Set in 1927 Paris, The Paris Hours follows four different characters through one day: Souren, who is an Armenian refugee and puppeteer; Camille, a French country girl who becomes secretary to Marcel Proust; Guillaume, a struggling painter hounded by a loan shark; and Jean-Paul, a journalist and war veteran who is trapped in his own sad story. Their seemingly separate stories weave together in the end.
While this could be categorized as historical fiction, it is not at all genre historical fiction. Rather, it is more of a literary novel with a historical setting. (Think: A Gentleman in Moscow.) George’s previous novel, Setting Free the Kites, was exceptional (highly recommend!) and while this one is very different, the writing is just as luminous.
I did think the novel was uneven at points, and the ending — crowded with historical figures, like Hemingway and Josephine Baker — seemed a bit contrived, but overall I was spellbound by the writing and captivated by the well-drawn cast of characters. I highly recommend The Paris Hours, and I can’t wait for Alex George’s next novel.
Thanks to Lisa Wingate, Random House-Ballantine, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advance copy of The Book of Lost Friends. Wingate’s last novel, Before We Were Yours, was wildly popular, so I was anxious to read her new work.
The concept of this book — former slaves placing ads in newspapers in order to try to find their relatives — was new to me, and was very interesting, yet heartbreaking. This novel switches between two settings: Civil War-era Louisiana and more modern day (1980’s) Louisiana. Wingate does an excellent job describing both settings with meticulous, realistic detail.
While I enjoyed much of the description and the characters in this book (which are very well developed!) the story itself moved more slowly than I would’ve liked, and I found my interest lagging. Still, I would recommend this novel for those who enjoy historical fiction and for those who loved Wingate’s previous novel, Before We Were Yours.
Put this on your to-read list for 2020! Available April, 28, 2020.
Thanks to Amy Harmon, Netgalley, and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a digital advance copy of this novel. Set in 1853 on the Oregon Trail, Where the Lost Wander is a wonderful story of hardship and love. I don’t read much historical fiction but I loved this novel from the first page and was sad to see it end. Highly recommend, especially for fans of historical fiction.
In Depression-era rural Kentucky, five women defy convention and take WPA jobs as “pack horse librarians,” riding arduous routes through the hills to deliver books to needy families. As a result, the community and all of the women are forever changed.
I loved this book from the very first page and was sad when it was over. The characters were so well developed, I felt like they were all real people and I was completely invested in their stories.
Captivating historical fiction, based on the amazing true story of Cathy Williams, a former slave who pretended to be a man so that she could serve with the famed Buffalo Soldiers. Interesting, witty, heartbreaking, suspenseful – this was a wonderful story from start to finish. Highly recommend!
I got lucky at the library last week and scooped up a couple of books that had been on my to-read list (love it when that happens!). My summer reading is off to a great start!
The River, by Peter Heller (available now) I did not enjoy Heller’s previous novel (Celine), so I approached this one with skepticism, despite its good reviews. The River is the gripping adventure of two college-aged boys on a long-distance and isolated canoeing trip that goes horribly wrong when they are caught between a ferocious forest fire and potentially dangerous men in their path. Beautifully written, I loved this book from start to finish! This one will stay with me for awhile. Some of the very detailed descriptions of fishing/canoeing, etc. became tedious but I was so drawn into the saga of the boys’ survival that it didn’t bother me much. Highly recommend!
Daisy Jones and the Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid (available now)
Thanks to Michele Grace for the heads-up on this novel, which follows the complicated story of a late 1970’s rock band. It’s formatted like a book-length interview of all the relevant characters, which takes a bit of getting used to, but provides interesting insight into how different characters view the same events. I just loved this book, and was sad when it ended. Side note: I know this was fiction but how do these rocker types do SO MANY drugs and survive? If I have 2 margaritas I pay for it for days! Anyway, highly recommend!
The Nowhere Child, by Christian White (available now)
I’m not sure what’s in the water in Australia lately, but Australian authors are turning out some really fine mysteries! In this debut novel, Australian Kim Leamy discovers that she may actually be Sammy Went – a child who was abducted from rural Kentucky over 20 years earlier. Her journey to discover the truth is expertly juxtaposed with the story of Sammy’s disappearance. Extremely well done. Highly recommend!
Only Killers and Thieves, by Paul Howarth (available now)
Another Australian book (I seem to be reading a lot of those lately!). This book is really hard to review. The writing is exceptional and the story is interesting (two young brothers searching for justice in the 1880s Australian frontier) and I was interested in it because it reminded me of Philip Meyer’s The Son (historical Texas family saga). But I struggled to get through it because it was so graphic and so violent — I had to keep putting it down and reading other books in between. In the end, I’m glad I finished it, but I have reservations about recommending it. You might read some other reviews and decide if it’s for you.
Just no:
Neon Prey (Lucas Davenport #29) by John Sanford (available now)
What is it lately with usually reliable series going off the rails? There’s no need to summarize this one. It was so bad that I have a sneaky suspicion that it was ghost-written. Pass.
