Turn of the Tide by Margaret Skea takes us inside a Scottish feud.

Disclaimer: I am of Scottish heritage...the Morrisons, Dockery's, and gasp...Montgomeries! But not those Montgomeries. At least I don't think we are, but who knows? Wouldn't be the worse thing in the world, now would it?

Okay, now that I have that off my chest, on to Margaret's book.  I read this book for background before reading her new novel A House Divided, which I still have not read, but will.

Based on historical fact and long rivalries, this book demands our full attention or else we will miss something important to the story or to the development of the characters. This is not a quick summer beach read. From the bloody opening massacre through continuing battles to the final scene, this is a book to stew over, to think and rethink about what we have read..

It is 16th Century Scotland. Rivalries abound and none fiercer than the age old one between the Montgomeries and the Cunninghams both real, both deeply involved in their mutual rivalry. 

Although the King wants peace, it does not come just because he demands it. The feud has been going on for so long that each side still holds hatred and suspicions of the other side. Finally, though, there is a semblance of accord, not peace necessarily, but accord.  

Infused with all of this chaotic action there is, of course, the home front. Wives, children, other family and friends who need to be cared for, taught, appeased, and generally looked after. It is a big undertaking for lairds and lords at war and ladies and lasses at home, but I found the characters believable and some were even likeable! I think most readers will become engrossed in the Kate and Munro story.

Obviously Margaret did her research well. I can just imagine her being immersed in the people, the time period and the battles for a long period of time. The use of names and the dialect seem very authentic, but they do take some getting use to. From her well informed descriptions of everyday life, women, and family I think I gained an insight into my Scottish relatives. From fight scenes to city scenes to the Scottish highlands, Margaret uses figurative language to paint verbal pictures for us, making both the beautifiul and the ugly come alive.

One word of caution for readers:  if at first you are confused and find the characters and the story a little hard to understand, don't worry and don't give up. You will soon develop an understanding of the intricacies of the rivalries and of the characters. Then you will enjoy a well-written, well-researched, and well-told tale.

I received an ebook copy of the book as a gift. That did not influence my review. Check it out online and in major outlets. 

Female French Resistance Fighters... The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

From the book's blurb:
"FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real--and deadly--consequences.

The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France--a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women." 
My review: 
Ms. Hannah is an excellent storyteller. She often uses cliches, but I don't mind. I think that there are times when a cliche is the most succinct way to say something. Additionally, Ms. Hannah can evoke feelings and events through beautiful prose. For example, when showing, not telling, us of the change in the quick-to-act, slow-to-think Isabelle, Ms. Hannah writes

"She let fear give her a little shake and she almost gave in to it. Then she thought about the swastikas that flew from the Eiffel Tower and Vianne living with the enemy and Antoine lost in some prisoner of war camp. And Edith Cavell. Certainly she had been afraid sometimes, too; Isabelle would not let fear stand in her way.”

The image of swastikas flying from the Eiffel Tower was powerful. I felt the sight would have spurred to action even the most calloused among the French. The acknowledgement of fear, yet the ability to  triumph over it, is a universally desired trait.  Many of us who read historical fiction often ask ourselves, 'how would I have reacted.'  Both sisters, although taking different avenues to do it, showed a remarkable ability to overcome their fear and help their community and their country.

Now, to my dissatisfaction with the book.  When reading historical fiction I always have an expectation of notes from the author at the end of the work distinguishing fact from fiction in his/her work. I feel cheated if I cannot connect to real people, places, and events through the author's notes on their research findings. Thus, when I finished Nightingale, I felt cheated. It was apparent that Ms. Hannah had done her research, but there were no words from the author on any of the women she researched, the places she visited, or the feelings she developed for her subject

I missed all that, so I did some research of my own. I learned that women only made up 15-20% of the French Resistance movement. In other European countries the women represented a much higher percent of the resistance. Still, there are some great stories to be found about the French women and their part in the resistance. I"m sure Ms. Hannah read many of these stories and plowed through many historical accounts. I just wish she had shared her research with us (me).

In 2009, one lady who served in the French Resistance celebrated her 104th birthday. Read her story, and others like it for yourself.


Mrs Peel holds up the concentration camp uniform she had to wear after she was captured. She spent time in two such camps and miraculously survived a firing squad

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1134967/WWII-Resistance-fighter-marks-104th-birthday-breaking-silence-wartime-heroics.html#ixzz4G6qoDLFM
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Would I recommend the book to those who like WWII historical fiction. Yes, of course, but read it for yourself and see what your think.  Available at all major outlets and online. I bought mine on sale, online.

