​Henry VIII is infamous for his good looks, charm, religious reform, tyranny and the six wives that were best known for being "divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived."  History has been told from the male point of view for quite some time; however, the women in Henry VIII's life have their own contributions and their own stories to tell of their lives with Henry.  Beginning with Henry's mother and moving through each of his six wives, Don't Lose Your Head allows the women to have their say.


I am a huge fan of all things Tudor, especially the Tudor women; so, Don't Lose Your Head is right up my alley. Written with the women all speaking after their deaths took place, I loved that the women had a modern tone and were able to be completely honest with no consequences.  Each woman was able to tell her story in her own words with witty banter and with their own unique voice. Well timed interjections by the other wives in one another's stories add an extra level of humor.    Through the women's stories, they share their accomplishments and what they would like to be known for other than being a wife of King Henry VIII.  I learned that Catherine of Aragon served as an ambassador to Spain between being wed to Arthur and being wed to Henry.  She was also Henry's regent during a military campaign and rode to address the troops in full armor while pregnant.  Anne Boleyn heavily guided Henry in religious reformation. Jane Seymour, often painted as sweet and innocent, knew how to play her cards well and manipulated the situation to her advantage.  Anna of Cleves sidestepped disaster and found happiness for herself away from her stifling family and was able to outlive all of Henry's wives.  Catherine Howard was able to find the small joys in her short, tumultuous life.  Catherine Parr was able to publish books under her own name as well as bridge the gap between his daughters.  A fun, fast-paced read for young adults interested in history or for any Tudor-loving history buffs.

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

Cassie Lyman is sifting through the archives looking for a topic for her doctoral dissertation when she comes across the Kate Easton collection.  Kate Easton is a relative of hers and Cassie finds intriguing artwork centered around women's suffrage that Kate illustrated.  Before Cassie can dig much deeper, she is pulled to her sister, Penny's shotgun wedding at her Grandmother's cottage.  Cassie is quickly put to work by her mother who has organized every last detail.  In her precious spare time, Cassie begins to ask her relatives about her Aunt Kate and reads the diary entries that she copied.  Cassie learns that her Aunt was an important force within the women's suffrage movement and that their experiences in life may not be that different. 

Lemons in the Garden of Love explores the real life relative of the author, Blanche Ames Ames through the fictionalized Kate Easton.  Kate, like many others, was an unsung hero in the women's suffrage movement.  Kate used her talent to draw political cartoons that called attention to the women's need to vote as well as how women were being treated in the early 1900's.  Though Kate and Cassie lived 70 years apart, their issues closely mirrored one another.  I enjoyed reading through Kate's diary entries while Cassie began to see the parallels in her marriage and how her family wanted her to behave; however, Cassie had more options as well as safer options to consider.  One of the most entertaining parts of the story were the many characters in Cassie's family, her grandmother, mother sister, Aunt Charlotte and her husband were all unique as well as products of their time.  Their opinions and actions clearly showcased the conditions of how they were raised with certain privileges and biases that they held. One of my only complaints was that the speech seemed unnatural at times, however, this is a shorter story, so it wasn't anything I couldn't get over. 

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

​As a young girl Marjory Stoneman loved her mother fiercely.  Her creativity, imagination and love of life inspired Marjory.  However, her mother's passion soon revealed a mental illness that forced Marjory's father to leave and Marjory and her mother to return to her mother's home in Taunton, Massachusetts.  At her grandparent's house, Marjory does not receive much affection, but she does receive an education at Wellesley where she learns the joys of writing and becomes involved in women's suffrage.  After school, Marjorie becomes entangled with Kenneth Douglas, a swindler who eventually tries to get money out of Marjorie's estranged father.  This works out well for Marjorie as she is reunited with her father, works for him at his newspaper in Miami and becomes enthralled with the wild environment of the Everglades.

Written in beautiful,  flowing, prose that captures the spirit of Marjorie Stoneman Douglass and her writing, Among the Beautiful Beasts artfully tells the story of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas' life.  Beginning with Marjory's early life, we are able to see where her passion stems from as well as how her early life set her up for a life of independence and activism.  I loved the descriptions of the Everglades and the wild that existed in Florida before it was developed.  Seeing the Everglades through Marjory's eyes helped to see how she became captivated with the wilderness.  I enjoyed learning about Marjory's life and how she constantly fought for her independence and what she believed was right. Overall, an amazing story about a captivating and determined woman.


