Josie Flint, affectionately know as Jaybird to her family, is nearing her 50th birthday when tragedy strikes.  The family matriarch and her namesake, Annie Jo has died.  This change in family structure causes Josie to look back at her childhood and stir up some memories, some which are better forgotten.  With the absence of her grandmother, Josie looks back on coming-of-age, the death of her father, friendships and desegregation in 1960's Atlanta.  

Jaybird's Song is an ode to southern women, their strength and their place within the family.  Josie is an amazing woman to follow as the writing ping-pong's back and forth between her memories from growing up in the 1960's with her amazing grandmother, Annie Jo, to present day where Annie Jo is gone and Josie finally comes to deal with some of her issues.  I was surprised when what seemed to be a series of memories from Josie's childhood turned into something much more, not only does Josie unleash the truth of her father's death, but a memory of a bathrobe and an African-American student who joined Josie's high school class combined with a package found at Annie Jo's house turns into a murder mystery.  Overall, a passionate story that takes place throughout turbulent years in America's south that examines the tenacity of women. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.  

Migizi is an Indigenous Canadian who is pulled away from his family and sent to a residential school with other Indians as the government attempt to strip away everything 'Indian' about him.  Migizi is now called David, he is not allowed to speak his own language, practice any customs or traditions or talk about his old life.  All of the children must work and if they fall ill, they are sequestered away until they die.  No doctors are called.  The children that survive are often abused by the Brothers and Sisters that run the school.  After school, Migizi is still required to get a permit whenever he would like to leave the reservation.  Migizi works for a living but soon falls into a cycle of alcohol abuse and spousal abuse.  Trying to set himself right, Migizi joins the army and returns a war hero.  Even with this status, in Canada, he is still considered an Indian and has limited rights.

This was a very eye-opening read.  I had no idea that indigenous Canadians were put through injustices for so long.  Through following Migizi from third grade through adulthood I had a good picture of the abuse of the Indigenous Canadians throughout time and how the government practices perpetuated the cycles of addiction and abuse.  I was appalled at the school that Migizi was sent to; how the Brothers and Sisters felt they could beat the Indian culture out of the students and that they received no medical care.  I was even more upset at the fact that this practice continued to happen as Migizi's grandchildren went through the schools.  Migizi's time in the Service seemed to be the only time that he was treated as an equal.  I was impressed with Migizi's skill and dedication to the army and how his missions helped to win WWII.  However, the racism that prevailed when he returned as a war hero quickly erased all of his accomplishments. Overall, this is an overwhelming story that increased my understanding of the struggles and injustices that the Native Canadians have faced and continue to face today.





This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​Anne of Brittany has known tremendous loss in her young life; orphaned at eleven and left to rule her country, Anne strategically married Charles VIII of France ensuring peace for her country and keeping her role as its ruler.  Her marriage to Charles produced six children, none who lived past the age of three.  However, Anne persisted.  Her ladies that surround her are a source of comfort, Nicole St. Sylvain is one of those ladies; brought to court at 15, Nicole grows to idolize Queen Anne. Nicole is also fond of working with animals and using the knowledge of herbs that her mother passed to her. When a young horse trainer, Philippe de Boise is in need of a helping hand with the Queen's new horse, Nicole provides a healing touch. Meanwhile, Nicole and Philippe discover new love.  Nevertheless, Nicole and Philippe are pulled apart due to duty and birth stature.  Years later, Nicole and Philippe may have another chance when fate brings them together one more time in order to save the life of the Queen's young daughter.

Sense of Touch is a 15th century historical romance that took me back in time to the court of Anne of Brittany.  Though the story focuses on the romance of Nicole and Philippe, I was able to get a taste of the courageous, strong and graceful woman that Anne of Brittany was and how she ruled.  Through Nicole's eyes, the young sovereign was shown at her best.  I could not imagine the strength of character Anne possessed to get through multiple pregnancies that ended in stillbirths or deaths at a young age.  More than anything, Nicole had respect for Queen Anne and took her lessons to heart.  Nicole may be fictional, but she does portray many of the real girls that Queen Anne brought into her life as part of a type of finishing school. Most historical romances feature cunning lovers who go against their ruler's wishes.  Nicole and Philippe were different than most lovers, they fulfilled their duties to family and country first.  Fate took a large role in eventually bringing them back together.  Overall, a historical romance set in 15th century France that features not only forbidden romance, but a true friendship and appreciation for Anne of Brittany. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review

​Susannah North Martin stands accused of witchcraft in 1629.   At 71 years old, Susannah has led a full life raising her many kids and grandkids and spending time with her loving husband, George.  However, Susannah was also known for speaking her mind and not caring what others thought of her which led to tension with some of her neighbors.  Years later, Susannah finds herself imprisoned along with five other women in the Salem jail who have been accused of Witchcraft.

