​Jasmine Bai has been sent to live with her aunt, uncle and cousins in Chungking during World War II.  Her parents are still in Nanking teaching at a college.  As the Japanese close in and the danger intensifies, Jasmine decides to travel to Nanking and convince her parents to leave.  Jasmine arrives in Nanking just as the Japanese decide to massacre everyone in their path.  Jasmine miraculously survives Nanking after witnessing unspeakable atrocities and reunites with aunt, uncle and cousin in time for the threat of danger to reach Chungking.  Jasmine and her cousin, Daisy are sent to a remote country village in western China.  Here, Jasmine and Daisy rescue a downed Flying Tiger, Danny.  Danny is injured and sick with malaria, with the help of the village doctor, Jasmine and Daisy help care for him.  However, the Japanese have heard that the Flying Tiger has been hiding in the Village of Peach Blossoms and will stop at nothing to capture Danny.  Jasmine, Daisy and the villagers risk everything to keep Danny safe so he can continue fighting for them.  


Wings of a Flying Tiger captured me in the opening scene with Danny's bravery, passion for the cause and immense emotion.  I didn't really know about The Flying Tigers and were amazed to learn about these real heroes,  a group of American volunteers under of the Chinese Air Force.  After that first scene, the perspective is switched to Jasmine for a while.  Jasmine is an intelligent young woman who knows what she wants and does it, which is rare for a young woman in China at the time.  While I was aware of the Nanking Massacre, the writing of the violence was intense and graphic, however; I'm sure it only conveyed a fraction of the true terror of harrowing reality of those six weeks. I was amazed at the resilience and fortitude of the people who managed to survive.  When Danny and Jasmine's stories collide, the danger intensifies but the element of romance is added.  They both have an immense amount of respect for each other and the situation that they are in.  I was astonished at the collective protection of the town towards Danny and their willingness to do anything to keep him safe for the greater good.  The ending is gut wrenching and heartbreaking, showing the true courage of people fighting for their freedom.

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

​Scott Stoddard is enjoying his honeymoon in the South of Fance in 1964.  Scott, an American student studying in Geneva has just married the former Countess de Rovere, Desiree in an unexpected and whirlwind romance when a letter from the draft board appears saying his status is under review.  Scott must now report to a base in Germany to be tested and then tested again only to learn that the CIA is forcing him to train as a spy and use his new social status to gain information and pass it along.  Scott is not pleased about how he has to go about his duty, keep secrets from his new wife and spend time away from his baby daughter.  However, he finds a way to use this position for good as well as finding a way back to his life. 


A Spy With Scruples is the sequel to An Improbable Pairing, while this could be read as a stand-alone it is helpful to know Scott and Desiree backgrounds and romance.  This picks up right after the first book with the couple enjoying married life and waiting for the arrival of their new baby.  Much like the first book, A Spy with Scruples is a tour of the opulence and luxury of the upper class European community.  The descriptions dazzle with the dress of the time period, the hotels, restaurants and cuisine, vacation resorts and parties.  Desiree shines with her charm and intellect, I'm not at all surprised that she caught on to Scott's situation.  Scott remains one of the luckiest and fast-thinking men ever; even though he was in a less than desirable situation, it was better than having to fight in Vietnam.  Scott's time as a spy was filled with suspense, but not a lot of action.  Through his articles and meetings, I was able to see the many intricacies of the influences of different European countries during the Cold War.  I particularly liked his interviews with Vietnamese families and tracking of former Nazi's.  Overall, A Spy with Scruples offers a different kind of spy thriller focused on the gathering of information.


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

For her entire life Mirelle has known life behind the Ghetto gates.  Every Jew in Ancona, Italy must live within the gated area.  Her father runs a renowned Ketubah workshop and Mirelle relishes in the artistry, she also has a talent for keeping her father's accounting books in check.  However, as Mirelle becomes a marriageable age, it becomes improper for her to work in the shop. Mirelle's parents also have a very wealthy suitor in mind for her.  As these changes come into Mirelle's life, Napoleon's French Troops arrive in Ancona. With the troops arrives Christopher, a French soldier who makes Mirelle question her faith, her morals and her family.

Beyond the Ghetto Gates is a transformative coming of age story as well as a deeply historical account of Napoleon's influence on Jewish communities during his Italian Campaign in 1796.  I didn't know anything about Napoleon's time in Italy and was amazed by the changes he created as well as his infatuation with a miracle portrait of a Madonna. The writing changes between the points of view of Mirelle, Daniel and Christopher in Napoleon's troops and a Catholic family, Emilio and Francesca. All of these points of view are important to the story, however, it takes a little while to set everything up and the story didn't completely capture my interest until everyone's story lines came together.  Mirelle's character was very well written.  From the beginning I was amazed by her intelligence, steadfastness, caring nature and maturity.  Mirelle's journey to find her purpose in life is a difficult one, filled with missteps, challenges and self realization.  I appreciated that while romance was a part of the story, it was not what Mirelle fell back on in order to improve herself.  Through Daniel and Christopher we see the impact of Napoleon's campaign through the eyes of both a Jewish and Catholic soldiers and their interactions with the citizens of Ancona.  They see the effects of injustice as well as the positive and negative effects of faith on people and what that can drive them to do.  I didn't know anything about Napoleon's Italian campaign or even the original Italian Ghettos before reading this and was glad to open my eyes to this part of history.  The writing created vivid imagery of Ancona, the Ketubah workshop and the dazzling homes.  Beyond the Ghetto Gates is an amazing story of courage, hope and doing what's right. 

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