Category: Book Reviews

Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun Portrait of an Artist 1755-1842 by Judith Lissauer Cromwell

Published May 2025-McFarland-Nonfiction, History, Biography-Softcover-281pp

The latest biography from historian Judith Lissauer Cromwell follows the remarkable life of Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, whose portraits of European royalty and nobility hang in many of the world’s most important galleries.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Historian, Judith Cromwell unveils the multi-faceted female artist, Vigée Le Brun; the biography of a woman who overcame tremendous hurdles to accomplish her childhood ambition of becoming a great artist.

Cromwell chronicles Vigée’s life from childhood, adding iconic scenes of mother and daughter walking through the Tuileries Gardens.  The young artist is noticed for her beauty and fashion, adding to her popularity as a budding portraitist. Vigée later forms an infatuation with her own daughter, Julia. Her early marriage to a gambler and womanizer is well documented, including the frustrating details of financial laws regarding a wife’s income and the limitations on female artists. One of the only artists with a Salon, she attracted musicians, artists, and aristocrats. Using Vigée’s memoirs, Cromwell portrays Vigée’s suppers and visits to the theater with friends.  Events like her exquisitely described impromptu Greek Supper and diplomatic friendships between Marie Antoinette and her enemies, showed how adept Vigée was at combining business and pleasure. Vigée Le Brun is a perfect example of a woman balancing career and motherhood. She became the official portraitist for Queen Marie Antoinette and European royalty; portraits now found in galleries around the world.

This 281page biography is filled with history and politics of France. It also includes analysis of 50 paintings that provide great insight into social customs and artistic techniques of the time. Twelve color plates including 20 photographs are located mid book. Favorites depicting motherhood are Julie Le Brun Looking in a Mirror and Self Portrait with Julia.

Vigée’s life story takes readers from Revolutionary Paris to Rome, Russia, England, Switzerland, and back to Paris. Portrait of an Artist is packed with intriguing details like the emergence of dentistry which leads to open lips and smiles showing teeth! Descriptions of daily life and the historical background of paintings give readers a fresh perspective on the times.

Portrait of an Artist. The triumphant victory of Vigée Le Brun becoming a world-famous portraitist.

Highly recommended for fans of Art History, French History, Women of the 19th Century  

From The Valley We Rise by Elizabeth Musser

Publication June 2025-Bethany House-Historical Fiction-400pp.

Book Summary

In the heart of war-torn France, Isabelle Seauve’s resolve is tested after her father sacrifices his life to protect her involvement in the
French Resistance. Heartbroken, Isabelle becomes more dedicated to hiding Jewish children in and near the village of Sisteron despite the growing danger when she discovers a traitor within the Resistance ranks. As the shadow of betrayal looms, Isabelle’s world collides with that of US Army Chaplain Peter
Christensen, who carries emotional scars from his first position in Kentucky and his service in North Africa. Together, they face the brutal reality of war as the second D-Day–the Allied invasion of
Provence–unfolds. Fifteen-year-old René Amblard narrowly escapes a devastating German attack that claims the lives of his mother and their fellow Maquis fighters. With a Jewish orphan girl at his side, René seeks out his cousin, Isabelle, for refuge while he contemplates revenge. When the bombs of Operation Dragoon begin to fall, this unlikely group of heroes must find freedom in their souls before they can rebuild what has been destroyed.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab-First Published in Historical Novels Review Magazine August 1, 2025, for The Historical Novel Society

From The Valley We Rise, a Resistance story set in Provence, France, recounts the rebuilding of Sisteron after the Allied invasion known as “Operation Dragoon,” August 1944. Told in four parts with suspenseful plot twists and the search for a traitor, Musser’s main characters represent vital parts of the Resistance helpfully explained in an opening Lexicon.  Isabelle hides Jewish children with the assistance of her father’s expertise in forgery. Peter, a Protestant chaplain whose parents were missionaries in Algeria, serves as emotional and prayer support for the soldiers.  Real-life René Amblard is the lone survivor of a German attack on his farmhouse as he strives to protect young Delphine, formerly Sarah Levy. She represents orphaned Jewish children, names changed for protection, who were adopted and hidden by French families.

