Changing Times

The Wrong Kind of Woman by Sarah McCraw Crow
Publication Date - October 6, 2020
4 stars

When Virginia's husband dies unexpectedly, she is feels lost at the college where they both worked.  The changing times of the early 1970's means that a woman's place at the institution is not guaranteed and the clashing viewpoints of the day sometimes led to violence.  Told from four perspectives, this novel delves into a time period that in a lot of ways seems very similar to our own.  I really liked this book and related to Virginia as she navigates what it means to be a woman in a changing world.  This is a slow book so may not be for everyone but I did enjoy reading it.  I received a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Weekly Wrap-Up

Five Wives by Joan Thomas
4.5 stars

 

This novel is based on a true story about a group of missionaries living in Ecuador in the 1950's who decided to attempt to convert a native tribe living deep in the rain forest.  Little was known about the Waorani and they were viewed as a savage people in need of Jesus by the missionaries who conceitedly attempted to make contact with them which ended with disastrous consequences.  I thought this book was fascinating and I had never heard this story before.  The author does a good job of portraying the missionaries deep belief in what they were doing while also subtly demonstrating how their ideas were so wrong.  I thought this was well written and the plot propelling.  While the story was told by different perspectives, the author says in her note that she didn't feel comfortable speaking from the Waorani perspective which I appreciated even if it means that is a missing piece of the story.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am grateful to have received a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim
3.5 stars

Margot is traveling home to Los Angeles to help a friend move and to also check on her mother who hasn't been answering her phone.  She discovers that her mother has been dead for days and she must unravel the mystery of her mother's life in the process of understanding the mystery of her death.  This is told through alternating perspectives of her mother Mina Lee when she first arrives in the United States from South Korea and Margot as she digs into her mother's past.  I enjoyed Mina Lee's sections so much more than Margot's.  Mina Lee is a fascinating and complex character who has dealt with immense grief and is trying to get through life.  Margot, on the other hand, comes off a shallow and I struggled to read her narrative.  Overall, though, I enjoyed this book and especially the evocative writing about Korean dishes and the comfort they bring to Mina Lee and the other immigrants trying to start over the United States.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Making Sense of a Family

 Hollywood Park: a Memoir by Mikel Jollett

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mikel Jollett is the lead singer of the Indie rock group, The Toxic Airborne Event.  He was born into the infamous Synanon cult in California and was  promptly separated from his parents to be raised by strangers as a "child of the universe", until his mother grabs him and his older brother, Tony, to make a grand escape.  This is a beautifully written memoir about discovering family and recovering from trauma.  Jollett's father is a charismatic character who recovers from a drug addiction in order to raise his two troubled sons.  His mother struggles with a mental illness that he only fully recognizes as an adult.  At times, this book seems long and like it could have been edited down a little bit more but even then, it is one of the best memoir's that I have read this year.  I received a physical ARC of this book through the Bookish First program in exchange for an honest review.  

Early Christmas Romance

Dawn with a Duke (12 Dukes of Christmas #9) by Erica Ridley
Publication Date - September 4, 2020
★★★★

Belle, the sister of a powerful duke, and Calvin, a common tailor, are trapped together in an inn during a snowstorm.  With most of the servants fallen ill, Belle must turn to Calvin to help with the buttons on her clothing and they strike an interesting deal.  I like these two characters immensely and their romance is sweet and endearing.  As with the other books in this series, it is short, so wraps up a little too quickly and neatly but still manages to be a delightful holiday read.  I look forward to others in the series and Erica Ridley is always a dependable historical romance author.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

One Night with a Duke by Erica Ridley
Publication Date - October 9, 2020
★★★★

I read this book within the first twelve hours after I downloaded the review copy to my kindle.  This series is delightful and easy to read.  This one follows Angelica, a jeweler, and Jonathan, a vagabond who travels around spending money on other people.  Jonathan is one of the most unusual heroes that I have come across in a historical fiction.  He is boisterous, charming and likes to know everyone he meets.  He is very funny and Angelica's reactions to him are hilarious.  I really enjoyed this one and I really have loved this series.  I received a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.