“I must learn to be as the bear in a cage with the stick that pokes it always, through the bars. The bear acts as if the stick is made of air, and takes no notice of it, even when it is sharpened and draws blood. I must do the same.”

This historical mystery grabbed me from the brief historical note at the beginning.  Set during the reign of Richard II in 1377, the small village of Duns, England.  A tragic house fire takes the lives of five young boys; but the fire is very suspicious.  Why were all of the boys at the weaver's house in the night?  Why were they locked in?  Why did they all have precious possessions with them?  Some townsfolk think that this is the work of the Jews. Seeking justice the father's of the boys decide to bring the bodies of their boys to the King to pass judgement.  We see the treacherous 200 mile long journey on the dangerous roads through the cold winter through the eyes of Maer. 

Maer is one of the best historical fiction characters I have come across.  Disguised as a man and a mute since she reached the town 10 years prior with her infant son, Maer has many secrets that she must protect.  I felt an instant bond to Maer's character and protective instinct. Since Maer does not speak through most of the story, the writing is mostly through Maer's inner-dialogue and conversations that she hears. This is done in a wonderful and lyrical way.  The mystery unfolds slowly and we unravel stories little-by-little.  Ned Hayes has definitely woven a gripping tale that will keep you intrigued the whole way through. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
http://sinfulfolk.com/

"Every Basque marriage should have two elements,...one spouse must be a lover and the other, a fighter."

In her relationship, Gracianna is the fighter.  Born in the Pyrenees and bred to be strong-willed and resourceful, Gracianna decides that she would like to go to America.  In order to build up funds for passage overseas, Gracianna finds work at a restaurant in Paris.  The man she loves, Juan and her sister, Constance, soon follow her there even though war is breaking out.  The city becomes occupied by Nazi forces and Gracianna finds herself face to face with a drunk Nazi alone at night.  What happens next, will change Gracianna's life and history.

This is a fictional story, but based on recollections of the author's great-grandmother.  When he was four, Trini Amador was visiting his great-grandmother, Gracianna's house and came out carrying a German Luger.  Now, Trini digs into the story behind the weapon.  I was definitely transported while reading this story, there were great descriptions and great quotes from the Basque.  Gracianna's missions with the Resistance kept me intrigued as well as her more personal relationship with Juan.  Gracianna's strong and introspective character was inspiring; the relationship with her sister and her willingness to do anything to save her was another aspect to the story that made it great.  I am amazed at Gracianna's story and legacy, a great read for anyone.

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

A historical fiction and medical thriller that takes place in the early 1900's and deals with many difficult issues for women at this time.

Emeline Evans wants to do more with her life than be a housewife.  In college, she volunteered with the nursing group and decided she would like to continue in that field along with the other strong, independent women she met there.  Before she can ask her father for permission, he becomes ill and abruptly passes after a surgery.  The family becomes destitute with no one working for a living.  So, Emeline does the only thing she can think of to help her family's financial situation immediately- get married.  After a quick marriage to aspiring lawyer John Dorr, Emeline is moved to the small town of Labellum, Missouri into a strange house with even weirder furnishings.  Emeline feels that the house harbors all of her worst nightmares.  Now, stuck in an in-affectionate marriage, Emeline feels as if she is slowly being driven crazy in her own home and with nothing productive to do with herself.

This book touches upon many important topics for women in the 1900's and is done in a wonderful and believable way.  From Emeline's lack of options to further herself in life, to the belief that hysteria was the actual migrating of a women's uterus to her brain and the still present debate over abortion, author Stephanie Carroll outlines many struggles a women would have faced and how these issues could escalate very quickly.  I felt very attached to Emeline's story throughout; from her slip into insanity and digging herself out in the best way possible. I liked that the story was not only focused on Emeline's fall into hysteria and why no one would believe her, but Emeline's own determination to fight the battles raging in her head and in her house to come out on top.  I also appreciated the house, rooms and furnishings as characters themselves; the slow reveal of what Emeline is battling within her and the rooms is very interesting.  I wish Emeline and John Dorr's relationship was explored a little more in the end, I did feel that it wrapped up a little too quickly.

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

"...beauty and terror often bump up against each other."

From Manhattan's Gilded Age society Hugo Delegate finds himself confronted with a murder.  Left alone in the room with the body of his dead friend, Hugo surmises that it is possible that he committed the crime and has no recollection, he also knows that it is possible that his family's ward and the girl he loves has committed the murder.  Hugo recounts his entire story of the murders and the Savage Girl as he sits in the Tombs with his lawyers, desperately trying to convince them that it was he who murdered this man - and others- and not his beloved Savage Girl.

While on a trip to Virginia City to visit the family silver mining operation, the Delegate family comes across a side show featuring a feral child.  Anna Maria Delegate, Hugo's mother and Freddy Delegate, Hugo's father each become enamored with the feral girl featured in the show.  They decide that they would like to take this Savage Girl back to New York with them and attempt to 'civilize' her and prepare her for a debut into New York society. Is the person the Delegate's brought home the girl that they want her to be, or is she still a savage girl at heart?

The mystery in this story is very intriguing.  There are a lot of different layers and it unfolds continuously until the very end.  The entire story is told from Hugo's point of view while contained within a prison cell.  So, we only know what he knows about Bronwyn (the Savage Girl) which was really frustrating to me, but kept up the mystery.  I really wanted to know her character and her motivations better.  We find some of this out slowly throughout the story and a little bit in the epilogue.  The setting Manhattan's Gilded Age was beautifully described, we are taken on a beautiful personal train that traveled across the country, into a Manhattan mansion and behind the scenes at a debutante ball. All of this glittering and rich society was well contrasted with the darkness of the brutal murders.


Savage Girl was received for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.