I am an avid reader of historical fiction and nonfiction concerning the Salem Witch Trials. Some stories are deeply rooted in fiction with magic and good witches; though my favorite books are those rooted in history and carefully reconstructed by the ancestors of the accused women themselves.  Heather B. Moore does just this, an ancestor of Susannah North Martin herself, Heather has lovingly created the best and worst parts of Susannah's life so we can see how she lived and how she died.  I loved how the book went back and forth between Susannah's life at 25 years old as she was meeting George Martin and establishing a family and 1629 while she was imprisoned in a jail cell.  Most books written about the trials focus on just that, the trials.  I enjoyed learning about Susannah's life and the political and personal reasons that she may have led to the accusations of Witchcraft.  It was very interesting to see Susannah enjoying and living her life as a normal person and not just an accused witch.  The time spent in the jail cell was also very interesting.  I liked the focus on the camaraderie between the six women and their feelings about being accused and found guilty.  In many books about the Salem witches, there is a touch of magic thrown in, in Susannah's case her touch of magic was just right and just enough.  Overall, a heartfelt and fact-based recreation of the life and death of Susannah North Martin.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.  

Kitty Ives has fallen on hard times; from a respectable family to a whore in London’s Convent Garden in 1769.  Due to Kitty’s breeding and education, she is well sought out and has climbed the ranks within her house.  One particular night, her company is sought by a man who has given the name of Sir William Westman.  In the morning, Kitty wakes up to her client dead beside her.  With no suspect but herself, Kitty begins a detective mission to clear her name and keep her place in the house that will take her from London’s underbelly to its aristocracy to see how it is all connected to the poor man who was unfortunate enough to be murdered in her bed.
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This is a historical murder mystery set in 18th century London with an educated prostitute for a sleuth.  At the beginning I was taken in by the mystery of who could have killed the man in Kitty’s bed while she was there sleeping.  Kitty’s detective skills began in earnest as she tried to keep her place in the house.  The setting was also done well and I enjoyed being taken to different places within Convent Garden and seeing how things worked at the time.  The book is written as Kitty’s memoir in telling the strange tale and its outcome.  However, the writing seemed to be a little too detailed, I think that Kitty’s inner monologue got in the way at points and muddled some of the clues and plot points to the point that I forgot what was really going on. Also, while I was truly interested in the mystery at first, it seemed to devolve for me with a few too many twists and turns and Kitty believing one minute that William Westman himself is the murderer and then having sex with him the next.  Of course, being a book with a prostitute as the main character, there are several sex scenes, which is fine with me, but might bother some.  The conclusion of the whole mess brought a little more excitement back and re-sparked my interest a bit.  Overall, for me this one was just ok.
 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

During World War I, an English Bishop, Anthony Shacklock is buried near the field hospital in France where he helped to comfort soldiers.  The beloved Bishop is soon exhumed to be brought back home to England.  However, when the Bishop is dug up another body is found with him.  The bones of a young woman remain a mystery through present day.  Professor Waller has made finding out the identity of the young women his life’s work; however, he gives most of the actual research work to archivist Jess Morris who must toil away in dark libraries and go chasing leads all over England on weekends.  Doing all of Waller’s work has placed a strain on Jess’ husband and children.  Just when Jess seems to find a significant and exciting lead on her mystery woman, she begins to make some risky decisions with her personal life.
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This was a very intriguing historical mystery.  I was thrown into the story from the very beginning when the unexpected bones were found.  First of all, I love dual-time stories and this story went back and forth between the present and 1899-1918.  I also like giving a story to those who were forgotten and nameless, even though this story is completely fictional it gives a small taste of the work that researchers do in order to solve mysteries of the past.  This story did have a bit of a slow start for me, while I do find research interesting; there was perhaps a bit too much in the beginning.  However, as the clues began to come forward and we got a look back into Shacklock’s time period, the story became better paced.  There was definitely a lot going on with Bishop Shacklock and the story of his time in Greece and in the French Hospital were very involved and intriguing. The conditions of the field hospital were particularly well done and I could imagine it very well. Jess’ story slightly mirrored what the Bishop was going through, however some of her issues paled in comparison to the Bishop and the mystery woman. When the identity of the mystery woman is revealed, I felt relief of her identity and sadness over her story.   Overall, an absorbing historical mystery and a wonderful look into historical research.
 
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.  