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

​Not much is known about the first humans on the Earth.  What we do know is what we can extract from burial sites, artwork, dwellings, and artifacts that have been left behind. These artefacts combined with geologic and climatic knowledge begin to paint a picture of what life was like for the people of the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras.  Mixed Harvest is a collection of short stories of the people from these eras. Moving forward through time from the Paleolithic to the formation of cities, the author combines knowledge of what we have found from our past and storytelling to bring these people to life.  Each fictionalized story is prefaced and followed up by archeological evidence that led to the story. 

The stories in Mixed Harvest tell of love, conflict, religion, growing up, birth and death;  all things that we are familiar with.  The people in the stories were dealing with all of this in a rapidly changing world, not too different from the one we are living in today.  There is knowledge to be gained from their past mistakes and past triumphs.  The writing evokes a familiarity without breaking what we know of human communication at the time.  Feelings are conveyed without speech, using broad concepts to show emotion without words.  Mixed Harvest is an insightful and unique style of storytelling that helps connect us to our past. 

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

​Beaulieu Delhomme has found himself in a desperate situation.  After failing out of medical school and Conservatory, Delhomme finds some luck as a piano tuner.  However, in order to advance his career, Delhomme needs a more consistent income.  His prayers seem to be answered when Delhomme is approached by François Vidocq, who asks Delhomme to spy on some of Paris' elite to gauge their feelings towards the Monarchy.  To do this, Delhomme must first become the piano tuner for Frédéric Chopin.  As Chopin's tuner, Delhomme enters a friendship with the gifted pianist and composer as well as a tenuous relationship with author George Sand.  Delhomme is tasked with collecting information from Sand for Vidocq, although the costs to Delhomme keep mounting. 


The Education of Delhomme offers part spy thriller, part historical fiction with an intimate look into the lives of Chopin and Sand.  Written with a deep appreciation for the artists and music, the emotional connection Chopin had with each piece of music is apparent.  The author also has a personal understanding of piano tuning, so the many tedious aspects of Delhomme's profession were easy to understand. Delhomme's character was interesting, he was not instantly relatable or likeable, in a constant struggle for money and not willing to do anything too difficult for it.  His character eventually shows growth near the end of the story, only after he is thrown in jail for thwarting a spy mission.  George Sand's diary entries are an insightful and delightful addition to the story, rounding out the view of Chopin as well as giving a change of tone to the writing from Delhomme's point of view.  The time period of the story also gives a unique view of the Paris Uprising of 1848 through the different political lenses of Delhomme and Sand.  One of the small things that did bother me about the book were the chapter titles which seemed more like leftovers from the author's outline.


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

​1946:  in the aftermath of World War II, seven year old Amerigo lives with his mother, Antoinetta in the ravaged and defeated town of Naples, Southern Italy.  Amerigo and his mother try to make ends meet as best they can, but collecting rags and mending means they are just scraping by.  A Communist group offers refuge for the children of the South, placing children on a train to live temporarily with families in the North.  Antoinetta makes the decision to put Amerigo on one of the trains.  Amerigo is confused and upset; however, once he is with his temporary family in the North, Amerigo receives new shoes, clothes, plenty of food and the feeling of a warm and loving family.  His northern family also develops his love for music. Amerigo returns home to find that nothing has changed while everything has changed.

The Children's Train is a powerful and heartfelt story of hope, finding home and family.  Most of the story is told from seven-year-old Amerigo's point of view. Amerigo's voice is rambling, taking in everything as a child would see and understand it.  Most interesting were the views of his mother and his home.  Antoinetta came off as harsh, but surviving.  Amerigo would always say that many things were not her strong point, realizing that his mother did not show affection in typical ways.  The story examines Amerigo's views of politics and hospitality versus charity as he became used to life in Northern Italy.  I was intrigued as Amerigo begins to see the impact of the decisions adults madee for him and that love can have many different forms.  The last third of the book skips to the year 1994 when Amerigo returns to Naples and begins to see the further impact of his mother's decisions.  This was the most moving part of the story for me as Amerigo realizes the different paths that his life could have taken. 

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