Thank you to Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer for hosting Book Blogger Hop. There is a different bookish question every week. This week’s question is below:
Answer: So many times! I have often asked “Why did I buy this book or why did I agree to read this book?” The one that comes to mind right now is John Grisham’s sequel to The Firm called The Exchange. It was quite disappointing and you can see my review here.
How about you? Have you ever wondered why you bought a certain book, or had buyers remorse about a book?
*This is another review I did for The Historical Novel Society.
In 1812 New York, Easter Hackley is born to a white man and a Native American (Algonquin) woman. She grows up as America is growing. She marries young and accompanies her husband Will to Ohio, looking for land to homestead. As Easter and her family survive on the land, America is struggling. Andrew Jackson has come up with a plan to relocate the “natives.” Congressman David Crockett is horrified, and he joins with John Ross, the son of a white man and a Cherokee woman, to try and stop the removal. As Easter’s family continues to grow, so does America, and with that growth comes the good and the bad.
Easter is described as an amazing woman, and she definitely knows how to survive on the land better than most of the other female pioneers. She provides well for her family by using the skills her Algonquin mother taught her, fighting against great odds and extreme circumstances.
Easter’s story is entertaining, but this book also tells the story of America through the points of view of a large cast of characters, including Davy Crockett. Some of views become almost separate stories unto themselves, as they are not closely tied or tied at all to Easter. This makes the novel less cohesive, but still interesting and informative.
In this novel, Easter is the daughter of an Algonquin woman, Sooleawa. Sooleawa is fictionalized, but it is hard to reconcile the fact that Easter is portrayed as half Native American and still supported Andrew Jackson and willingly took over land in Ohio from which Native Americans had been “cleared.” This makes her appear much less remarkable than she is otherwise portrayed.
I received a free copy of this book via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
We got between 3 and 4 inches of snow this weekend. Since we live on a gravel road, we’re basically snowed in, but Doug’s out there snow blowing because we are headed to Johnson City tomorrow to close on our house there! I’ll be so glad when that is finished.
Next week I will review Find Me in the Stars by Jules Larimore, Saving Madonna by Kate Bristow, and possibly other books.
BOOK HAUL
I have really stopped requesting so many books on Netgalley. A lot of books come to me via The Historical Novel Society, such as the three below: The Four Queens of Crime, The Socialite’s Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets, and A Lady Would Know Better. These are unedited pictures of the books next to me on my desk. I changed lamps recently, so the green lamp is the most recent.
I also got a wish granted on Netgalley, which is rare, so I’ll be reading The Crime Brulee Bake Off by Rebecca Connolly.
My Netgalley shelf is down to 16, which is low for me, and some of them aren’t due until May and June. I plan to keep the shelf to less than 10 going forward.
Miranda Quinn is back in the courtroom working as a legal aid attorney when she’s asked to represent Lennon, the daughter of a high school friend currently serving time in prison. Still struggling with guilt from the role she played in her friend’s downfall, Miranda agrees to help.
The former assistant DA has given up a lucrative career as a legal talk radio host to better serve her community. In her spare time, she volunteers as a counselor for at-risk teens. It’s challenging but rewarding, at least until the young women begin to mysteriously disappear. As Miranda struggles to find out who is responsible, it becomes clear that Lennon is in danger as well. As the police piece together Miranda’s clues, they realize they’re dealing with a much larger and farther-reaching organization than they had expected.
Miranda has faced her share of adversaries, both in and out of the courtroom. To expose the sex traffickers preying on the group of girls she has sworn to protect, she’ll need to keep her eyes and ears open. But to save the one young woman who needs her most, she’ll have to open her heart.
She’s in for the fight of her life.
BOOK REVIEW
Miranda meets Lennon, who is charged with stealing a package of frozen lobster, in a courtroom. They are connected by Lennon’s mother, Charlene, a childhood friend of Miranda’s who still blames her for her descent into drugs and subsequent prison sentence. Miranda’s big crime was kissing Charlene’s crush while in high school. Feeling unnecessary guilt and a responsibility for Lennon, Miranda represents her in court and finds out about a much bigger problem–Lennon’s friends are going missing.
