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

Cover Reveal: Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner

Coming May 14, 2024-St. Martin’s Press-Historical Fiction-336pp.

Book Description

In 1955, Vivien Lowry is at a crossroads in life. Her latest play, the only female-authored play on the London stage that season, has opened in the West End to rapturous applause from the audience. The reviewers, however, are not as impressed as the playgoers and their savage notices not only shut down the play but ruin Vivien’s last chance for theatrical success. With her future in London not looking bright, at the suggestion of her friend, Peggy Guggenheim, Vivien takes a job as a script doctor on a major film shooting in Rome’s Cinecittà Studios. There she finds a vibrant moviemaking scene filled with rising stars, acclaimed directors, and famous actors in a country that is torn between its past and its potentially bright future, between the liberation of the post-war cinema and the restrictions of the Catholic Church that permeate the very soul of Italy.

As Vivien tries to forge a new future for herself, she also searches for the long-buried truth of the recent World War and the fate of her deceased fiancé lost in battle. Every Time We Say Goodbye is a bold and moving exploration of trauma and tragedy, hope and renewal, filled with dazzling characters both real and imaginary, from the incomparable author who charmed the world with her novels The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls. (Every Time We Say Goodbye is linked to The Jane Austen Society, & Bloomsbury Girls by characters, but is a stand-alone novel.)

Natalie Jenner is the internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls, which have been translated into more than twenty languages worldwide. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie has been a corporate lawyer and career coach and once owned an independent bookstore in Oakville, Ontario,
where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs. Natalie’s beautiful website: https://www.nataliejenner.com/

Buy Links to Pre-order Every Time We Say Goodbye: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Every-Time-We-Say-Goodbye/dp/1250285186

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/every-time-we-say-goodbye-natalie-jenner/1143881682

A Beautiful Rival by Gil Paul

Publication September 5-William Morrow-384 pp

Gill Paul is the bestselling author of twelve historical novels, many of them about real women from the past whom she thinks have been marginalized or misjudged by historians. Her novels have reached the top of the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Toronto Globe & Mail charts, and have been translated into twenty-two languages. Gill’s beautiful website has previous book summaries, fabulous reviews for this current novel, and an author’s note you have to read! http://gillpaul.com/

BOOK SUMMARY

“They could have been allies: two self-made millionaires who invented a global industry, in an era when wife and mother were supposed to be the highest goals for their sex. Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein each founded empires built on grit and determination…and yet they became locked in a feud spanning three continents, two world wars, and the Great Depression.

Brought up in poverty, Canadian-born Elizabeth Arden changed popular opinion, persuading women from all walks of life to buy skincare products that promised them youth and beauty. Helena Rubinstein left her native Poland, and launched her company with scientific claims about her miracle creams made with anti-ageing herbs.

And when it came to business, nothing was off-limits: poaching each other’s employees, copying each other’s products, planting spies, hiring ex-husbands, and one-upping each other every chance they had. This was a rivalry from which there was no surrender! And through it all were two women, bold, brazen, and determined to succeed—no matter the personal cost.”

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

A Beautiful Rival is the story of two women trying to be something they were not. Elizabeth Arden from Canada, trying to pass as upper class and Helena Rubinstein from Poland, pretending to have a medical degree, were both competitive and devious. This journey to America through the world of skin care reflects a view of America from the turn of the twentieth century through the Great Depression and World War 11.

Gil Paul’s flawless character development is presented in the alternating perspectives of Helena Rubinstein, Queen of Beauty Science, and Elizabeth Arden, known for upmarket packaging and the iconic red door. The “gloves are off” when it comes to business transactions like buying salons, building factories, adding products, spying, and stealing strategies in advertising. The tension and financial stress are undeniable through betrayals, lovers, and divorces. Helena and Elizabeth’s constant obsession to outdo each other in business is deftly concealed by the numerous skin care products being developed at the time: antiaging creams, tanning lotions, leg film when stockings were in short supply, hormone treatments and even waterproof mascara for the World’s Fair!

Gil Paul enmeshes readers in world events, introducing political figures on both sides of the Atlantic, and through Red Cross Balls and various weddings involving influential women such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Wallis Simpson. As treatment girls become known as beauticians, female clients in the salons discuss current stock market trends and financial investments, dropping names like General Motors, General Electric, and Sears & Roebuck.

From extravagant purchases to crossing boundaries in interviews, readers will get an authentic sense of the world of beauty represented by the beautiful rivals, Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden.