Annabelle Fortune, known as Misfortune Annie is one of the fastest gunslingers in the west, despite being 15 years old.  When Annie gets tangled up in a guide job gone wrong, she inadvertently stops the mysterious man known as the Locomotive Reaper from robbing and murdering an entire train full of people.  Since she is the only person to have ever seen the Locomotive Reaper and tell the tale, the Secret Service asks Annie to sign up and help catch him.  Annie is reluctant, but with the promise to find information about her father, she is swayed.  Annie is paired with agent Beau Slokam who brings more trouble to the table than what they are chasing.  Now Annie and Beau, with the help of Annie’s friend Wontoa must fend off the Doom Gang while tracking down the Locomotive Reaper.
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A fast-paced, action filled adventure in the Wild West with a wonderful heroine.  Misfortune Annie’s bravery and determination leap off the page from the first scene.  She uses quick wits, intelligence and a little bit of luck to get out of sticky situations.  I do wish that we got to know a little more of her past and backstory, there is definitely a mystery there that the Secret Service director begins to hint at, but in such a short story, we don’t get into anything like that.  Also, I was definitely interested in the Locomotive Reaper himself, much like Annie was and I wanted to dig a little deeper into his character.  A flying man in a huge suit added a little element of Steampunk to the mix, but it wasn’t out of place at all.   With a fifteen year old heroine, this is an appropriate read for young adults, but has plenty of elements to keep adults interested as well.
 
This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​Danny Baker leaves his small fishing village of East Jeddore, Nova Scotia in 1916 for war-torn France.  While marching through France, Danny is fortunate enough to meet Audrey Poulin, an artist, free spirit and a woman who brings light and color to the bleak landscape of war.  Through an exchange of letters, Danny and Audrey fall in love and decide to marry.  However, at the battle of the Somme Danny loses more than he can imagine, most of his friends have died and he has lost part of his leg.  Now in a battle with his own emotions, Danny is sent home to Canada.  Audrey soon meets him there and they are married.  Danny struggles with his own shortcomings and the impacts of the war.  He decides that a move to Halifax and a job on the docks with his brother is for the best.  When catastrophe strikes again, this time in Halifax, Danny’s world is completely changed, but his love for Audrey will help him pull through.
A story of war, tragedy, love, family and transformation, Tides of Honour is  touching and powerful.  From the beginning, I knew that Danny was going to be a strong character, his journey, though tumultuous, is one that many veterans dealt with and still face today.  In alternating narratives, Danny's story is filled out and another needed perspective is seen with Audrey's view.  Audrey is a survivor as well and her story is just as  important.  The historical setting  was unique and well researched.  I was very happy to read about Canadian's fighting in the Great War, as they are often overlooked as well as the little known Halifax explosion.  I was very interested in this since my great-grandmother lived nearby at the time.  What impressed me the most was the incorporation of Danny and Audrey's love story into the events surrounding them.  Their love story is not perfect, but it is lasting.  Like the tides rolling in and out, Audrey and Danny's love is for better or for worse.  
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This book was received for free in return for an honest review

The Scholar

Serena is determined to prove that a magical stone exists from the ancient Egyptian time period.  Her only problem is that she can not find any evidence of the stone; it's a good thing she can use her power to travel in time.  After Serena's fall into Egypt in 2361 B.C., Serena is rescued by two cousins in the royal family.  A love triangle develops and Serena must choose carefully while trying to look for her stone.  

This is the second book in The Fall series and I have not yet read the first book, The Dreamer, but I did not feel lost at all.  This was a quick, light read and was a little heavier on the romance than I generally like, but I still found the read enjoyable.  I liked Serena's character and the pace of the book.  I just wish the plot was a little more history driven than romance driven.  Overall, a good read and I will look forward to reading the other books in The Fall series.

I grew up reading Little Women, so when I got the chance to read about its creator through the eyes of her younger sister, May.  May is an aspiring artist who also wants a husband and family.  Louisa sees herself as too old to get married and would rather help where she can and focus on her writing.  The two sisters end up clashing over many things, however they keep their sisterly bond.  Through war, travel, successes and failures a portrait of two sisters is artfully drawn.

I loved learning about the sisters and their real lives.  I really enjoyed learning about May and Louisa’s relationship with each other and how that translated into Louisa’s character of Amy in Little Women.   Even though Amy is portrayed as very self-involved in Little Women, she is drawn in a new light, a struggling artist herself who had the limelight stolen from her by Louisa’s success.   Most of all, I enjoyed the realistic portrait of two influential and forward-thinking women of their time.   It was really interesting to find out all of the other influential people that the Alcott’s knew including Thoreau, Hawthorne and Emerson.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.