Faye's/reading/writing/reviewing/basket: The Review : Diana Milne reviews Twilight of Memor...

Faye's/reading/writing/reviewing/basket: The Review : Diana Milne reviews Twilight of Memor...: Sharing with my readers a review of my own book by Diana Milne from The Review Facebook. Thank you Diana, for the beautiful words. I hope yo...

The Review : Diana Milne reviews Twilight of Memory by Julia Fa...

Sharing with my readers a review of my own book by Diana Milne from The Review Facebook. Thank you Diana, for the beautiful words. I hope you will read it, go to the bottom of the review and enter the giveaway. Paperback or ebook, your choice.  Here's the link:

http://thereview2014.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/diana-milne-reviews-twilight-of-memory.html

The Review : Diana Milne reviews Twilight of Memory by Julia Fa...: Diana Milne reviews Twilight of Memory by Julia Faye Smith. The author has offered a reader's choice of ebook or paper copy as a givea...Review of Twilight of Memory                

http://thereview2014.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/diana-milne-reviews-twilight-of-memory.html

M.K. Tod has another winner in TIME AND REGRET

Right up front let me say that I love M. K. Tod's World War I stories for they are a perfect mixture of war, romance, and home front details. They are always well-researched and presented.

From the blurb: "When Grace Hansen finds a box belonging to her beloved grandfather, she has no idea it holds the key to his past—and to long-buried family secrets. In the box are his World War I diaries and a cryptic note addressed to her. Determined to solve her grandfather’s puzzle, Grace follows his diary entries across towns and battle sites in northern France, where she becomes increasingly drawn to a charming French man—and suddenly aware that someone is following her…

Through her grandfather’s vivid writing and Grace’s own travels, a picture emerges of a man very unlike the one who raised her: one who watched countless friends and loved ones die horrifically in battle; one who lived a life of regret. But her grandfather wasn’t the only one harboring secrets, and the more Grace learns about her family, the less she thinks she can trust them."

Grace grew up in the care of her loving Grandfather and her stern Grandmother. Yet, even as we are reading of Grandmother's harsh ways and unsmiling countenance, one feels that there is more to her than the reader knows. It was a pleasure to learn the truth of this woman.

Years before his death, Grace's Grandfather left her a tackle box that she later learned contained a mystery...a mystery that would change her life. This is a premise that has been used many times lately, but few do it better than M.K. Tod. The journey that the clues led Grace to take, is a journey that I would love to take. While searching for answers to Grandfather's mystery, Grace visits the many sites where his regiment fought in WWI. She read her Grandfather's descriptions of a battle as she stood on the present-day site of that battle. Most of the sites are now, of course, cemeteries with towering monuments as the men who fought there are remembered and honored. The juxtaposition of the horror of her Grandfather's words and the serenity of the present scene was heart-wrenching yet beautiful.

Yes, Grace is at a point in her life when she needs to put it back together. Yes, there is a love story. Yes, there is a mystery man stalking her. These points should attract the romance readers, the mystery readers, and the readers who like to see a woman pull herself up and move on. For me, however, the strength of this book is the historical research and the beautiful way it is presented.

One strong theme comes through: the injustice of war. Injustice in the deaths, of course, but also in the changes it makes in the men who are, in her grandfather's words, turned into "weapons of destruction." That though is repeated several times but always in exactly the right way and at the right time.

This is a well-written, well-research historical fiction that should be on the reading list of anyone who is a fan of the genre and time period. I highly recommend it. 

The book will be published on August 16, 2016. It is available for pre-orders at https://www.amazon.com/Time-Regret-M-K-Tod/dp/1503938409

There is also a goodreads giveaway for 100 Kindle copies. Enter at https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_kindle_giveaway/195199-time-and-regret

I was given a gift copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm glad I had the opportunity to do so.

A hard book to review: America's First Daughter, a look at the life of Martha "Patsy" Jefferson, her father and family.

I wanted so much to love every word of this book. Instead, I often wanted to hurl the book across the room. Not because of inferior writing or poor research, but because of an interpretation of Patsy Jefferson that made me want to shake her. She wasn't in the room with me, but the book was, so I wanted to hurl it.