Elizabeth Arden (born Florence Nightingale Graham; December 31, 1881 – October 18, 1966), also known as Elizabeth N. Graham,^[2] was a Canadian-American businesswoman who founded what is now Elizabeth Arden, Inc., and built a cosmetics empire in the United States. By 1929, she owned 150 salons in Europe and the United States. Her 1,000 products were being sold in 22 countries. She was the sole owner, and at the peak of her career, she was one of the wealthiest women in the world.

Helena Rubinstein (born Chaja Rubinstein; December 25, 1872 – April 1, 1965) was a Polish and American businesswoman, art collector, and philanthropist. A cosmetics entrepreneur, she was the founder and eponym of Helena Rubinstein Incorporated cosmetics company, which made her one of the world’s richest women.^[3]

A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K. Runyan

Published Aug. 1, 2023-William Morrow-Historical Fiction-384pp

Book Summary

From the author of The School for German Brides, this captivating historical novel set in nineteenth century and post–World War II Paris follows two fierce women of the same family, generations apart, who find that their futures lie in the four walls of a simple bakery in a tiny corner of Montmartre.

1870: The Prussians are at the city gates, intent to starve Paris into submission. Lisette Vigneau—headstrong, willful, and often ignored by her wealthy parents—awaits the outcome of the war from her parents’ grand home in the Place Royale in the very heart of the city. When an excursion throws her into the path of a revolutionary National Guardsman, Théodore Fournier, her destiny is forever changed. She gives up her life of luxury to join in the fight for a Paris of the People. She opens a small bakery with the hopes of being a vital boon to the impoverished neighborhood in its hour of need. When the city falls into famine, and then rebellion, her resolve to give up the comforts of her past life is sorely tested.

1946: Nineteen-year-old Micheline Chartier is coping with the loss of her father and the disappearance of her mother during the war. In their absence, she is charged with the raising of her two younger sisters. At the hand of a well-meaning neighbor, Micheline finds herself enrolled in a prestigious baking academy with her entire life mapped out for her. Feeling trapped and desperately unequal to the task of raising two young girls, she becomes obsessed with finding her mother. Her classmate at the academy, Laurent Tanet, may be the only one capable of helping Micheline move on from the past and begin creating a future for herself.

Both women must grapple with loss, learn to accept love, and face impossible choices armed with little more than their courage and a belief that a bit of flour, yeast, sugar, and love can bring about a revolution of their own.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

This review was first published in the Historical Novels Review magazine, August 1, 2023, for the Historical Novel Society.

A little bakery in the heart of Montmartre is the way forward for Aimie K. Runyan’s dual timeline set in Paris during the Franco-Prussian War and post-World War 11. Lisette Vigneau is the fiercely independent, mostly ignored daughter of wealthy parents living in Place Royal in 1870. On an unlikely errand Lisette meets Theodore Fournier, a young National Guardsman. Runyan develops a believable, understandable relationship between Lisette and Theo, a revolutionary and believer in a Paris of the People, that forever changes Lisette’s destiny. During the Prussian siege the main supply lines were blocked, causing famine and leading Lisette to open a bakery to feed her starving neighbors.

The second character is Lisette’s nineteen-year-old great-granddaughter, Micheline Chartier, now living in the same narrow, crooked streets of Montmartre in 1946. Micheline, raising two sisters since her father’s death and her mother’s disappearance, is befriended by her mother’s friend and neighbor, Madame Dupuis. Central to Micheline’s future, Madame Dupuis lends wisdom and encouragement by sharing memories, cookbooks, and providing tuition for baking school. Runyan’s key plot ingredient is the discovery of Micheline’s great-grandmother’s red leather-bound journal of recipes and kitchen notes. Lisette’s journal connects the timelines in the narrative by transporting readers with practices of bakeries in nineteenth century Paris.

Runyan uplifts characters through meaningful, sympathetic dialogue that is endearing and emotional. Especially well scaled is Pierrine, an acerbic prostitute Runyan develops into a surprising and supportive sister for Lisette; one to celebrate. Runyan brings Micheline’s war-ravaged emotions full circle from abandonment issues, jealousy, and guilt to a need for forgiveness. Through the dark green door of A Bakery in Paris readers will discover chaotic political scenes, second chances at life and love, and the choices and courage of two young women facing the consequences of war.

The First Ladies by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray

Published June 27, 2023-Berkley-Biographical Historical Fiction 352pp

Book Summary

A novel about the extraordinary partnership between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune refuses to back down as white supremacists attempt to thwart her work. She marches on as an activist and an educator, and as her reputation grows she becomes a celebrity, revered by titans of business and recognized by U.S. Presidents. Eleanor Roosevelt herself is awestruck and eager to make her acquaintance. Initially drawn together because of their shared belief in women’s rights and the power of education, Mary and Eleanor become fast friends confiding their secrets, hopes and dreams—and holding each other’s hands through tragedy and triumph.

