancer and public relations professional, Denny is an adjunct professor in the MFA program at Drexel University, a book critic for NPR, and a freelance writer whose work has appeared in USA Today and Harper’s Bazaar. She is also a member of the Historical Novel Society, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and Tall Poppy Writers. Originally from Ohio, she likes to call Chicago her hometown but currently resides in Savannah, Georgia. You can find her online at DennySBryce.com.

Companion Read: At Her Majesty’s Request: An African Princess in Victorian England by Walter Dean Myers-139pp

A perfect companion read would be At Her Majesty’s Request: An African Princess in Victorian England, by Walter Dean Myers, published by Scholastic, Inc. in 1999. I purchased this at the completion of The Other Princess after reading the author’s note. At Her Majesty’s Request, is based on letters, filled with illustrations, photos and even a map, which is always appreciated! This book-4th-8th grade, is a great example for teaching first and secondary sources in research. Due to the audience, the descriptions of the attack on the royal family are much less graphic. Here are a few pictures from the book. I highly recommend The Other Princess by Denny S. Bryce and At Her Majesty’s Request by Walter Dean Myers.

Walter Dean Myers: August 12, 1937 – July 1, 2014) was an American writer of children’s books best known for young adult literature. He was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia, but was raised in Harlem. A tough childhood led him to writing and his school teachers would encourage him in this habit as a way to express himself. He wrote more than one hundred books including picture books and nonfiction. He won the Coretta Scott King Award for African-American authors five times.^[1] His 1988 novel Fallen Angels is one of the books most frequently challenged in the U.S. because of its adult language and its realistic depiction of the Vietnam War. From Wickipedia

Brilliant Bites

75 Amazing Small Bites for Any Occasion by Maegan Brown-The BakerMama

Published September 2023-Rock Point-200pp

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

This will be your new “go to” handbook when planning a kid’s party, a holiday gathering, or figuring out what to take to the next tailgate or book club meeting. The cookbook is divided into six categories: Party, Holiday, Breakfast, Snack, Dessert, and Savy Sips. Each family friendly recipe includes notes on make ahead tips and how to store-SO helpful for busy schedules. The index is especially helpful since it’s arranged by ingredient, not alphabetical by recipe title. For instance, bacon is followed by ten recipes and page #’s that use bacon! Perfect for fall football, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas-just around the corner!

Since Halloween is creeping up on us, here’s a couple of spooky ideas for your kids’ special night. Pictured below: The Jack O’ Lantern Mac ‘n Cheese Bites is a quick make ahead recipe with elbow macaroni, cheese and egg baked in a muffin pan, decorated with sliced pepperonis. Great activity for the kiddos! The Mummy Meatballs are a freaky addition. These use premade meatballs wrapped in a couple of fettuccine noodles, baked in some marinara sauce. The fun part for the kids- add a dab of ricotta cheese and a snip of black olive for eyes.

Another favorite is the Enchilada Egg Roll-classic TexMex ingredients; shredded chicken, cheese, and enchilada sauce wrapped in a wonton wrapper and baked. This is on my menu for the next football game! Also stalking the Buffalo Chicken Celery Bites… Buy Brilliant Bites and you’ll be all set for the next party!

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