Review: The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

The Peach Keeper:

 
"Resonant with insight into the deep and lasting power of friendship, love, and tradition, The Peach Keeper is a portrait of the unshakable bonds that--in good times and bad, from one generation to the next--endure forever."

My Thoughts:

I have read every book by Sarah Addison Allen so you will know that I was anxiously awaiting this newest novel. I read Ms. Allen's first book, Garden Spells with my book club and fell in love with her lyrical and magical writing. (read my review here). I've read the rest of Ms.  Allen's books including The Sugar Queen (read my review here)   as well as The Girl Who Chased the Moon (read my review here) and I loved them all. The Peach Keeper is no exception, it was another winner for me.

In The Peach Keeper, we are taken to Water Falls, North Carolina  and meet a great cast of characters with a history of secrets that are unfolded as the story is told. The story is set around "The Blue Ridge Madam" a mansion that was built by Willa Jackson's  family who were once well-to-do but they lost the mansion in hard times and amongst deep secrets.  The house is being restored and some of the deep secrets are unearthed that have been hidden away for years.  Of course, there is  added romance, great characters, magic and charm along with food and this makes for a successful blend of ingredients in a novel. There is delicious sounding food and recipes (go here for Rachel's coffee snacks) and Rachel's interesting ability to determine what your choice of coffee says about you.  The Peach Keeper doesn't have as much magic as Ms. Allen's previous novels but there is much magical charm sifting through the pages. The Peach Keeper is haunting and  full of charm and mystery. Ms. Allen is gifted with that magical formula in her novels that will pull you in and you will be anxiously awaiting her next novel...as am I.

You can read an excerpt from The Peach Keeper, here.

Check out Sarah Addison Allen's Website, here.

I won a copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

~Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah~ Book Review

Winter Garden is a beautiful and haunting story that will touch your heart and remain in your thoughts for days. It highlights the fragility of the mother-daughter bond and the endearing love that can survive between mothers, daughters and sisters.

Kristin Hannah states that this line was the start of her writing this book and it is one that is so fitting to this story....

Sometimes when you open the door to your mother’s past, you find your own future…

Meredith and Nina are estranged sisters and they both are very different. Meredith stays in her hometown to raise her family and run the family apple orchard business. Nina leaves town as soon as she can and travels the world as a photojournalist and rarely visits her family. Their beloved father who is the family patriarch becomes ill and they both make promises to him upon his deathbed. Little did they know that these promises would be so challenging and life changing.

The sisters were never close to their mother Anya. She was distant and cold and seemed so unhappy. They learned at very young ages not to expect comfort, love or even a hug from their mother. Fortunately, their father was the loving and fun one but he still couldn't protect them from the hurt their mother's actions resulted in. Their mother did one thing for them, she told them enchanting Russian fairytales which later they would learn held a secret to her past.

Meredith and Nina finally put the pieces of the puzzle together and uncovered the secrets of their mother's past. The truth that they uncover is one that is so unimaginable that it challenges who they thought they were and changes the roots of their family in an amazing way.

I absolutely loved this book as it is written with such strong female characters and a plot that unwinds and flows seamlessly. There is a mystery and a love story that takes the reader through the war ravaged days of Leningrad when Stalin was in charge and during the siege of Leningrad, through to the modern days in Washington and Alaska. The historical part of this story was told in such detail starting as a fairy tale until the brutal truth is unraveled. Anya, appears like a cold, detached mother who doesn't love her daughters but that is so far from the truth. She is a strong woman that has endured much that she has kept buried as it was too painful to reveal. She has a great and deep love that will be revealed in her story with a major surprise at the end that I did not see coming.

I have read several of Kristin Hannah's earlier books but that was years ago. I have to say that her writing has grown and blossomed and Winter Garden will be one of my favorite books by Ms. Hannah. I highly encourage you to pick up a copy, you will enjoy this beautifully written novel. I was entranced in this story while reading it and it has stayed with me since I finished it.

This would make an excellent book to discuss with a book club as there are so many themes to discuss.

You can read more about Kristin Hannah and her other novels at her website, here.

Here is a wonderful video I found where Kristin Hannah shares her thoughts on Winter Gardens:





Disclosure: My Advanced Reading Copy of this book was provided through the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I am an Amazon Associate and an Indiebound Associate.

Review: The Day The Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan

My Summary:

The Day The Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan is a dual love story. A love story between a young couple, Bess and Tom and Tom's love for Niagara Falls. It's historical fiction, set between 1915-1923 and is set in Niagara Falls, Canada and during the early days of hydroelectric power. Bess is an upper class young girl of seventeen attending a boarding school when she is smitten with Tom from a lower class. Things change swiftly for Bess when tragedy strikes her family in many ways. Bess rejects a suitor of her own class to start a life with Tom.

Tom follows in the footsteps of his grandfather who had a connection and understanding to the Niagara River and became known as the river man. He has an innate ability to predict what will happen in the river and falls and becomes a local hero with his daring rescues.

My Thoughts:

I found the beginning of the book interesting, engaging and well written but the plot dragged out for me as the story unfolds. I found the accompanying black and white photographs and reference to real stories related to the Niagara interesting. I appreciate the beauty and nature of the falls and the effect hydroelectric power plants had on the falls and our environment. I found that the back and forth writing between the details of the hydroelectric power and other details just didn't flow smoothly within the major storyline. It felt forced and technical and took away some of the flow of the drama related to the characters in the story. I am one concerned with our environment and this story relates to our own world currently focused on environmental concerns. I am in awe of Niagara Falls and it's beauty and splendor. What I found lacking was the blending of this vital part of history with the human drama story between Bess, Tom and other characters. I found the ending predictable and expected the way it unfolded. I wanted to like this book so much more than I did.

For a different perspective of The Day The Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan, please check out these reviews at:

• Book Chatter
• Peeking Between the Pages
• Savvy Verse and Wit
• The Tome Traveller
  

FTC Disclosure: This is an Advanced Reading Copy that was sent to me as part of LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. I am an Amazon Associate.

Review : Shanghai Girls

Lisa See's newest novel, Shanghai Girls sweeps you away to a world unknown to most Americans. To me, while reading Shanghai Girls I felt drawn in and immersed in the culture and setting of this wonderful novel. Shanghai Girls follows two sisters, Pearl and May, during the 1930's as young women who live a life of glamour and high life in Shanghai. When drastic changes occur in their country they must learn how to survive and fight to protect themselves and they unite as sisters to do so. They do not realize how much has changed until their father informs them that he has lost all of their wealth and has arranged their marriages to two sons who live in Los Angeles.

The story takes you through their struggles and challenges to get to Los Angeles and all they must endure during the process. Once in San Francisco, more struggles and challenges ensue with some unexpected joy and happiness as they learn to make the best of things in their new lives. Shanghai Girls is a testament to the bond and power of the sisters relationship. Pearl and May have a deep sisterly love and are desperate to help each other survive in their new lives. Although, they don't let go of their own jealousies, hurts and rivalries. This is definitely shown in a dramatic way at the end of the book and left me speechless turning the page and expecting more. Ms. See's writing is a true gift of storytelling at it's best. It pulled me in, hooked me and didn't let me go until the last page. If you want to read a historical novel that is rich in history, details and culture, pick up a copy of Shanghai Girls. You won't regret it and it will leave you wanting more as you turn that last page.

Shanghai Girls will be in bookstores on May 26,2009. Reserve your copy today, here. To read more about Lisa See, check out her official website here.

Thanks to LibraryThing Early Reviewers and Random House for sending me this Advance Reader's Edition.