            Musser has lived in Provence for many years, providing authentic research and depictions of the Citadel, cliffs, and caves of Sisteron from personal experience. The networks of “ordinary citizens with extraordinary courage” who hid Jewish children are highlighted along with the undeniable bravery and determination of the French Resistance fighters, the Maquisard. The intriguing plot is filled with complicated personal relationships impacted by guilt, anger and fear as Peter and Isabelle compare stories of childhood and the plight of loveable, discerning Delphine and René is revealed. The high stakes relationship between Isabelle and German Tomas adds tension and suspense, while Musser’s epilogue ten years later provides a satisfying resolution to the lives of the Resistance fighters.

            Themes include finding courage, recognizing fear, and forgiving oneself to find hope and deepen trust in God.  Elizabeth Musser builds this suspenseful novel of the Resistance “one stone at a time” leading to an emotional conclusion.  From The Valley We Rise. Highly recommended for book club discussions.  For a signed copy: https://entertainmentwithasoul.square.site/product/from-the-valley-we-rise-signed-edition-/26 

ELIZABETH MUSSER writes ‘entertainment with a soul’ from her writing chalet—tool shed—outside Lyon, France. For over thirty-five years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in missions’ work in Europe with One Collective, formerly International Teams. The Mussers have two sons, two daughters-in-law and five grandchildren.

Someone’s Gotta Give by Alisha Fernandez Miranda

Publication August 5, 2025-Zibby Publishing-Women’s Fiction-

Book Summary

Lucia thought she had it all figured out—until life in London as a new mom and expat turned everything upside down. She is just barely holding it together when she unexpectedly lands a glamorous job as a philanthropic adviser at London’s poshest private bank. But is the world of the über-wealthy everything it’s cracked up to be? At work, she’s rubbing elbows with royals and taking champagne-fueled meetings with heirs; at home, her teething one-year-old is up at all hours of the night, and her husband’s growing connection to his ex-girlfriend is raising suspicions. Can Lucia juggle marriage, motherhood, and her dream job in a new country without losing herself? And can she make a difference in the world while she’s at it?

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Alisha Miranda steers readers from internships in her memoir, My What If Year, to the fundraising world of London’s elite. Her main character, Lucia is a workaholic whose “life expands as it contracts.” From the ArteAustin Festival in Texas to London’s posh parties, Lucia experiences the daily dilemmas of family life along with the chaos of corporate politics. A challenge corporate moms will recognize at every turn. Zibby Publishing calls it, “A fun and feisty novel about balancing motherhood, love and career all set in gorgeous London!”

Miranda’s debut novel is well-paced and witty. Unlike corporate schemes to gather money from the elite, Someone’s Gotta Give is seeking readers’ support with themes of loyalty, making an impact, and learning the difference between meaning well and doing good.

Alex, I’ll take “Galas and Giving” for $2000!

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas

Publication July 2025-Bethany House-Historical Mystery-368pp.

Book Summary

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel’s world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda is stunned to see Fritz’s name in a photograph of an American memorial for German seamen who died near Asheville, North Carolina. Determined to reclaim his body and bring closure to his ailing mother, Hedda travels to the US. Her quest takes a shocking turn when, rather than Fritz’s body, his casket contains the remains of a woman who died under mysterious circumstances.

Local deputy Garland Jones thought he’d left that dark chapter behind when he helped bury Fritz Meyer’s coffin. The unexpected arrival of Hedda, a long-suffering yet captivating woman, forces him to confront how much of the truth he really knows. As they work together to uncover the identity of the woman in the casket and to unravel Fritz’s fate, Hedda and Garland grow closer. But with Hedda in the US on borrowed time while Hitler rises to power in Germany, she fears she’ll be forced to return home before she can put the ghosts of her past to rest.

Grateful Reader Review-First Published in Historical Novels Review Magazine-August 1, 2025 for Historical Novel Society

This is a well-balanced tale of mystery and romance set in 1930’s North Carolina. German pianist Hedda Schlagel travels to America to bring home the remains of her fiancé, Fritz, who disappeared 15 years earlier near Asheville during WWI. Hedda’s arrival and the discovery that Fritz’s casket holds the body of a woman who died under mysterious circumstances sets the grizzly scene and propels the well-paced plot. The conflict is whether Fritz is alive and why he’s never contacted Hedda?

