"The Imposter," by Suzanne Woods Fisher

"The Imposter," by Suzanne Woods Fisher

A heart once deceived should not be easily fooled again . . .
Katrina Stoltzfus thought she had life and love all figured out: she was going to marry John and live happily ever after. But as her plans crumble before her eyes, she struggles to face an uncertain future. When a widow asks for help starting a new business, Katrina quickly agrees. She needs time to heal her broken heart, to untangle her messy life, to find a purpose.

What she doesn't need is attention from Andy Miller, a farmhand who arrives at the widow's farm just when help is most needed--and who always seems to say the right thing and be in the right place, at the right time. Is Andy for real or too good to be true? She's been deceived once before, and she isn't planning on experiencing it again. 

Despite saying last month I was totally "Amished Out," I just loved this book.  It wasn't your typical run of the mill Amish book, as it involved many "sins" of the bible interwoven into the story, that made you go.."well, that's not like the typical Amish we read about." 

It also involved the normal traits that you come to think of when the Amish involved as well, kindness, forgiveness and understanding.  This story kept you on your toes and it also teaches you a bit about moss, which I thought was interesting and different. 

This book is the first in a series by Suzanne, called "The Bishop's Family," and the way this book ends, you HAVE to read the next one in the series to see what happens next.

Stars out of 5 : 5 A super book, well worth the read and a different take on your typical Amish stories.  I can't wait to read the next one.  By the way you think you know why the book's title is what it is; but you'll be shocked when all is revealed!!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"The Dressmaker of Khair Khana," By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

"The Dressmaker of Khair Khana," By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

The life Kamila Sidiqi had known changed overnight when the Taliban seized control of the city of Kabul. After receiving a teaching degree during the civil war—a rare achievement for any Afghan woman—Kamila was subsequently banned from school and confined to her home. When her father and brother were forced to flee the city, Kamila became the sole breadwinner for her five siblings. Armed only with grit and determination, she picked up a needle and thread and created a thriving business of her own.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana tells the incredible true story of this unlikely entrepreneur who mobilized her community under the Taliban. Former ABC News reporter Gayle Tzemach Lemmon spent years on the ground reporting Kamila's story, and the result is an unusually intimate and unsanitized look at the daily lives of women in Afghanistan. These women are not victims; they are the glue that holds families together; they are the backbone and the heart of their nation.

Afghanistan's future remains uncertain as debates over withdrawal timelines dominate the news.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana moves beyond the headlines to transport you to an Afghanistan you have never seen before. This is a story of war, but it is also a story of sisterhood and resilience in the face of despair. Kamila Sidiqi's journey will inspire you, but it will also change the way you think about one of the most important political and humanitarian issues of our time.

I must say this is a must read book.  It's a book from a time we will all remember; about a situation very few of us have ever been in. It shows what happens when you are forced into an impossible situation and how you resilient you can be.  Although we saw on the news what was happening in Afghanistan, we really didn't know what it was like for the people who continued to live there.

One thing that struck me about this story is despite all the hardship and problems they always were well mannered and hospitable to people who came to their door.  Another thing was how family stuck together and helped one another out.

It boggles my mind to think how dangerous it was for a woman to walk in the streets on a regular day without a male and without being totally covered up.  It must be stifling to be not able to go about your everyday business without being escorted everywhere and having to wear a chadri.

Stars out of 5 : 5 Loved this book, it gave you a glimpse into a life I hope I never have to live and to hear the true story of how a group of women in Afghanistan survived under the Taliban.

"A Noble Masquerade," by Kristi Ann Hunter

"A Noble Masquerade," by Kristi Ann Hunter

Lady Miranda Hawthorne acts every inch the lady, but inside she longs to be bold and carefree. Approaching spinsterhood in the eyes of society, she pours her innermost feelings out not in a diary but in letters to her brother's old school friend, the Duke of Marshington. Since she's never actually met the man she has no intention of ever sending the letters and is mortified when her brother's mysterious new valet, Marlow, mistakenly mails one of the letters to the unsuspecting duke.

Shockingly, this breach of etiquette results in a reply from the duke that soon leads to a lively correspondence. Insecurity about her previous lack of suitors soon becomes confusion as Miranda finds herself equally intrigued by Marlow, a man she has come to depend upon but whose behavior grows more suspicious by the day. As the secret goings-on at her family's estate come to light, one thing is certain: Miranda's heart is far from all that's at risk for the Hawthornes and those they love.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It was fast paced, with many twists and turns along the way.  It doesn't take a genius to figure out who is who and what is what; but the path you follow to figure it all out is a fun one.

I enjoy that period of time and all the time you are wanting Miranda to find true love, as she is not you normal high bred lady of the times.  "Marlow's" character is perfect as well and he makes the book fun as well.  This is the first book (there is an e-book) in the Hawthorne House series.  I am looking forward to reading the others, as there are still plenty of tales to tell with the other members of the family.

Stars out of 5 : 4.5  My kind of book with plenty happening and a great love story mixed in.  Well worth the read; a good book to read in a couple of afternoons.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"The Photograph," by Beverly Lewis

"The Photograph," by Beverly Lewis

He studied the picture more closely, finding it curious that the young woman looked so boldly into the camera while wearing a white prayer Kapp shaped like a heart--the characteristic head covering for the Lancaster County Old Order Amish. 
Why would a devout girl have her picture taken?