This is an excellent continuation of the Miranda series. I enjoyed Miranda’s relationship with Lennon. Miranda reads as almost like an aunt to Lennon instead of “estranged friend of her mother.” Lennon is a smart young woman who has been through a lot, is living in the system, and is easy to root for. The difficult subject of sex trafficking is explored honestly, and while the reader is shown a culprit early on, there are many layers and levels to this thriller. The vulnerability of those in foster care is an important point in this story. The characters are all well-written, and I felt like Lennon walked straight into my heart. Readers should check out this touching and thrilling novel.
In addition to downloading this book from Kindle Unlimited, I also purchased the audiobook, which was narrated very well by Penny Coffeen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gail Ward Olmsted was a marketing executive and a college professor before she began writing fiction on a full-time basis. A trip to Sedona, AZ inspired her first novel Jeep Tour. Three more novels followed before Landscape of a Marriage, a biographical novel featuring landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, a distant cousin of her husband’s, and his wife Mary. Miranda Fights is the third book in the Miranda Quinn Legal Twist series. Olmsted enjoys writing about quirky, wonderful women in search of a second chance at a happy ever after. When not writing, she loves being on the water, especially in a kayak. She is well known for her blonde brownies, and coffee is her love language. For more, visit her on Facebook and Instagram
PURCHASE LINK
*Click the image below to purchase on Amazon. **Kindle Unlimited subscribers may borrow this for free.
WWW Wednesdays asks three questions: What Are you Currently Reading?, What Did You Just Finish Reading?, and What Will You Read Next?. Thanks to Taking On A World of Words for hosting WWW Wednesday.
MY CURRENT READ
This one should be ready for Indie Weekend. Book Description: Miranda Quinn is back in the courtroom working as a legal aid attorney when she’s asked to represent Lennon, the daughter of a high school friend currently serving time in prison. Still struggling with guilt from the role she played in her friend’s downfall, Miranda agrees to help.
The former assistant DA has given up a lucrative career as a legal talk radio host to better serve her community. In her spare time, she volunteers as a counselor for at-risk teens. It’s challenging but rewarding, at least until the young women begin to mysteriously disappear. As Miranda struggles to find out who is responsible, it becomes clear that Lennon is in danger as well.
WHAT I JUST FINISHED
LIGHTS, CAMERA, MAYHEM by Jodi Taylor: This is Jodi Taylor’s Christmas novella this year. Not really a Christmas story, but released on Christmas morning, this one was so much fun. St. Mary’s is hosting the filming of a movie! Chaos begins from there as somehow our disaster magnets end up in Troy–with the leading lady. I read it on Christmas morning and then just listened to it again recently on Audible.
WHAT I’M READING NEXT
Here is the book sitting on my desk as I type this:
1938, London. The four queens of British crime fiction, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, are hosting a gala to raise money for the Women’s Voluntary Service to help Britain prepare for war. Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote has loaned Hursley House for the event, and all the elites of London society are attending. The gala is a brilliant success, despite a few hiccups, but the next morning, Sir Henry is found dead in the library.
Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson from Scotland Yard are quickly summoned and discover a cluster of potential suspects among the guests, including an upset fiancée, a politically ambitious son, a reserved but protective brother, an irate son-in-law, a rebellious teenage daughter, and the deputy home secretary.
LIFE UPDATE
The view this morning is almost heavenly. I stood outside long enough to snap a picture. It’s 23 degrees. We had just a little bit of snow Monday, and the mountains are tipped with a beautiful frost.
I am slowly (very slowly) transitioning away from my couch potato phase of retirement. I have Netflix and Chilled to my heart’s content. We watched all of the TV series Bones, and are just finishing up Star Trek Voyager. Next we will watch Doc Martin. I have also been reading/editing/reviewing for the Historical Novel Society quite a bit.
I am venturing out on the icy roads today to run errands. Wish me luck!
You must be logged in to post a comment.