A Piece of the World, by Christina Baker Kline

A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, a wonderful work of well-researched historical fiction. I’m a sucker for anything set in Maine, and when you add in a fictionalized but realistic account of the backstory of one of my favorite works of American art, Andrew Wyeth’s Christina’s World, I’m a goner. The characters are fully developed and the alternately bleak and beautiful setting in mid-coast Maine is so vivid I can feel the fog on my face and the dried field grass prickling my feet. As is the case with all good historical fiction, I found myself learning about what life was like during a bygone era while being fully transported by the story. Be warned, however, this is not an uplifting book. Life was hard and disappointing, and you will suffer with Christina as you read it, but it will be worth it. ~Ms Dimmick

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Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beautifully written with achingly wrought characters, it’s hard to conceive of this novel as a murder mystery because at its heart is is a coming of age story for two unremarkable midwestern boys in the summer of 1961. Drawn more than told by 13 year-old Frank, or rather 50 year-old Frank reflecting on the disastrous events of the summer he reckoned with racial prejudice, class, bullying, sex, passion, grief, murder, miracles, and faith and was thrust into adulthood. Krueger’s descriptions of summer in Minnesota in the 1960s are so evocative you can hear the chirping of the crickets and taste the Kool-Aid on your tongue, all the while turning pages swiftly to discover the next foreshadowed disaster to befall this charming small town. Echoes of To Kill a Mockingbird are felt here, with the strong sense of place, the flawless moral bearing of Frank’s father, Pastor Nathan Drum, and the loss of innocence that comes from eavesdropping on adult conversations that are not meant for children’s ears. This one will stick with me for a long time to come. ~ Ms Dimmick

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The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry

The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Positively delightful. Historical fiction at its best — tastes like fiction, imparts knowledge like nonfiction. Dolssa, a naive, noble young mystic, barely escapes being burned for heresy in late 13th century France, and is taken in and nursed back to health by Botille and her two peasant sisters in the seaside village of Baja. First repelled by the course sisters and their unfamiliar ways, Dolssa loses her passionate connection to Jhesus and fears that he has forsaken her forever. Circumstances force Dolssa to call upon her beloved to aid villagers in need, including the kindly but strange sisters, and she discovers a mystical ability to heal others. Word of Dolssa’s miracles quickly spread to the Christian inquisitors from whose grasp Dolssa narrowly escaped, and Botille fears that her act of charity toward the young mystic will bring tragedy upon the entire village. If you’re curious about domestic Crusades in Europe, the Inquisition, and you enjoy stories about strong women facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, then you’ll love The Passion of Dolssa. ~ Ms Dimmick

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Girl in the Blue Coat, by Monica Hesse

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is historical fiction set in World War II Amsterdam. Our protagonist is Hanneke, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed teenager who works as a receptionist for an undertaker – but is really part of the undertaker’s extensive black market smuggling operation. When one of Hanneke’s regular black market customers asks for Hanneke’s help finding a missing Jewish teen (the Girl in the Blue Coat), Hanneke uncovers a resistance group and begins to understand the war on a whole new level. I liked the characters in this book and always enjoy seeing historical fiction told from an unexpected perspective. Don’t miss the interesting author notes at the end of the book that touch on Ms. Hesse’s extensive research for this novel. ~ Ms. Steiger

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Student Review:Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee (reviewed by Joseph S.)

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

In Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman, taking place while civil rights and political tension changed the South, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch returns to Maycomb and sees her old home in a new light. At the age of 26, Scout has been living in New York City, trying to become more independent from her family. On her annual visit to see Atticus, her aging father, Scout sees something that makes her question everything she knows about her beloved home. Go Set a Watchman covers the differences in beliefs on racial equality between New York City, Scout’s new home, and Maycomb, Scout’s old home.

Go Set a Watchman was a highly anticipated book when it first came out. Many people loved To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee’s previous novel, and wanted more of it. Although To Kill a Mockingbird was an amazing book and you should read it (you have probably read it by now if you are looking at this review), Lee’s new novel is not worth the read for the most part. Not only was it incredibly boring, but the narrative clumsily switched between first and third person. Recommending this book to anyone is difficult because even though it was bad, it could interest someone. Those who are curious to know why it was so bad should read the book and decide for themselves. However, anyone who did not enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird, and those who absolutely loved To Kill a Mockingbird will most likely be disappointed. Student: Joseph S.

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Blackbird House, by Alice Hoffman

Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this poignant collection of interlinked short stories. The outer Cape Cod setting was so evocative for me, and following the generations of owners of a particular home from its construction during the pre-colonial era to modern day was enthralling. The stories are often dark and tragic, with a touch of mysticism. Even though the characters shift from story to story, their development is so rich that they feel as robust as those in a full length novel. What resonated most was the author’s depiction of love, whether between a long-married couple, or a mother and child, it was authentic. Hoffman’s love is palpable. This is a really short and delicious read. Try it even if you don’t think you like short stories, because they flow together beautifully with the original homestead providing the architectural framework for several lifetimes of love, pain and salvation. ~ Ms Dimmick

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Student Review: Assasin’s Creed: Renaissance, by Oliver Bowden (reviewed by Anddy G.)