When her sister Lily disappears only months after their widowed mother's passing, Eva Esch fears she has been wooed away from the People. Yet Lily's disappearance isn't Eva's only concern: She and her sisters must relocate once their older brother takes over the family farmhouse. Then Jed Stutzman, an Amish buggy maker from Ohio, shows up in Eden Valley with a photo of a Plain young woman. Eva feels powerfully drawn to the charming stranger--but the woman in the forbidden photograph is no stranger at all. . . .

If you are a Beverly Lewis fan, you will love this book.  It's in her typical style and an easy read.  You won't be shocked at the ending, and it is a book that invites you into the lives of the Amish.  I thought it was interesting that Eva has her own candy store at home.  She was a lovely leading character.

This book is not part of a series, but could easily be turned into a series.

Stars out of 5 : 4 I am all "Amished-out" at the moment, having just come back from vacation in Lancaster county.  However it was nice to read about places that I had heard of and even visited.  It's another solid book by Beverly and well worth the read.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"Olive Kitteridge," by Elizabeth Stout

"Olive Kitteridge," by Elizabeth Stout

At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town of Crosby, Maine, and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance; a former student who has lost the will to live; Olive’s own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and her husband, Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse.

As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life–sometimes painfully, but always with ruthless honesty. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition–its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires.

This is our October selection for our book club.  I had neither heard nor read this book before and I found it very interesting.  It basically 13 short stories in which Olive has some sort of role in; sometimes a large role, sometimes just a "walk-on" part.

It's a very complex book with many layers.  Sort of reminds me of an onion.  I enjoyed Olive, and loved her total honesty of a situation.   You could actually relate to some or all of these stories.  The only negative thing all these stories never actually had an ending.  I was told in the HBO series of this book, the stories did have an ending?

Stars out of 5 : 4  I would love to see the TV series now, as I still have questions.  It was well worth the read though and I would definitely recommend you reading the book.

The Memory Weaver," by Jane Kirkpatrick

The Memory Weaver," by Jane Kirkpatrick

Eliza Spalding Warren was just a child when she was taken hostage by the Cayuse Indians during a massacre in 1847. Now a mother of two, Eliza faces a new kind of dislocation; her impulsive husband wants to make a new start in another territory, which will mean leaving her beloved home and her mother's grave--and returning to the land of her captivity.

Haunted by memories and hounded by struggle, Eliza longs to know how her mother dealt with the trauma of their ordeal. As she searches the pages of her mother's diary, Eliza is stunned to find that her own recollections tell only part of the story.

Based on true events, The Memory Weaver is New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick's latest literary journey into the past, where threads of western landscapes, family, and faith weave a tapestry of hope inside every pioneering woman's heart. Get swept up in this emotional story of the memories that entangle us and the healing that awaits us when we bravely unravel the threads of the past.

I am a fan of Jane Kirkpatrick's work and was so looking forward to reading this book.  I found it a bit slow going though.  Going back and forward between Eliza and her mother's diaries was not helpful.  I will say though by the last quarter of the book the pace picked up and I had to know what happened next.

The story itself of Eliza is very interesting and I find that time period fascinating.  I also found the author's notes and acknowledgments to be extremely helpful in explaining things; so they are a must read.  It was also interesting when Jane pointed out in those notes, that Eliza probably suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  You don't think that people back in those days would suffer from it would you?  That made me reflect on what and why Eliza did the things she did.

Stars out of 5 : 4  Despite the fact the story was slow going I loved the subject matter.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"The Chaperone," by Laura Moriarty

"The Chaperone," by Laura Moriarty

New York Times bestseller, The Chaperone is a captivating novel about the woman who chaperoned an irreverent Louise Brooks to New York City in the 1920s and the summer that would change them both.

Only a few years before becoming a famous silent-film star and an icon of her generation, a fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita, Kansas, to study with the prestigious Denishawn School of Dancing in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a thirty-six-year-old chaperone, who is neither mother nor friend. Cora Carlisle, a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip, has no idea what she’s in for. Young Louise, already stunningly beautiful and sporting her famous black bob with blunt bangs, is known for her arrogance and her lack of respect for convention. Ultimately, the five weeks they spend together will transform their lives forever.

For Cora, the city holds the promise of discovery that might answer the question at the core of her being, and even as she does her best to watch over Louise in this strange and bustling place she embarks on a mission of her own. And while what she finds isn’t what she anticipated, she is liberated in a way she could not have imagined. Over the course of Cora’s relationship with Louise, her eyes are opened to the promise of the twentieth century and a new understanding of the possibilities for being fully alive.

This is our book club choice for September.  I was under the impression it was more about the silent film star Louise Brooks, but the book actually focuses more on Cora Carlisle, who was Louise's chaperone one summer in the 1920's.  It's a book of both fact and fiction, and is full of historical references throughout.

I have to say some of the things that happened took my breath away and I know I said to myself:

"Well I didn't see that coming!"

Cora's life was certainly full of surprises and it was a joy to see her "grow" throughout the book.  Going from a straight laced, prim and proper lady, to a woman whose mind was open to living life and seeing things from other people's point's of view.  However all through her life she could never let go of making sure people only saw her as that prim and proper lady.

Stars out of 5 : 5 A great read that you will not want to put down.  What happens throughout parts of the book made you go "WHAT??"  It also makes you think about how relationships change throughout the years.  This is a book that you should read, very interesting.  A great book club choice.