Author: Deborah

This historical novel visits the backwoods of southeastern Oklahoma in 1909 and 1990. In both time periods, the stories revolve around the care of the land, and the lack of care of children.

Please see “Reviews – Fiction”

5/7/24

The Mother of All Things , a novel by Alexis Landau, brings these all together. Please see “Reviews, Fiction,” for details.

4/20/24

The Evolution of Annabel Craig, by Lisa Grunwald.  Random House, April 16, 2024, 320 pages.

A novel that looks at the “Scopes” trial of 1924 and one woman’s growth and change around it. Please see “Reviews-Fiction.”

4/13/24

The Wives:  A Memoir, by Simone Gorrindo.  Gallery/Scott Press, April, 2024.  415 pages.

A special kind of sisterhood is described in this memoir by a writer whose husband decided to enlist in the military after they decided to marry.

Please see “Reviews – Non-Fiction

4/7/24

Village Weavers by Myrian JA Chancey

This engrossing and lyrical novel traces the interlocking lives of two women from Haiti, from the age of 7 to close to 70.

Please see “Reviews-Fiction” for more information.

3/31/24

Author Jennifer Rosner has written both fiction and non-fiction about children in difficult circumstances.  Her memoir, If A Tree Falls:  A Family’s Quest to Hear and Be Heard, describes her family’s emotional and social challenges in raising two deaf daughters.  Her most recent novel, Once We Were Home,  looks at what happened to young Jewish children hidden in WWII Europe and later brought to Israel.

Please see the Non-Fiction reviews for the first, and the Fiction reviews for the second.

3/23/24

Today marks one year since I began this book blog (with my husband’s technical help), and 56 years since we married.  (He’s helped a lot with that, too.)

In this first OWLs year, I only included books to which I would give the highest ratings.  Actually, I read at least twice as many as I write about, but decided early on to share only those I felt were the best.  I’ve wondered if you would want to know about books I would not recommend.  (You can let me know in the “Comments” section of this blog.)

Besides reading these books (and some other activities I love), I also read and listen to many reviews and podcasts about books.  This year I’ve especially enjoyed “A Good Read,” from the BBC, and want to recommend it to you.  For just under 30 minutes, host Harriett Gilbert and two guests talk about three books, one picked by each of them, which they all have read for the program.  The guests are actors, writers, artists, musicians, chefs, historians, newscasters and more.  The “Good Read” digital library goes back several years, and a new one is available once a week, except during summer.  (I don’t know how Harriet does it.)  If you’re interested, you can find it at:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006v8jn/episodes/player.

Looking forward to sharing another year of books with you,

Deborah

Two historical novels about Real American heroines

Becoming Madame Secretary, 20^th century Frances Perkins, published on March 12, 2024

Finding Margaret Fuller,  early 19^th century thinker and writer, to be published on March 19, 2024

Please see Reviews – Fiction

­­­­Last to Eat, Last to Learn:  My Life in Afghanistan Fighting to Educate Women,

By Pashtana Durani and Tamara Bralo.  Citadel:  February 20, 2024.  224 pages.

An inspiring account by a young Afghan woman activist who focuses on two major concerns of the modern world: refugees, and girls’ education in non-Western societies.

Please see “Reviews – Non-Fiction”

Act of Forgiveness, by Maura Cheeks. Ballentine Books/Random House, February 13, 2024. 304 pages.

A fictional account of what reparations for slavery might look like to one American family.

Please see “Fiction Reviews.”