The Finding of Miss Fairfield

 Grace Hitchcock writes with a touch of humor in her novels that engages the readers from the very first page.  In writing The Finding of Miss Fairfield, she has given her characters what seem to be insurmountable obstacles to finding happiness. 

Sophia Fairfield finds herself pushed to the wall in that her father has given her away to be married to a man who is old enough to be her father. In her desperation, she takes a position as a Harvey Girl in Las Vegas, New Mexico.  She leaves without telling her family or friends where she is.  Before she left her home, she had become acquainted with the stepson of the man she was supposed to marry.  They developed feelings for each other and it hurt them both when she left with no word of warning.  Her father was adamant that she marry his business partner, and she was just as adamant that she not marry him. 

The book is full of bad guys, ne'er-do-wells, vindictive women, and some generally sleazy people, all of which add up to a light read without having to overthink the plot.   The setting of the novel is well defined and easy to imagine.  Grace has done her research into the Harvey Houses and the Harvey Girls who worked in them.  Harvey Girls were exemplary waitresses who worked hard and were rewarded with a princely sum of $17.50 per month plus room, board, and tips.  The work was exacting and needed to be done as efficiently as possible. There was no wiggle room for error. 

Overall, this is an enjoyable book for a lazy afternoon read.  Four Stars. 

Valmont House Publishers provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

The Blackout Book Club

Amy Lynn Green has written a World War II era novel that tackles the nitty gritty of life on the home front. 

Russell is depressed because he cannot serve, until he finds an "unofficial" mode of service that will take him away from home for three months at a time.  Avis is not happy about that situation, nor of the circumstances surrounding her job at the library.  Since the library is not public but is a subscription library, the owner, Louise Cavendish, can close it down or do as she wishes with it.  Avis proposes a book club as a way to keep it open and running.  

Louise is an embittered woman who has been dealt a harsh hand by life.  Her father was somewhat of a dictator until he died, but he ultimately had her best interests at heart.  She became just as dictatorial in her dealings in the library.  

Freddy works for Louise as her gardener, but he has an ulterior motive for seeking her out.  He has been sidelined from the war due to an injury while flying missions in Europe.  

Ginny's family lost their home due to Eminent Domain and Ginny has come to town to work and earn money to purchase it back after the war.  

Martina and her two children are hiding out, to a degree, from Martina's abusive husband.  At the same time, Martina is working to provide for her children.  

These are the major players in this novel that makes reading an artform and elevates it to a level I've rarely encountered.  This is not a book to be read quickly, but it needs to be taken in smaller doses and digested. I've met characters like Louise who are seemingly intractable in their ideas and actions, but have deeper emotions hiding beneath the surface that truly explain all of their feelings and motivations.  Amy Lynn has done a masterful job of providing Louise's backstory so that she's not entirely unsympathetic as a character.  

The other characters all have hopes and desires that reveal their personalities and make them more fully fleshed out.  

Derby, Maine, is a fictional town on the Atlantic Coast.  While there isn't much in the way of description of the town, the townspeople and atmosphere of the town make it feel rather homey.  

This is a five star book with two thumbs up and a classic book to read for your book club. 

Bethany House Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

An Amish Marriage of Convenience

 

Nettie has lived life on the streets and knows more about life than she should.  As the mother of four  children and a widow, she is having to work to put food on the table for her children and to help her late husband's brother.  

Stephen is a widowed father of five, his oldest being Joline, a recalcitrant preteen who bullies her way around and wonders why she doesn't have friends.   She is head-smart, but not necessarily book-smart, partly due to the fact that she's dyslexic.  Stephen knows he has his hand full with her and in some things, she just doesn't give a flying flip. 

Rachel J Good has put together a "sweet" Amish story that is more than just the sweetness of the characters.  The struggles and issues are real world problems.  She weaves a story of redemption that goes beyond just the salvation Christ offers to us.  

One of the lynchpin characters is an elderly woman who wishes to provide a safe haven/hangout for teens on a troubled path.  She enlists Stephen and Nettie to help her develop a training center, recreational center for at risk teens. 

This is definitely a five-star book about overcoming fears, finding forgiveness, finding love, and overcoming obstacles. It's got it all!  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a Barbeque Chicken Dinner

Kensington Books provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are totally my own. 

Beneath the Bending Skies

This is one of the dullest books I've ever read.  I did read it all the way through hoping it would get better, but it just didn't.  Jane Kirkpatrick takes about real people and creates a narrative novel about their lives.  Mollie Sheehan Ronan's story reads like a daily diary without much emotion or thought. 

Mollie narrates the story beginning when she's about fourteen through most of her adulthood.  She moves around a lot with her father, stepmother, and half-sister, runs an "establishment" (eatery) with her stepmother in several of their locations until they ultimately moved to California.  While they were living in Montana, Mollie meets and falls in love with Peter Ronan, but her father refuses to accept their love and holds the "Honor your father and mother" over Mollie's head so that she can't marry him.  It takes four years before he gives permission, but not his blessing.  Finally Peter comes to California to collect Mollie as his bride.  

There were characters Jane introduced but didn't really give a good resolution to their disappearance in the account of the story. Granted they weren't characters that would be universally liked, but their passing through the book was just a blip and gone.  

Jane has set up the book to where a sequel could be written about Lizzie Custer, who's life and attitudes would be more interesting, in my opinion.  

I will give this two stars because there are parts to be liked,  Mollie is a likable character and the friends she makes on the reservation are truly special.  They are the redeeming features of the book.  

Most of Jane's books are based on historical characters and I can find no fault in her research of them.  Some of her books are more interesting than others because of the characters she bases them on.  This review is solely my OPINION and that just means this wasn't the book for me.  

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  The opinions expressed are totally my own.