Review: Main Characters by Bobby Palmer

Main Characters by Bobby Palmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn't like this book as much as I wanted to. From the synopsis I expected something similar to The Favorites. This book had some similarities: the couples were on again- off again in both stories, for one thing. But somehow this book just wasn't as exciting or 'unputdownable'. The story moved slowly, and though I never felt like giving up on it, there were times I wished it was over. The characters were likable enough; some more so than others. I liked how the story was told. Each chapter was a new part of the story told by a different character. It kind of felt like a documentary interviewing different eye-witnesses. Some readers have mentioned they found this confusing, but it really didn't bother me. However, I did occasionally get lost in time, not sure whether the events being described took place in the past or the present. So I'm not sure why this book was just 'pretty good' for me. I think maybe it's because at the end, I don't feel like I have closure. I'm not sure what is going to happen next. I'm not sorry I read it, but it's not going to be a favorite of mine.
I give this want 3.75 stars.

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Review: You Belong Here

You Belong Here by Megan Miranda
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've read and enjoyed books by Megan Miranda in the past, so I was excited for the chance to read this one. Unfortunately, this did not live up to my expectations. I'm used to the books by this author being a slow burn, starting slowly and developing into something I can hardly put down. But this book was extremely slow, not reaching the stage where I had to keep reading until nearly 3/4 of the way into the book. And at the finish, I still had a lot of unresolved questions; was the ending necessary, did all the characters even need to be part of the story, what was the consequence to some of the characters actions, and of course, what happens next in the life of the main characters. There is a short epilogue, but it really didn't give me the answers I needed.

That said, I think this would make a great selection for book clubs! There could be interesting discussions based on the questions I have above. And it would be helpful to get another reader's perspective. A good discussion often raises an 'ok' book to a good book!

Thanks to Scribner Book Club Leaders program for my copy of this book.

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Review: Mrs. Benedict Arnold

Mrs. Benedict Arnold by Emma Parry
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really don’t like giving bad reviews, especially to debut authors, but this book was a real disappointment for me. I was really looking forward to this one because I’d read The Traitor's Wife and liked it a lot. So when I saw there was a new book about Peggy Shippen Arnold, I was really excited. Unfortunately, I just didn’t like this book. For one thing, it got off to a very slow start — so much so that I almost DNFed the book about halfway through. But because I knew I was going to give this a low rating, I wanted to be fair to the author and read the whole book, just in case it got better. While it did pick up in tempo, and I did increase my rating — from 1 star to 2 — the book is still not one I can recommend. There are a few reasons for that. One is the slow tempo. In addition, the characters were a little flat and I didn’t feel any real emotion from any of them. Also, the author chose to give Peggy a more sympathetic treatment than other books have, giving Peggy altruistic motives that didn’t resonate with me. But the biggest annoyance was the author’s use of modern language and idioms, not just once, but throughout the book. At one point I found 3 on a single page! Things like ‘not a hill worth dying on’, ‘you do you’, ‘we are in this together’ and so many more! It pulled me right out of the story. I’m really not saying don’t read this. For readers that aren’t familiar with Peggy’s story, this is an interesting book. Just don’t expect it to be the whole story. But for those who’ve read The Traitor's Wife or watched the TURN series, you might want to give this on a pass. 

I read a print copy from my local library.

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Review: Theo of Golden

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’m really wavering on rating this book. I read it for my book club and to be honest, it is not a book I would have picked up on my own. It really didn’t seem like my kind of book, and all the hype was scary. I am usually disappointed when I read an overly-hyped book. This one started out very slowly, confirming my worst fears. It is a slow-paced, character-driven book, and I prefer plot-driven stories. I was tempted to give up on this book about halfway through, but two things kept me reading. First, it is a selection for my bookclub, and I think that implies an obligation to try to get through the book. But the book also hinted at a bit of a mystery and I REALLY wanted to know the why! Early in the book, I thought I’d end up rating it about a 2.5-3. Then towards the end, when I thought the author was going to leave my question unanswered, I was ready to throw the book across the room and rate it about a 1! After all, I’d invested all that time reading! But luckily I read that last chapter and all was explained. The ending redeemed the story. I also appreciate that the author gave us an epilogue, answering even more questions! I still didn’t end up loving the book like others do, but I’m glad I stuck it out. The book is slow-paced and a little preachy at times, but the characters are likable and the last few chapters satisfied my need for resolution. I’m rating this book 3.5.

I read an ebook copy borrowed from my local library. 


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The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a great book to read with your book club! I was hesitant to read it. The synopsis didn't really grab my attention. But I kept seeing good things about it over and over—on blogs, in library newsletters, etc. So when it came my turn to make the selection for our book club, I chose it and hoped for the best. I am so glad that I did! Nearly everyone in our group rated it a 4.5 and we had a great discussion.

The book does get off to a slow start, so be prepared to hang in there. But once the story gets going, it is hard to put the book down! There are a lot of characters in this story, and it takes awhile to get them all straight. If you are a reader who needs to have a 'good guy' character that you can relate to, you are not going to find it in this book. There are many 'villains' in this book, and most of those who aren't don't have much of a story line. And there are SO.MANY.TWISTS! I'm not sure I've read a book with more twists than this one. It will keep you guessing.