                Appalachian author, Sarah Loudin Thomas, delves into themes of identity and belonging through multilayered characters that provide Hedda with emotional support as she searches for the truth. Eleanor, a boarder where Hedda lives, becomes a true friend whose insight and encouragement is a new experience for Hedda. As Eleanor helps Hedda explore the possibilities of staying in America they discover Joseph and Anni, teachers at Black Mountain College. This thread connects readers to Germans brave enough to start a new life in America and provides the perspective and hardships of immigrants. Hedda is faced with the difficult choice; return to Berlin to care for Lotte, Fritz’s dying mother or stay in Asheville as the search for Fritz continues. Deputy Garland’s investigation, updates, and trips to Black Mountain add much anticipation to the plot and budding relationships! Loudin’s narrative burgeons with stunning descriptions of the Blue Ridge Mountains, analogies, and foreshadowing, while themes of guilt, acceptance, and jealousy tilt the emotional balance.   

                Readers of These Blue Mountains, filled with love, tension and heart pounding suspense will agree with Hedda, “Wunderschonen!” Beautiful! Spectacular!  

The Sandy Page Bookshop by Hannah McKinnon

Publishing July 22, 2025-Atria Books-Women’s Fiction-384 pp

Book Summary

After her publishing career and engagement fell apart in Boston, Leah Powell has no choice but to return to her sleepy coastal hometown on Cape Cod. Feeling lost and discouraged, she stumbles upon a once prominent historic sea captain’s home that now looks as dilapidated as she feels. Suddenly inspired, Leah decides to transform it into a bookstore and café she will call The Sandy Page.

Luke Nicholson, a life-long local and contractor, remembers Leah even if she doesn’t remember him. Intrigued by her return and her project, he agrees to help her bring the old captain’s house back to life. As they work together, The Sandy Page slowly becomes the town’s go-to gathering spot for locals, tourists, and anyone who is feeling adrift during this long, sweet summer. It’s a home for second chances. But will it be enough for Leah and Luke?

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The idyllic setting of Cape Cod beckons readers to a small beach town filled with citizens looking for human connections and a little joy. Main character Leah is returning to her childhood home in Chatham, Massachusetts, after almost a decade in publishing and a broken engagement; backdrop enough for a “starting over” story filled with dismay, doubt, and anticipation. Leah has always “loved stories, devoured novels,” and thought “words mattered.” She visualizes stories unfolding as events are happening. Hannah McKinnon draws readers into the lives of sisters Lucy and Ella, widow Eudora, and of course, a love interest, Luke Nicholson.

The tragic secret between sisters, a dog-loving widow with severe anxiety, and a handsome, talented craftsman lend plenty of hubbub to Leah’s return to Cape Cod, her plans to open a bookshop, and her search for a new beginning. “The late-day sunlight was bouncing off the water, a million little refractions of hope on a midsummer evening.”  This is the perfect summer escape.

Hannah Roberts McKinnon is the award winning author of six women’s fiction and beach read novels with Simon and Schuster. Her titles include Message in the Sand, The View From Here, Sailing Lessons, The Summer House, Mystic Summer, and The Lake Season. She previously published two YA novels, Franny Parker and The Properties of Water, with FSG/MacMillan. Hannah lives in Fairfield County, CT with her family. When not spending time with family and friends or writing in her home office she can be found in her backyard chasing chickens, wrangling rescue dogs, or at the lake.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel

Publication June 17, 2025-Gallery Books-Historical Fiction-384pp

Book Summary

Kristin Harmel, returns with an electrifying new novel about two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder.
Colette Marceau has been stealing jewels for nearly as long as she can remember, following the centuries-old code of honor instilled in her by her mother, Annabel: take only from the cruel and unkind, and give to those in need. Never was their family tradition more important than seven decades earlier, during the Second World War, when Annabel and Colette worked side by side in Paris to fund the French Resistance.

But one night in 1942, it all went wrong. Annabel was arrested by the Germans, and Colette’s four-year-old sister, Liliane, disappeared in the chaos of the raid, along with an exquisite diamond bracelet sewn into the hem of her nightgown for safekeeping. Soon after, Annabel was executed, and Liliane’s body was found floating in the Seine—but the bracelet was nowhere to be found.

Seventy years later, Colette—who has “redistributed” $30 million in jewels over the decades to fund many worthy organizations—has done her best to put her tragic past behind her, but her life begins to unravel when the long-missing bracelet suddenly turns up in a museum exhibit in Boston. If Colette can discover where it has been all this time—and who owns it now—she may finally learn the truth about what happened to her sister. But she isn’t the only one for whom the bracelet holds answers, and when someone from her childhood lays claim to the diamonds, she’s forced to confront the ghosts of her past as never before. Against all odds, there may still be a chance to bring a murderer to justice—but first, Colette will have to summon the courage to open her own battered heart.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Kristin Harmel adds another World War II novel to her growing collection. The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau centers on the definition of right and wrong and the gray areas that are personal to each reader. The Marceau family legacy of stealing jewelry to rebalance justice is based on the legend of Robin Hood. This moral deliberation is embedded in every jewelry heist and the lives of Annabelle and Colette are the resulting outcomes of very debatable decisions and choices. This theme of morality, combined with survival guilt, self-discovery, and the power of ordinary people makes this novel a treasure trove of discussions for book clubs.