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected president, the two women begin to collaborate more closely, particularly as Eleanor moves toward her own agenda separate from FDR, a consequence of the devastating discovery of her husband’s secret love affair. Eleanor becomes a controversial First Lady for her outspokenness, particularly on civil rights. And when she receives threats because of her strong ties to Mary, it only fuels the women’s desire to fight together for justice and equality.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

This review was first published in the Historical Novels Review Magazine, August 2023 issue, for The Historical Novel Society

The First Ladies is a riveting look at Eleanor Roosevelt’s political rise to First Lady and her eyebrow raising friendship with civil rights activist, Mary McLeod Bethune. From their first awkward meeting at a national luncheon for the heads of women’s clubs in 1927 to the joyous day the two united to vote for the Charter of United Nations in June 1945, authors Benedict and Murray are successful in capturing the emotional connection between these two impactful women.

Told in alternating points of view, readers come to know Eleanor and Mary as their relationship blossoms. Mary, born of enslaved parents, became a supporter of education, a builder of schools and hospitals. A calm, understated, burning desire is exposed in Mary to show her indelible spirit and confidence as she garners well known businessmen to serve on boards and contribute to her causes. Meanwhile, readers are provided with detailed historical background leading to Eleanor becoming the First Lady. By 1927 Eleanor’s painful memories of Franklin’s affair with her social secretary Lucy Mercer, have them unified only in beliefs. Taking a tactful and delicate approach to Eleanor’s relationship with a female journalist, she is portrayed unlike any other First Lady.

Historic and political events are recounted as the “first ladies” memories are used to fill in background. Readers experience Mary’s pain in racially explosive situations but also appreciation for her ultimate poise and absolute pride in her beliefs. The scene of Eleanor and Mary at Tuskegee Army Airfield highlighting the discrimination of blacks in the military, though hypothetical, is superb and the outcome rewarding. The concluding historical notes are informative and supportive of this extraordinary partnership.

The First Ladies friendship helped form the foundation for the modern civil rights movement. Historically illuminating; for fans of The Personal Librarian by Benedict and Murray.

THE FIRST LADIES

“First Lady of the World” Eleanor Roosevelt used her platform as First Lady of the United States and as a member of the wealthy and prominent Roosevelt family to advocate for human and civil rights. She was a prolific author, speaker, and humanitarian, and chaired the United Nations’ Human Rights Commission. She connected with the public through a popular syndicated column, ‘My Day,’ in which she recounted her daily adventures from 1935 until her death in 1962.” By Debra Michals, PhD | 2017 Read complete article from the National Women’s History Museum: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/eleanor-roosevelt

The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary Jane McLeod Bethune became one of the most important Black educators, civil and women’s rights leaders and government officials of the twentieth century. The college she founded set educational standards for today’s Black colleges, and her role as an advisor to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave African Americans an advocate in government. Edited by Debra Michals, PhD | 2015 Read the full article from the National Women’s History Museum here: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/mary-mcleod-bethune

Victoria Christopher Murray, Marie Benedict , Previous joint novel The Personal Librarian

Daughter of the Shadows Defying the Crown Series-Book 2

By Kerry Chaput

Published March 30, 2023-Black Rose Writing-314pp

Book Summary

1667 Quebec. Committed to a double life to save her fellow Protestants, Isabelle turns spy against her deceitful Catholic husband. When he devises a ruthless plan to imprison and torture her people, Isabelle learns to fight from a brave young Huron woman. Isabelle seizes the opportunity to undermine her husband’s efforts by escorting him to France. There, she plays the doting wife while she secretly works to subvert the Catholic Church and plot his demise. But Paris is full of poisons, street gangs, and cruel nobility who threaten to destroy all Isabelle has worked to protect. With her found family on the line, Isabelle must challenge the most powerful man in France—King Louis XIV.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Daughter of the Shadows was first published in the Historical Novels Review Magazine on August 1, 2023 for the Historical Novel Society.

The saga of Isabelle Collette continues in Daughter of the Shadows, second in Kerry Chaput’s IPPY award winning Defying the Crown series. In book #1, Daughter of the King, Isabelle, a French Protestant branded with an H for Huguenot, worships in secret, fears the King and the Catholic law of France. In 1661, she crosses the ocean from La Rochelle, France to the snowy forests of colonial Quebec to become a daughter of the king; promised a dowry, a farm, the opportunity to choose a husband and payment for each baby.

