Rebel Yell by S.C. Gwynne: history, war, an engaging character...a winning combination.

I am always amazed at the ability of some authors to take a well-known and well-loved historical figure and bring him or her to life one more time. S.C. Gwynne has done just that with Rebel Yell. Readers who are familiar with Civil War history will think they know all about Stonewall Jackson. This book will give even those most familiar with Jackson new insight into the man.

Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson is a heroic character, a romantic character, and a tragic character. His battlefield strategies confounded and confused not only the enemy but his own compatriots. His grief for a lost love was felt by women everywhere. His tragic death gave rise to grieving on both sides of the line. He is remembered today, studied today, and in this case is a remarkable read for today.

I recommend this book to all who are interested in anything related to the American Civil War. It is a fast, well-written, well-researched work that should be on your to-read list.

S.C. Gwynne is the author of the New York Times bestseller Empire of the Summer Moon, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Publication date: Sept. 30, 2014

Wouldn't we all love to inherit a Parisian apartment left untouched since before WWII? I know I would.

The Paris Time Capsule is inspired by a true story. A story of an actress and demimondaine in Paris before WWII. She was beautiful and well-known. A portrait of her was pained by Giovanni Boldini. From these bare essentials, Ella Carey has written an engaging tale.

Unexpectedly inheriting from an unknown benefactor a Parisian salon filled with antique Parisian furniture and artwork which is worth a fortune, our main character is thrown into a setting of former splendor and mystery. Why did Cat Jordan inherit? Who was this woman? Where are the 'real' descendants of the deceased?

Soon we meet one of those real descendants, Loic Archer, from the south of France. His mother is the daughter of the deceased woman. No, they are not fighting to get the inheritance. Rather, Cat is fighting to make them take it. At the same time, of course, Cat and Loic are fighting an attraction for each other. Rather, she is fighting it. He seems perfectly fine to give in to the attraction from the first day. Cat can't give in. She is engaged to marry a millionnair in New York City.

This is a small, easy to read, delightful summer day or rainy afternoon read.  It is the first in a proposed series.

Tudor blood, a beheaded sister who was queen, and art history. An interesting book.

SISTERS OF TREASON,  by Jane Fremantle, has as a backdrop a familar story, the short reign of Lady Jane Grey. The book, however, goes a step beyond other historical fiction books and gives us a look at Jane's two sisters, both somewhere in line for the crown. In addition, the court artist figures prominently in thier story.

As usual, with the Tudors, this is a tale of politics, family, love, and loss. We get to know Jane's sisters, Catherine and Mary. Catherine was impulsive and given to making unwise decisions, usually in the name of love. Lady Mary, on the other hand, seems the most suited to any type of high rank but is burdened with a crooked spine and a tiny stature almost as a dwarf.

Both girls have inherited the cursed Tudor blood that puts them, or at least Catherine, in line for the Queen's distrust. Mary excapes by being the Queen's "pet", treated almost as a pet monkey would be treated. She hates it, but endures it.
The girls are under the loving and watchful eye of the court painter Levina Teerlinc. She becomes not just a trusted advisor, but a mother figure to the girls. From Levina's viewpoint, we see life at court from another point of view.

The book covers the reigns of both Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. Family feuds, royal blood, and religious upheaveal cloud the girls' everyday existance. This is an interesting sideline to the Tudor history and art history of the time. I enjoyed the book.

Jojo Moyes' Ship of Brides....

Let me say it at the very beginning, I wanted something more from the book. I have been urged by numerious friends to read a Jojo Moyes. They are devoted to her as are thousands of other readers. So when his book became available through Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to read it.

I was disappointed. The story of a ship of war brides, based upon historical fact, is an interesting idea. I did not find it presented in an interesting way. The problem for me was that the characters were not fleshed out enough. For about 3/4's of the way through the book, I really didn't care what happened to any of them. Finally, and a reader should not have to wait this long, I began to care, somewhat, about two of the characters, Margaret and Frances. Frances moreso than Margaret for I thought Margaret's outcome was exactly as expected. Frances' outcome posed more suspense.

I feel that I cared more for Frances, for as the novel progressed, she was the character who developed into someone more than the original single diminsion character who was first presented. The others did not. She became real and interesting.  The other main characters did not. There were several secondary characters and they, too, needed more substance.

I enjoy WWII history and was looking forward to this book. It did not live up to hopes.

Carpinello's Writing Pages: Meet YA Author Traci McDonald

Meet YA Author Traci McDonald. She is an inspiritaion for her blindness does not stop her. Read about her and her first book on a fellow blogger's blog: Go to Carpinello's Writing Pages: Meet YA Author Traci McDonald: Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes author Traci McDonald and her book Burning Bridger . Traci's blindness hasn't kept her down....

Losing St. Christopher: Second book in the Cherokee Triology now available for lovers of Native American history.

Earlier I reviewed David-Michael Harding's first book in his Cherokee Nation history triology, The Cherokee Talisman. The second book, Losing St. Christopher is now available and lovers of Cherokee history, earlly American history, and Native American history should grab a copy as soon as possible. 

In this second book, Totsuwah,  the  shamanof the Cherokee Nation, struggles against the assimilation of his people into the white man's world.  The colonists,  along with Cherokee who are trying to bridge both worlds, see him as a  threat.  When his  visions show him the future, his heart is troubled.  Chancellor, his son, takes a white wife. Totsuwah's fears seem realized. Cultural and family conflicts  erupt when Totsuhwa’s only grandchild is forced onto the Trail of Tears. What follows is heart wrentching as love fights for survival.

Losing St. Christopher will educate readers while entertaining them.This is a story  of culture, inner conflict and the evolution of a nation. With vivid descriptions and engaging characters, I highly recommend this book. It is not an easy read. It is not a quick reak, but it is a powerful read.                  

From the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation comes this: 

“Cherokee Talisman brings to life characters from our history and through a flare for fiction and historical research, Harding tells their story. Cherokees that might be painted by racist misconceptions as blood thirsty savages are humanized by Harding, making them heroes of a very real time. History is written by the victorious, but when almost forgotten historical characters are brought to life they are preserved for the ages, and in this preservation David-Michael Harding has succeeded.” - Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker

Now Available at bookstores and online outlets.

The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron...An intriguing title, an intriguing story.

The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron

I was captured by this story immediately.  A missing original photograph of a beautiful girl with shaved head and Nazi concentration camp numbers tattooed on her arm provides the backdrop of this story. Why are two people searching for this intriguing painting? One, a wealthy business man from California and the other, an art gallery owner in New York. They both have copies, but they both feel compelled to find the original for very different reasons.

As the story unfolds we learn the identity and story or the international beauty in the photo. She is a non-Jewish Austrian who, like many others, ended up in the Nazi concentration camps. Why is she, once the "Sweetheart of Austria" imprisoned, shorn of her hair, and tattooed? Who painted the photo that was obviously painted years ago. In a camp? Did she survive, or was she a casualty of the camp's gas chambers or firing squad?

Written in alternating sequences between New York/California and Austria/Germany, the story unfolds quickly and beautifully. The descriptions are so well crafted that the reader sees the scenes as the characters did.

This is a love story, both modern and historic. The message comes through loud and clear but without preaching, our gifts are from God and not to be wasted.

I highly recommend this book. I received my advance copy through Netgalley.