A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Ove is difficult, Ove is frustrating, Ove is cranky and at times downright awful and Ove is the kind of person that will restore your hope in humanity. I absolutely loved this book. Frederick Backman has a gift of making the most cantankerous characters into lovable and memorable ones with just a few incredibly well placed words. I have become a huge fan of this author. This little gem of a book is a perfect escape to a place where rules matter and people like Ove do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do. All of the characters in the book are quirky and lovable, but you will have a special place in your heart for Ove. Sometimes I am skeptical if a book has a ton of excellent ratings, I worry that I will be disappointed, but A Man Called Ove lived up to the hype. I highly recommend this book.
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The Orphan's Tale: A Novel by Pam Jenoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Orphan's Tale follows two different women, Astrid and Noa, as the ravages of war and the consequences of their decisions finds them both in need of protection in an unlikely place, at a circus. Astrid is a jew hiding from Nazi's and Noa has been thrown out by her family after becoming pregnant from a german soldier. Both women are full of secrets, and unable to hide from their past. To make matters worse, Noa has rescued a jewish baby, who she calls Theo. Astrid begrudgingly agrees to train Noa as an aerialist, and Noa finds a way to move past her fear, sailing through the air on the trapeze. The Orphans Tale is an interesting new look at occupied Europe through the lens of a circus and all who find shelter under the big top. I enjoyed The Orphans Tale, and I would recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction.
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In the Fullness of time: One Woman's Story of Growth and Empowerment by Katherine P. Stillerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
In the Fullness of Time is a rich and well researched story that weaves the struggle for women's suffrage with the personal story of Hattie Barton, a young wife and mother in South Carolina. Hattie feels strongly about suffrage, and finds herself at the crossroads of history. With her extraordinary sister-in-law Alice, Hattie witnesses firsthand the passion and commitment of suffragists and decides to get involved. The story is full of interesting historical details, references to obvious events like the Spanish Flu epidemic and the U.S. entry into World War 1, the book also pulls from more obscure references like the work of renown physician Joseph Lister and the infamous 'redeemers' of the reconstruction era south. The details add a richness to the story, from the purple and gold of the suffragists to the red rose of anti suffragists, the author paints a picture of history that is detailed and interesting. As Hattie struggles with her feelings for her ex-fiance, her husband Charles is forced to deal with his unresolved feeling for his first love, Julia. Although the relationship between Hattie and Charles is central tot he story, the author does seem to rush through their relationship details, and tends to focus more on the fight for suffrage. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
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Orphan Number Eight by Kim van Alkemade
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Orphan # 8 was Rachel Rabinowitz, but she didn't start out as an orphan. This story follows Rachel's life, through all of the ugly twists and turns at the beginning, to the kindness of strangers who helped her along the way and eventually to Rachel herself as she must come to terms with her own past in order to face her uncertain future. Rachel's story exposes some of the ugly truths about our society, including medical experiments on groups of orphans, to the exclusion and negative societal attitudes about homosexuals, but her story also inspires hope through the kindest of strangers or even the hopeful advice from a holocaust survivor. Ultimately Rachel must decide for herself how to deal with the woman who inflicted cruel and unnecessary experiments on her as a child, when that same doctor is admitted to her ward in the hospital. In her treatment of this doctor, Rachel must confront the ghosts of her past and find the courage to deal with her own health issues that she has been neglecting. The writing was well done, but felt somewhat repetitive at times. The story switched easily from past to present with great historical details. Rachel's story is all the more tragic when considering that while the novel is fiction, according to the author's website, medical research on children in orphanages was a common practice, and that there really are children who grew up like Rachel. I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to any fans of historical fiction.
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