Chaput’s gripping adventure continues in 1667, as Isabelle who denied her faith to become a Catholic, is living with nightmares and guilt. Well-developed characters Antoinette, Catholic childhood friend and James Beaumont, Isabelle’s husband by marriage contract, have become antagonists as she leads a double life to help Protestants escape prosecution in France. Chaput supports and improves Isabelle’s spy training and chance of survival with breathtaking descriptions of Naira, a native Huron skilled hunter who teaches lifesaving skills; using senses and mental acuity to overcome enemies. Adding to the suspense is Isabelle’s dangerous return to Paris as a daughter of the shadows. She encounters liars in Louis XIV’s court, Parisian poisons, and the prison walls of the Bastille.

Kerry Chaput creates suspense and anticipation through the schemes and secret agendas involving Isabelle and conniving, greedy husband James. Between graphic descriptions of the horrors in La Rochelle, training with Naira, and fights for survival, there is humorous relief in banter between Isabelle and fellow conspirator, Andre. Within a narrative froth with twists and turns Chaput’s dialogue exudes frustration, anger, tension, and pain.

The Protestant children of France are our past and our future. Which Huguenots will Isabelle save? Book #3- Defying the Crown coming March 2024.

Kerry Chaput is an award-winning historical fiction author. Her love of the past inspires her action-adventure stories which focus on young women from history, first love, found family, and a touch of magic.

Born and raised in California, she now lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, a common setting for her novels.

The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel

Published June 6, 2023-Gallery Books-Historical Fiction-384pp

Book Summary

Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change.

When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life—her young daughter, playmate to Juliette’s own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves, and, when a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it.

More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble—and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise’s desperate search leads her to New York—and to Juliette—one final, fateful time.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The Paris Daughter Review was first published in the Historical Novels Review Magazine, August 1, 2023 for the Historical Novel Society.

The Paris Daughter opens in 1939, days before Hitler invades Poland, as two fellow Americans cross paths in a Paris suburb. Elise LeClair, on a life changing walk in the park to escape her demanding artist husband Olivier, meets grieving Juliette Foulon, owner of the Bookshop of Dreams. Kristin Harmel sets the stage for a lifelong friendship and emotional turmoil between the mothers and their newborn baby girls, while drawing sharp contrasts in the personalities and political beliefs of their husbands. Elise is feeling invisible as Olivier becomes passionately, overtly Communist, endangering daughter, Mathilde. Meanwhile, Juliette lives a quiet life in the bookshop with protective husband Paul, baby Lucie, and two sons. By the time the playmates are 3 years old, political and world events have led to Elise’s excruciating decision that to protect Mathilde, she will take on a new identity and leave her daughter to live in relative safety with Juliette’s family.

Harmel’s plot revolves around innocent civilians being bombed then living with fear and helplessness; exploring how Juliette and Elise survive the aftermath of war through 1960. Following the plight of Jewish widow, Ruth Levy, separated from her children and the ensuing search, the narrative reveals the inner strength required to endure trauma and face adversity. Connecting readers to current events in Ukraine, a key historical thread is that of orphanages established to reunite children with their families. Themes of home, family, and the mystery of survival strategies are emphasized.

Divided into three parts and based on the real-life Allied bombing raids of the German-controlled Renault factory in Paris, Harmel’s historical mystery crisscrosses the Atlantic, focusing on how coping with loss and grief is personal and individual. Strong character development, emotional, compelling plot twists, supported by superb historical research.

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.

Mrs. Porter Calling by AJ Pearce

Publishing August 8, 2023-Scribner-Historical Fiction 320pp

Book Summary:

“Heartwarming, funny, and joyfully uplifting, the third novel in the Emmy Lake Chronicles is a moving tribute to friendship and overcoming adversity.

London, April 1943. A little over a year since she married Captain Charles Mayhew and he went away to war, Emmy Lake is now in charge of “Yours Cheerfully,” the hugely popular advice column in Woman’s Friend magazine. Cheered on by her best friend Bunty, Emmy is dedicated to helping readers face the increasing challenges brought about by over three years of war. The postbags are full and Woman’s Friend is thriving.

But Emmy’s world is turned upside down when glamorous socialite, the Honorable Mrs. Cressida Porter, becomes the new publisher of the magazine, and wants to change everything the readers love. Aided by Mrs. Pye, a Paris-obsessed fashion editor with delusions of grandeur, and Small Winston, the grumpiest dog in London, Mrs. Porter fills the pages with expensive clothes and frivolous articles about her friends. Worst of all, she announces that she is cutting the “Yours Cheerfully” column and her vision for the publication’s future seems dire. With the stakes higher than ever, Emmy and her friends must find a way to save the magazine that they love.”