The timeline alternates between the war in Paris, 1942 and Boston, 2018. Kristin Harmel’s mystery puzzle is framed by four corners: Annabel’s family heritage of stealing, Colette’s later life including the Tristan love story, the twin bracelets’ provenance, and the murder of Colette’s little sister, Liliane. The puzzle pieces slowly fall into place, leaving readers in great emotional suspense and anticipation as the complete picture comes into view. We know “diamonds are forever” and Kristin Harmel proves this beautiful sentiment once more in The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau.

Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, and #1 international bestselling author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, The Winemaker’s Wife, and a dozen other novels that have been translated into more than 30 languages and are sold all over the world. Many of her novels have been optioned for film and television. The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau is coming this June.

Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding by Lian Dolan

Publication May 20, 2025-William Morrow-Romance-Women’s Fiction-352pp

Book Summary

Everyone loves—and hates—a big fancy wedding! From the author of Lost and Found in Paris and The Marriage Sabbatical comes a champagne-sparkling summer read about two very different women planning their children’s wedding in glamorous Montecito, California. You’re invited…to a delightful modern comedy of manners about two moms, the best-laid plans, and one very memorable wedding.

Penelope and Chase make a lovely couple. She’s a bubbly Southern California girl with killer work ethic. Chase is smart and charming and has political aspirations. They’re planning a spectacular California wedding, wrapped in peonies and thousands of little white lights, soaked in custom cocktails and romantic hashtags. Everyone’s excited about Penny and Chase’s wedding­­­­­­—except their mothers.

The Mother of the Bride, suave Greek-born Alexa Diamandis, doesn’t understand why any woman would get married. Ever! Raised in Athens and now perfectly situated in sun-splashed Montecito, California, she raised Penny as single mother by choice, supported by Lord Simon Fox, her old college friend who just happens to be an English aristocrat, and a wealthy circle of lady friends who call themselves the Merry Widows.

The Mother of the Groom, Abigail Blakeman, is a garden club stalwart firmly planted in coastal Connecticut. She thinks the whole enterprise would be so much easier if the wedding was at their golf club. Especially because the Blakeman’s fortunes have taken a turn for the worse—not that you would ever know it by looking at Abigail. Keeping up appearances is exhausting, but it is everything.  

But when a sudden twist of fate calls them into action, these two very different women are forced to take over the wedding planning. Despite their differences, Alexa and Abigail charge in to save the day. How far will two moms go to make their children’s dream wedding a reality?

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Just in time for wedding season! Jump aboard with the MOB, MOG, and the happy couple to check all the boxes for a perfect “near New Year’s Eve” wedding. The countdown to the blissful wedding day of Chase and Penny is told from the point of view of the two mothers instead of the happy couple.

 Alexa, MOB, is from a Greek family, runs her own business-Odyssey Vacations, and is a single mother by choice. She adds a whole new dynamic to the wedding party planning since there is no official FOB. She is surrounded by her wealthy friends in beautiful Montecito, California, who each lend their own opinions, wisdom and skill sets to the “big day.” These “Merry Widows” add a hilarious but heartfelt layer to the friend circle supporting Penny.

Abigail, MOG, clutching her DAR heritage while “keeping up appearances, lives with her husband George in a quietly crumbling Connecticut home with a three-million-dollar view! Her gardens are filled with hydrangeas, my favorite, and through all her self-talk and self-doubt, I was rooting for a Connecticut venue for the wedding.   Lian Dolan keeps readers on the wedding roller coaster known as Operation Butterfly, with chapter titles that give pace to the wedding timeline. “The Call, The Dress, The Engagement Party, Venue Hunting.”” Readers will sense the wedding frenzy as the participants travel from coast to coast!

There are plenty of wedding party guests to raise eyebrows. The mayor of New York City, a Lord with a seat in Parliament, and the groom’s best friend and scientist, Lloyd, each have a surprising part in the wedding story. Then there’s Sarah, the groom’s sister who plays college field hockey and is a perfect contrast in age & personality to the Merry Widows. A wedding gift to readers is Aunt B, Abigail’s friend and social columnist. Her letters, signed Big Kiss & Wedding Bliss, are filled with relationship advice and sprinkled throughout the narrative like bridal confetti.  Who doesn’t like advice and letters???

