Historical Fiction – Page 5

The Pink Bonnet + Giveaway

A desperate mother searches for her child.

Widowed in Memphis during 1932, Cecile Dowd is struggling to provide for her three-year-old daughter. Unwittingly trusting a neighbour puts little Millie Mae into he clutches of Georgia Tank, corrupt Memphis Tennessee Children’t Home Society director suspected of the disappearance of hundreds of children. With the help of a sympathetic lawyer, the search for Mille uncovers a deep level of corruption that threatens their very lives.

How far will a mother go to find out what happened to her child?

My Review:

published in 2019

I was first introduced to Georgia Tann and the Memphis Tennessee Children’s Home Society scandal through Lisa Wingate’s heart-rending novel, Before We Were Yours. I was fascinated and appalled during that read and experienced similar emotions over The Pink Bonnet.

This isn’t light fiction by any means, though the author does manage to infuse the story with hope. So many angst-riddled emotions stirred up inside of me while I lived every desperate second right alongside Cecile. Tolsma does an amazing job of capturing every dark emotion and the stark desperation of a mother searching for her kidnapped child. Cecile is relentless, her steely resolve propelling her forward in an investigation that becomes more daring and dangerous with every passing day.

And the way the levels of deceit and corruption are slowly uncovered…just chilling! Georgia Tann (an unconscionable monster of the vilest sort) had cooperation on every level of government and social class. The way she disparaged the poor (in the middle of a depression no less!) and saw them as unworthy of raising their own children, kidnapping and selling those children without a thought for the grieving families left behind. Never mind caring about what type of conditions many of the children were sold into. And her ‘work’ went on for 25 years! It just boggles the mind.

And all that ugliness is exposed in these pages. But there are triumphs too. And redemption. Percy’s story was particularly riveting. A legal assistant duped by Georgia Tann, he slowly begins to question her methods and reasoning and struggles with his own past trauma and need to become a successful lawyer…but at what cost?

A haunting page-turner.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This copy is for a paperback or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

If you would like a the opportunity to win a copy of The Pink Bonnet, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 25 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

The Secret Society of Salzburg + Giveaway

Based on true event, this is a gripping and heart-wrenching story of two very different women united to bring light to the darkest days of World War II

London, 1933

At first glance, Austrian opera singer Elsa Mayer-Braun has little in common with the young English typist she encounters on tour. Yet she and Hattie Featherstone forge an instant connection — and strike a dangerous alliance. Using their friendship as a cover, they form a secret society with a daring goal: to reduce as many Jews as possible from Nazi persecution.

Though the war’s outbreak threatens Elsa and Hattie’s network, their efforts attract the covert attention of the British government, which offers more opportunities to thwart the Germans. But Elsa’s growing fame as Hitler’s favourite opera singer and her secret Jewish ancestry make her both a weapon and a target — until her future, too, hangs int he balance.

From the glamorous stages of Covent Garden and Salzburg to the horrors of Bergen-Belsen, two ordinary women swept up by the tide of war discover an extraordinary friendship — and the courage to save countless lives.

My Review:

I’m emotionally wrung out after this kind of read, but filled with hope too. Because people like Elsa and Hattie actually lived and risked their own lives to stand up against the horrors of Hitler’s regime. I always come away humbled after reading about ordinary people doing extraordinary things for the greater good. And, okay, you might not classify a famous opera singer as ‘ordinary’ but Elsa’s immense talent only masks the vulnerability and tender heart of this very real, flawed woman.

I was intrigued to learn that the author’s inspiration for this story comes from real-life sisters, Ida and Louise Cook, British citizens who rescued 29 Jews from the Nazis through out the 1930s. There’s even a book about them which I’ve put on hold from my library. Love, love, love when fiction inspires me to do some research!

Renee Ryan has brought something fresh to the World War II genre. I’m not an opera fan at all(!) but this book almost makes me want to revisit that opinion. Elsa’s life on the stage contrasted with Hattie’s more ordinary existence which created extra depth and breadth to the story. And a lot happens in both women’s lives since this book spans more than a decade!

The story starts in 1943 with an ominous foreshadowing scene, then goes back to the 1930s and progresses chronologically with occasional leaps back to the crucial event in 1943. So, in a way this could be considered a dual timeline story, though both are historical and only years apart. It’s very artfully done and makes for a compelling read.

Rich characterization, heart wrenching stories and even a gentle romance all contribute to make this an incredible unputdownable read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Secret Society of Salzburg, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you leave an email in your comment remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easier to spot your entry. Draw will held and winner announced on Saturday February 18 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

The Cairo Curse + Giveaway

Clue meets Indiana Jones with a fiction-loving twist only Grace Percy can provide.

Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley have already experienced their fair-share of suspense, but when a honeymoon trip takes a detour to the mystical land of Egypt, not even Grace with her fiction-loving mind is prepared for the dangers in store. From an assortment of untrustworthy adventure-seekers to a newly discovered tomb with a murderous secret, Frederick and Grace must lean on each other to navigate their dangerous surroundings. As the suspects mount in an antiquities’ heist of ancient proportions, will Frederick and Grace’s attempts to solve the mystery lead to another death among the sands?

The Cairo Curse is a delightful sequel to The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham.

My Review:

I was so excited about this book that I preordered it on audible and did a frenzied happy dance when it was delivered on release day. Because, really, how could I live without more Fredrick and Grace shenanigans?! It would be a dismal reading future without them in it for sure!

So, this is where I mention that The Cairo Curse is the second Freddie and Grace Mystery and is best read after The Mistletoe Countess. You could, jump in here — the story would make complete sense — but there are a few hints at spoilers from the first book (well, they actually might only be recognized as spoilers if you’ve read MC now that I think of it.) Okay, so I’m not being very clear, am I? But really, if you love toe-curling romance with lots of humour and bookish references and a mystery besides, go ahead and read The Mistletoe Countess first. You definitely won’t be sorry. And you’ll have a better grasp of the back stories of our main characters.

And now Frederick and Grace are on their honeymoon. They had a bit of a rough start to their marriage so they are definitely due for some peace and relaxation. What they get is a stark change of scenery with murder, mystery and stolen antiquities. The tag line for this novel says: “Clue meets Indiana Jones” and I’d tack on “with an Agatha Christie flair.” So much fun! So many interesting characters to peg as suspects! And the allure of foreign soil! So many reasons to recommend this mystery!

And, of course, the dynamics between Frederick and Grace are at the heart of it all. She thinks in fiction. Seriously, there isn’t a situation Grace gets herself into that she can’t draw from literary resources to find a solution. Though, of course, Grace likes to improve upon fiction because, “Fairy tales were all well and good but many of the characters could have done with a bit more sense to keep their troubles at bay.”

Freddie is besotted. I love how he embraces all that Grace is without trying to change her. They make the perfect team — both in romance and mystery solving. And Basham puts this dynamic duo through their paces as she plots and connives with the villain to keep Frederick on guard and Grace in danger. Gasp! Love the plot twists and the depth in the secondary characters (who surprised me over and over again.) Plus, now I’m hoping for some of those characters to have their own stories told so I’m praying that this will be a very long series!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice.

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Cairo Curse, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easier to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 18 2023. Offers open to International Readers.