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Mrs. Porter Calling is the third novel in the Emmy Lake Chronicles by A.J. Pearce. Set in Central London, in 1943, Emmy Lake and her best friend Bunty share a home in Pimlico and are still volunteering at the local fire station as telephonists. On staff at Woman’s Friend magazine, Emmy responds to letters for her popular advice column, Yours Cheerfully, with compassionate, helpful ideas. When Mrs. Porter arrives on the scene as the new owner and publisher, the daily lives and schedules of the staff go rather sideways. Pearce compares time with Mrs. Porter to working with a Lancaster bomber in a hat, and as Mrs. Porter aptly put it herself, “Meetings are not my thing.” Mrs. Porter wreaks havoc on Woman’s Friend, sending the magazine circulation into a downward spiral.

A.J. Pearce develops the plot through quirky, witty characters, who become a close-knit team as they pull together to save Woman’s Friend and outwit Mrs. Porter. Columns such as What’s in the Hot Pot and On Duty for Beauty add ingenious ideas and giggly humor for readers along with columnist Pamela Pye’s penchant for French. Back at home, Emmy and Bunty are trying to “Stay Calm and Carry On” in true British fashion. The men in their lives are at war but friends and colleagues from the fire station fill in when needed. The addition of friend Thelma and her three children add to family dynamics of cooking with ration coupons, acquiring pets, and providing unexpected emotional support. Pearce highlights the stamina, patience, and love required of families to endure the war years.

Mrs. Porter Calling is chocked full of hilarious British humor, iconic pearls of wisdom, and laugh out loud dialogue interspersed with personal and social situations that strike all the emotional chords. This novel is a comfort; as Thelma often reminded her children, “You are safe, and you are loved.”

The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Publishes July 11, 2023-Gallery Books-Women’s Fiction-368pp

Book Summary

Four women come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and rediscover themselves in the process in this moving new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil and the Peachtree Bluff series.

Nearly thirty years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs and turned it into a thriving summer haven for girls. But now, June is in danger of losing the place she has sacrificed everything for, and begins to realize how much she has used the camp to avoid facing difficulties in her life.

June’s niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, during a fateful summer at camp. They’ve all helped each other through hard things, from heartbreak and loss to substance abuse and unplanned pregnancy, and the three are inseparable even in their thirties. But when attorney Daphne is confronted with a relationship from her past—and a confidential issue at work becomes personal—she is faced with an impossible choice.

Lanier, meanwhile, is struggling with tough decisions of her own. After a run-in with an old flame, she is torn between the commitment she made to her fiancé and the one she made to her first love. And when a big secret comes to light, she finds herself at odds with her best friend…and risks losing the person she loves most.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The Summer of Songbirds is an homage to summer camp memories, childhood joys and forever friendships. The setting is Camp Holly Springs where three little girls, now three young women, have returned to relive their childhood summers and try to save the beloved camp from developers.

Kristy Woodson Harvey tells the story from four points of view. The three campers who are now grown: Daphne-a lawyer, Lanier-a bookstore owner, Mary Stuart- a master at public relations and the Camp Holly Springs owner, Daphne’s Aunt June. KWH’s vivid descriptions of the camp, cabins, dining hall and all the daily activities will rekindle readers’ memories of campouts, talent shows, friendship bracelets, and stories around the campfire. Friendship dilemmas now involve career crossroads, trouble with a fiancé, a wedding rendezvous with an Ex, and family secrets between friends. KWH creates anticipation, disappointment, and finally hope surrounding each character. Her prose includes a poignant analogy that the river is like humans, carrying secrets, scars, joy, and hope. Added is the wisdom that we can’t control the wind, but we can adjust the sails, and of joy and sadness; you cannot have one without the other. This is “a book to lose yourself in, then find yourself again.” Welcome to Camp Holly Springs and The Summer of Songbirds. As Kristy Woodson Harvey says, “It’s always summer somewhere!”

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of ten novels including Under the Southern Sky, The Peachtree Bluff Series, The Wedding Veil and The Summer of Songbirds. Her Peachtree Bluff Series is currently in development with NBC with Kristy as co-writer and co-executive producer. She is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing, a finalist for the Southern Book Prize, and her books have received numerous accolades including Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks, and Katie Couric’s Most Anticipated Reads.

But in spite of their personal problems, nothing is more important to these songbirds than Camp Holly Springs. When the women learn their childhood oasis is in danger of closing, they band together to save it, sending them on a journey that promises to open the next chapters in their lives.

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