Lian Dolan’s Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding is the perfect way to experience a wedding while sitting on your own patio with your own cocktail! The Merry Widows would be pleased. Dress for a cool, beach vibe, preferably in blue.

Lian Dolan is a writer and talker. She’s the USA Today Bestselling author of The Marriage Sabbatical, a People Magazine Best Book of the Week, published by  William Morrow in April 2024.  Her other books are Lost and Found in Paris, The Sweeney Sisters, Helen of Pasadena and Elizabeth the First Wife- all LA Times bestsellers. https://www.liandolan.com/about/

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly

Publication May 27, 2025-Random House Publishing-Ballantine-Women’s Fiction, Historical Fiction-336pp

Book Summary

Two sisters living on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II find hope in the power of storytelling when they start a wartime book club for women in this spectacular novel inspired by true events, from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls.

2016: Thirty-four-year-old Mari Starwood is still grieving after her mother’s death as she travels to the storied island of Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. She’s come all the way from California with nothing but a name on a piece of paper: Elizabeth Devereaux, the famous but reclusive Vineyard painter. When Mari makes it to Mrs. Devereaux’s stunning waterfront farm under the guise of taking a painting class with her, Mrs. Devereaux begins to tell her the story of the Smith sisters, who once lived there. As the tale unfolds, Mari is shocked to learn that her relationship to this island runs deeper than she ever thought possible.

1942: The Smith girls—nineteen-year-old aspiring writer Cadence and sixteen-year-old war-obsessed Briar—are faced with the impossible task of holding their failing family farm together during World War II as the U.S. Army arrives on Martha’s Vineyard. When Briar spots German U-boats lurking off the island’s shores, and Cadence falls into an unlikely romance with a sworn enemy, their quiet lives are officially upended. In an attempt at normalcy, Cadence and her best friend, Bess, start a book club, which grows both in members and influence as they connect with a fabulous New York publisher who could make all of Cadence’s dreams come true. But all that is put at risk by a mysterious man who washes ashore—and whispers of a spy in their midst. Who in their tight-knit island community can they trust? Could this little book club change the course of the war . . . before it’s too late?

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club is inspired by the author’s family history and summers spent on the island off the coast of Massachusetts. Martha Hall Kelly blends the two timelines into a puzzling mystery sketched out for Mari Starwood by the local artist Mrs. Devereaux. The story of sisters Cadence and Briar Smith during 1942 is filled with historical details but the main spotlight is on those left behind on Martha’s Vineyard. The visual, aromatic descriptions of the community of Vineyard Haven, the honeysuckle hedges, and the local lore depict Martha’s special love for the island.  Kelly pays tribute to the bonds of sisterhood, familial relationships, and the profound impacts of war. These impacts are shown through the conflict involving Cadence and Briar, the plight of Tom and Bess, and the life-changing discovery on the North Shore.  

My favorite character is Cadence, whose side hustle is writing summaries and reviews. The wealthy women involved in publishing who visit the island, support Cadence and add an unexpected suspenseful layer to her dreams of working in New York City; it’s an exhilarating but exasperating thread in the novel. Briar, the quirky, independent, brilliant 16-year-old sister is a font of war information for her family and the reader! I enjoyed the precocious banter between “Briar the Liar” and the FBI agent, McManus.

There are several characters who add uncertainty and excitement to the plot. The suspicious activities of Tyson and Sandra, along with the encouraging, pie-baking Gram, and mostly irritating, unlikeable Margaret-a Jane Austen fan, so she earns points there- all have parts in the story being told by Mrs. Devereaux.  MHK has an uncanny sense of ending chapters at a point where one simply must keep reading.

As the title suggests, Martha’s Vineyard Beach & Book Club is at the heart of the book. Like most book clubs, the reading selection and discussion are important, but so is connecting daily lives! I love how Cadence calls impromptu meetings and announces the book choice in her weekly column! It turns out the Putnam yacht, Never Moor, plays a delightful role, a treat for the book club and for readers. Yes, the Putnam that published Edgar Allen Poe-you’ll learn so much and enjoy the club’s fabulous classic book selections!