Assassin’s Creed: Renaissance by Oliver Bowden

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What would you do to take vengeance for those you have cared for? Assassin’s Creed: Renaissance by Oliver Bowden is a story that will lead you to the truth, keep you at the edge of your seat and will make you wonder how it all wraps up. The story is set in Florence, Italy during the 15th and early 16th century. A young man named Ezio Auditore, a man with a fiery charisma who was known for his noble family name, has only known the life of a banker and a delinquent. But later his family name was slandered by their closest friends the Pazzi family, and Rodrigo Borgia accuses them of being traitors and murderers. With the help of Leonardo Da Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli and many others, Ezio seeks vengeance on those who had betrayed his family and redeem its name. The book leads to betrayal, sorrow, suspense, and an amazing secret that will make you never believe in what you hear again. This book will as well leave you astonished making it feel as if you were there.

I would recommend this book to my teacher Mr.Rinaldi a History teacher who may enjoy this book due to its historical accuracy.” The truth is written in blood.” ~ Student: Anddy G.

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All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book makes it to my top 25 list, perhaps higher, and I didn’t even want to read it. It was selected for my book club, and it’s historical fiction set during WWII. I don’t enjoy reading about war, and I feel I’ve already read the some of the best WWII works of fiction: Stones from the River, The Book Thief, Suite Française. How could another top these? Plus, it’s over 500pp. That’s a commitment I wasn’t keen on making. Now, I wish it had been longer. I wish I was still reading, and living with its wonderful characters, sensing every stimulus in their unique environment. The story follows the parallel lives of two children: Marie-Laure in France and Werner in Germany. Both children are intellectually curious and consequently filled with promise, but the odds of realizing their potential are stacked highly against them. Marie-Laure goes blind at the age of 6, and Werner is growing up in an orphanage in a mining town during the rise of the Third Reich. Marie-Laure lives with her father, the locksmith and keeper of the keys for the prestigious National Museum of Natural History, who builds scale models of their neighborhood for Marie-Laure to read like Braille in order to navigate independently with her cane. On the eve of the Nazi invasion of Paris the pair evacuate to the coastal island of St. Malo in Brittany to live with Marie-Laure’s great uncle who suffers from PTSD and agoraphobia stemming from his time in WWI. Werner uses his innate gift for engineering to repair radios, ultimately securing coveted admission to a military training school for Nazi youth. The story alternates perspectives between the pair and shifts back and forth in time, gradually revealing how their paths will ultimately cross. Doerr adds to the sense of mystery and sprinkles in a touch of mysticism by sharing the provenance of a cursed diamond held in the museum and sought by the Nazis as the ultimate trophy of war. The enthralling nature of the story and the depth and complexity of characters are enough to earn this book 4 stars, but it’s the prose that secures the fifth. Doerr’s writing is exquisite and highly sensory. Having a blind character enables the author to maximize the use of the other four senses in his descriptions in such a way as to fully transport the reader into the heart of the story. The historical truths at the core of this novel are also sensitively rendered, allowing the reader to witness the psychological terror central to the Nazi apparatus. There are so many reasons to read this: to learn more about Nazi Germany and the French Resistance; to solve a mystery about a treasured gem; to spend time with enjoyable, inspiring and deeply human characters; and to read some of the most beautiful prose of our era. Try it, you won’t regret it. ~ Ms Dimmick

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Orphan Train, by Christina Baker Kline

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Available as a free ebook from NSHS Library. Orphan Train is a perfect blend of historical and contemporary realistic fiction–just the thing to hook newcomers to the historical genre. The hook: Molly Ayer will turn 18 in a few months and age out of the child welfare system in coastal Maine where she needs to find a community service project to save her from eviction from her foster home and banishment to juvie. Vivian Daly is 91 and wants help sorting through her life’s memories stored in the attic of her grand home in Molly’s community. A seemingly unlikely friendship is formed as Molly helps Vivian in more ways than she ever imagined, and finds confidence and purpose in the process. The history: Vivian’s tale is told through flashbacks to the 1920s through the 40s, beginning with being orphaned as a young immigrant in New York City and being sent West on an Orphan Train in hopes of being adopted by a loving family. The reality of the fate of the orphan train passengers is something far less rosy. The story is engrossing, and the parallels between the two protagonists’ lives help to bridge the historical to the contemporary for readers who would otherwise stear clear of the historical genre. The writing is solid but not noteworthy; this is an enjoyable, enlightening story, not high literature. ~ Ms Dimmick

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The Caged Graves by Dianne K. Salerni

The Caged Graves by Dianne K. Salerni

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It’s 1867, and Verity Boone is leaving her home in busy Worcester, MA to go live with her father in rural Catawissa, Penn., where she will marry Nate, a neighboring farmer who won her heart through his letters and gifts of poetry. But when she arrives in the country, she doesn’t find the romantic reunion she was expecting. Her father is distant and busy with farm work, and Nate is nothing like his letters (which were were written based on suggestions from his sisters) and more interested in her father’s farm than her. Worse, she finds herself the subject of town gossip and rumors. Some of it is based on jealousy – Nate was one of the few eligible men left after the Civil War – but other nasty rumors reach her about her late mother and her family’s mysterious past.

Then, as Verity walks through a local churchyard, she discovers the graves of her mother and aunt, buried outside the cemetery walls, and enclosed in iron cages. As Verity tries to discover the stories of her mother’s life and death, and find the reason for the cages, she unearths more than she expected, with tales of witchcraft, strange deaths, and stolen Army gold. She also finds herself in a love triangle as she tries to deal with her complicated feelings about the semi-arranged marriage that she agreed to.

Salerni creates honest, relatable characters, especially Verity, a strong-willed girl with progressive ideas, who is not afraid to stand up for herself and for what she believes. And just as in life, most of the characters are more complicated than they appear at first, including Nate. A spooky, don’t-put-it-down thriller.

Ms. Schoen

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