This is a novel built around the life of the daughter of one of my favorite figures in American history, Thomas Jefferson, always an enigma.  The important words in the sentence above are "this is a novel." I kept forgetting that as I read, (which in itself is an indication of the authors' abilities), and would get extremely annoyed with Patsy. I would think to myself, "how could she be so weak?' "How could she take that over and over?" Then I would remind myself that this is an interpretation of Patsy Jefferson and her actions and life. In other words, 'this is a novel."

I am writing this on July 4, 2016, exactly 240 years (plus one day for historical accuracy) from the momentous day that gave us the spark that started a revolution. It is also 190 years from the death of two men instrumental in lighting that spark, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Both men left volumes of writings. Both men were patriots, friends at time, and enemies at time. Both men were instrumental in giving the world a new nation. Amazingly, Thomas Jefferson is now featured in a hip-hop Broadway musical (though Alexander Hamilton is the main character) and John is mentioned. The thought comes to mind, which one, or would both, love the musical attention, or would both want to lead another revolution?

I feel that Patsy Jefferson, in her own way, staged a revolution, for she was responsible for determining just what, from her father's personal papers, the world would read. Did she save enough for us to have a fair picture of him? Did she destroy enough that we really don't know him at all? While historians know that Patsy and her children carefully edited Jefferson's papers before publishing them, one can only guess at how much content was lost. Many learned people believe that they skewered our perception of Thomas Jefferson.

Still, Martha "Patsy" Jefferson left us enough that we know Jefferson, but do we know her? From the portrait painted by the authors as interpreted by me, I hope not. I came away felling that she was a strong person when called upon by her public life, but a weak woman in her private life. There, too, I wanted her to be strong. I wanted her to stand up for her children and herself and take control. I wanted her to protect herself and her family from her husband, to stop being an enabler. I suppose I wanted her to behave with a strong backbone, and she did not. I know that looking back at her from my 21st Century perspective probably colors my vision of her.

The authors did a superb job of giving Sally Hemmings life. I enjoyed the nuances of the relationship between Patsy and Sally, the acknowledgement of their places within Thomas Jefferson's life, and within their own shared lives. Sally, unlike Patsy, endeared herself to me.

Additionally, the book filled in blanks in my historical knowledge and aligned history across continents for me. The importance of the American revolutionary ideas to the French Revolution was presented well, and I enjoyed the characterization of Lafayette.

Again, this is a novel. It is a well-researched historical fiction, and that research is presented by two capable authors giving us a very readable literary work. In spite of my feelings toward Patsy Jefferson, I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction. The American historical fiction scene always needs a new novel to help fill in the gaps, and this one does just that.

Now I'm off to read and research Martha "Patsy" Jefferson for myself. The authors' bibliography will be helpful in my search.

Available at major outlets on online retailers. I purchased my copy for online reading.

A Certain Age" A Reading Romp featuring the Roaring Twenties.

Part of the blurb for Beatrix William's A Certain Age, states "The bestselling author of A Hundred Summers brings the Roaring Twenties brilliantly to life in this enchanting and compulsively readable tale of intrigue, romance, and scandal in New York Society, brimming with lush atmosphere, striking characters, and irresistible charm." 

I would add that she does it with wit and an irreverence for an age which in itself seemed to embody irreverence. The author gives us a mad jumble with older women and their much younger, much less sophisticated love interests, young society debutantes, secrets, lies, murder, scandal, and the inevitable illegal gin of the Roaring Twenties. 

The setting: Manhattan in the glitzy Roaring 20's. 

The Characters: A forty-something bored society housewife, her much younger love interest she calls 'boy' or 'boyo' who soon professes to love her and wants her to divorce her ultra rich husband, a sweet young thing just ready for love (of course, she's rich), an aging lothario brother looking for love with the beautiful debutante (or looking for something with her), and a cast of family members and friends.

The Plot: Complicated with subplots, love, sex, improbable scenes except when you think of the setting, misplaced love, murder and scandal. 

The Resolution: How will it all be resolved? Will love win? Which love? Is the murder solved by the "Trial of the Century'? 

Don't pick up this book if you are looking for a serious, deep thought-provoking read. It is funny and frivolous. I can easily see this as a Broadway romp in the vein of Neil Simon, and at times it reminded me of a Shakespearean play. All told lightly, thus ensuring easy reading.

I received an Advance Reader's Edition from William Morrow Imprint of Harper Collins for my unbiased opinion.

Available June 28, 2016.