Author: Deborah

The Last Secret Agent, Pippa LaTour with Jude Dobson. St. Martins Press, 2025, 304 pages.
Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for an advance readers copy of this book.
Pippa Latour had a life of tragedy and adventure even before she became a secret agent for the British in WWII France.
Though she never wanted to speak of her experiences, and did not, in her old age her children learned she had some role in WWII, and she finally opened up and worked with writer Jude Dobson on this memoir. She died at the age of 102, just before its publication, as she hoped.
This is a book to become absorbed in and from which to learn little-known information about both WWII France and the kind of vital work that was rarely reported.

Please see, “Reviews-Non-Fiction”

Murder Takes a Vacation, by Laura Lippman. William Morrow, 2025. 269 pages.
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advance readers copy of this book.
This light, entertaining mystery introduces us to Muriel Blossom, 68 year-old widow from Baltimore, who is using her lottery winnings to take a river cruise on the Seine with her childhood friend, Elinor.
Lippman takes this opportunity to address, through Muriel, issues around women’s aging and being more than the ideal weight in our culture. Self-understanding and self-acceptance all play a part in enjoyable first read for the summer.

The Road to Tender Hearts, by Annie Hartnett. Penguin-Random House, 2025. 363 pages.
Thank you to Penguin-Random House and NetGalley for an advance readers copy of this book.
This quirky, dark comedy about a makeshift family is both funny and poignant, and I’m glad I could be with them for their road trip from Massachusetts to Arizona.
The family relationships are complicated, some of the situations are absurd, some are touching, but in either case, along their journey, love and understanding builds.

6/7/25

5-17-25

As many of you know, in the two years since I began this book blog, I have shared it through a paid website.

Unfortunately, I continue to have difficulties with that venue, and most recently, when half my subscribers were erased from it, I decided to try something different.

In future I will produce my own posts and email them to you with the link to the website. There you can find the newest review and all previous ones. In the meantime, I am exploring other web venues.

Given the subscription issues, I realize that this means possible new friends – like those who have found me from Alaska to Australia – may have difficulty subscribing. But this began as a way to share my thoughts and suggestions with friends and family, so while I am glad to add anyone who is interested, I still will be able to reach those for whom I created this blog. (Of course, please share this information with anyone you think might like to receive these reviews.)

I expect there will be some changes in presentation as I become more comfortable in designing this. I was initially distressed by the communication difficulties with the website, but now I’m looking forward to this new adventure.

This blog will be sent from its email address, [email protected] and you can contact me there if you have comments or suggestions, and if you would like them shared, let me know and I will post them to others.

Happy Reading!

Deborah

The Strange Case of Jane O., by Karen Thompson Walker. Random House, 2025. 288 pages.

This fascinating novel is a gripping account of a single woman dealing with psychiatric symptoms while raising a very young son. Told by her psychiatrist, a widow with his own issues, there is suspense as well as mystery as they explore her experiences.

4/24/25

Stone Angels, by Helena Rho. Grand Central Publishing, 2025. 299 pages.

This compelling story about a “comfort woman” looks at one Korean family’s experiences during WWII and in the present day.

Please see, “Reviews, Fiction”

Happy Land, by Dolen Perkins Valdez. Berkley Books, 4/8/25. 384 pages.
Based on a true story from the 1870’s, Happy Land is a saga of strength, struggle, survival and success for former slaves in South Carolina.

4/7/25

Published April 7, 2025EditEnduring Injustices

Junie, by Erin Crosby Eckstein. Random House, 2025. 368 pages.

On the cusp of the Civil War, the youngest daughter in a slave family in Alabama sees its fortunes rise and fall with its failing owners.

Please see “Reviews-Fiction.”

3/23/25

4/1/25

Bear, by Julia Philips, and The Sirens, by Emilia Hart.

Set on an island off the coast of Washington State, and in a beach town in Australia, these recent books focus on the relationships and histories of two sets of sisters in fairy-tale-like situations.

Please see “Reviews-Fiction”

The Snowbirds, by Christina Clancy, St. Martin’s Press, 2025. 308 pages.

This exploration of a couple’s relationship opens in Palm Springs. Grant Duffy, a newly avid hiker from the Midwest, is lost in the winter mountains surrounding the city. As his long-time partner, Kim Hastings, waits anxiously for word of his safety, she unspools their relationship in her mind, going over past events and present possibilities.

Please see “Reviews, Fiction”

Jane Austen’s Bookshelf, by Rebecca Romney. Simon Element/S&S/Marysue Ricci Books. Feb. 18, 2025. 400 pages.

With a light, almost conversational style, this book offers deep insights into the history of the novel, and especially the women writers of the 18th century.

Please see “Reviews – Non-Fiction