Classics Mentioned in The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club

Sense and Sensibility- Last of the Mohicans- The Great Gatsby-Ben-Hur -The Song of Bernadette- Great Expectations- Rebecca- Brideshead Revisited

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

Publication May 20, 2025-St. Martin’s Press-Women’s Fiction, Romance-320pp.

Book Summary

It’s a thin line between love and love-hating.

Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West.

The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but fakes it that she can. Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise! But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.

Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Every reader needs a dose of Katherine Center’s wisdom, most effectively absorbed through her annual summer rom-com.

Katie: “The swimmer I’m profiling hates love. He’s a love hater. Beanie: “What does that mean?”

 And…. There’s the hook! The back stories of main characters, Katie and the “love hater” Hutch, will captivate readers as the story unfolds. Katherine Center fills The Love Haters with tips for handling anxiety through conversations between Katie and her best friend Beanie-a friendship to treasure. Hutch faces his own demons of sibling rivalry through his non-communicative relationship with his brother. As always, the pearls of wisdom are strung from beginning to the triumphant end. Because we all know there WILL BE a triumphant ending; and this journey -one with helicopters and hurricanes-makes the arrival wonderfully satisfying! So, what’s Katie’s Big News? You will LOVE it.

In a nutshell, Katherine Center reminds us to “see our life as it really is; the hard stuff turns out to be good for us. And love stories are the best therapy. They make us better at love which means getting better at life.” I’ll just say, this book is Katherine Center’s annual therapy session wrapped in a warm snugly blanket. Indulge yourself. Read The Love Haters.

https://katherinecenter.com/about/

Read all about Katherine here on the beautiful website she designed herself-she “almost” went to art school! https://katherinecenter.com/about/

The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris

Publication May 20, 2025-Sourcebooks Landmark-Historical Fiction, Multicultural Interest-416pp

Book Summary

She came from a lineage known for good fortune…by those who don’t know the whole story. Portland, 1888. Amid the subterranean labyrinth of the notorious Shanghai Tunnels, a woman awakens in an underground cell, drugged and disguised. Celia soon realizes she’s a “shanghaied” victim on the verge of being shipped off as forced labor, leaving behind those she loves most. Although well accustomed to adapting for survival—being half-Chinese, passing as white during an era fraught with anti-Chinese sentiment—she fears that far more than her own fate hangs in the balance.

As she pieces together the twisting path that led to her abduction, from serving as a maid for the family of a dubious mayor to becoming entwined in the case of a goldminers’ massacre, revelations emerge of a child left in peril. Desperate, Celia must find a way to escape and return to a place where unearthed secrets can prove deadlier than the dark recesses of Chinatown.

A captivating tale of resilience and hope, The Girls of Good Fortune explores the complexity of family and identity, the importance of stories that echo through generations, and the power of strength found beneath the surface.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The Girls of Good Fortune is a heart pounding, deep dive into anti-Chinese sentiments of the 19th century. Kristina McMorris sets this thrilling tale of Celia’s search for identity in Portland, Oregon, 1888. The California Gold Rush had ended in 1855, and the Transcontinental Railroad had been completed in 1869. These two events greatly impacted the American workforce where the Chinese immigrants had been willing to endure longer hours for lower pay. Now Portland’s port and labor market, ripe with racism and unsavory, illegal political dealings, intensified the danger of Celia “passing” as white. The nonlinear timeline creates intrigue and suspense as the plot sequences are set to collide. This format leads the reader through the labyrinth of the Shanghai Tunnels to the cargo hold of a ship, a San Francisco jail and even the harrowing perils of train hopping. McMorris develops Celia into an admirable, bold young woman as she navigates motherhood, the pitfalls of whom to trust, and finding her voice amidst constant perils.

The Girls of Good Fortune takes readers from the attack on Chinese gold miners at Hells Canyon in northeast Oregon to Portland’s Shanghai tunnels and along the dim alleys of Chinatown. Heartbreak, Heritage and Honor-all are at stake.

KRISTINA MCMORRIS is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of two novellas and seven historical novels, including the million-copy bestseller SOLD ON A MONDAY. The recipient of more than twenty national literary awards, she previously hosted weekly TV shows for Warner Bros. and an ABC affiliate, beginning at age nine with an Emmy Award-winning program, and owned a wedding-and-event-planning company until she had far surpassed her limit of “Y.M.C.A.” and chicken dances. Kristina lives near Portland, Oregon, where she somehow manages to be fully deficient of a green thumb and not own a single umbrella. For more, visit KristinaMcMorris.com