While I enjoyed the book a lot, I wasn't very happy with the ending. It wasn't as clear as I'd like, and I had to go back and re-read the last few chapters a few times to satisfy myself that I understood what had happened. Even worse, it is an 'open' ending. One of the characters has to make a decision, and you don't know what they will decide. I like my ending neatly tied up, and would have appreciated an epilogue that let me know what happened next. As the same time, I'm sure the author's intent was to make us decide what happened next, and the story probably has more impact with the open ending. It definitely makes for better discussion material!

The book should be a hit with book clubs. There are some great discussion points. You can start with 'who did you think did it?' and veer off into the moral and ethics questions and 'what would you have done?' You can find a reading guide on the publisher's website.

I read a copy borrowed from my library.
My rating: 4½ stars - ✭✭✭✭½


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Review: The Third Mrs. Galway

The Third Mrs. Galway by Deirdre Sinnott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first chapter or two in, I was pretty well convinced I would not like this book. Helen was a very young bride, immature and flighty, and making a series of bad choices. But it didn’t take long before the book hooked me. I came to like most of the characters very much. And Helen showed a remarkable amount of growth.

I learned a little about the period before the Civil War from a northern point of view. I’d known that come people had suggested colonizing the slaves back to Africa, but hadn’t realized how concrete that plan was, with a colony already in place. It was also interesting to read the points of view of the ‘colonists’ vs. the ‘abolitionists’. They both had the same goal—to end slavery—but favored different paths to reach this goal. They let their differences divide them to the point they attacked each other and forgot about their common goal. I think that has some lessons for us today, and would make a great topic for book clubs to discuss.

One thing I didn’t like so much was the ending. Overall I was happy with it; it had the ‘happy ending’ I wanted for most of the characters. But I also felt some of it was a little unrealistic. Without giving spoilers, I can only say that there seemed to be no consequences for the actions at the end, and I don’t think that was realistic.

This wasn’t the type of historical fiction that sent me rushing to Google to learn more, and the only real people in the story had minor roles, but it was a book that I enjoyed, and a story that will keep me thinking about it for quite some time.

I received this book as part of the Library Thing Early Reviewers program.

My rating: ✭✭✭✭

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Review: Sunflower Sisters

Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly


Sunflower Sisters is the third book in a trilogy by Martha Hall Kelly which includes Lilac Girls and Lost Roses. But it is not a sequel to these books and is only loosely related. It is a stand-alone novel that takes place decades before the others, during the time of the Civil War. The connection is very loose—the main character, Georgy Woolsey, is an ancestor to the main characters of the other books. You can read these in any order, or even read only this one.

This book got off to a slow start for me. There were three storylines going, from three points of view, and I think I expected the storylines to merge much sooner than they actually did. While I enjoyed all the storylines, I felt like I was in a tv series where every time a story got going, the commercial came and we switched gears. I did like many of the characters. Georgy was a woman with a sense of purpose who has the strength to stand up to the norms of the time, insisting on a place for women in nursing. Jemma was also a strong, brave woman who survived cruelty and oppression, and took great risks to help others. Anne-Mae, on the other hand, was not a likable character. Not only was she cruel and demeaning, but she was also a spoiled brat, and a ditz, who was led into a spying scheme by a man who knew how to flatter her. The men in the story were really secondary characters, some good and some bad, and some stereotypical (Lebaron Carothers, the plantation overseer). For all her strengths, Georgy was a frustrating character at times, particularly in her relationship to Dr. Frank Bacon. There were times I just wanted to give her a shove, and yell “Tell him, already!” (as did her sisters!)

While the book started slow, and it is my least favorite of the three, I did enjoy the book. Though it took about at third of the book to get going, it did read the point that I didn’t want to put it down. However, it wasn’t a historical fiction book that inspired me to read more, one of my criteria for good historical fiction. I think a book club would enjoy discussing this, with the discussions of the obvious—slavery and the laws regarding runaways, women’s place in nursing and society in general, etc.—but also specific discussions about the characters—Georgy’s treatment of Frank, decisions Anne-Mae made, risks Jemma took. There is a book club kit available on the author’s website, which includes discussion questions, recipes, a family tree, and more.

I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
My rating: ✭✭✭½


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Review: White Chrysanthemum

White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I chose to read this book for my library’s AAPI challenge. I enjoyed the book very much.One thing I really appreciated is that unlike a lot of books that take several chapters to begin the story, this one dove right in, with a lot of action even in the first chapter! I found it hard to put the book down!

The story is told in alternating points of view, a technique that work really well for me in this book. Hana, the older sister, tells her story as current in 1943, when Japan occupied Korea and was in the midst of WWII. Emi, the little sister, tells her story in present day (almost) 2011, but much of the story she tells takes place in the past, and fills in the blanks of Hana’s story. As the story is about kidnapping and the forced sexual slavery of the ‘comfort women’, there is a lot of physical cruelty and it gets intense at times. I appreciated the breaks provided by alternating to Emi’s story, though it was not without cruelty of its own.

I liked most of the characters in the book, but was especially drawn to Hana. I particularly enjoyed reading of her days in Mongolia. Many of the events related in the story were new to me. I may have heard of the Japanese comfort women, but I hadn’t realized it wasn’t usually a voluntary ‘contribution’ and that the women weren’t always Japanese. I didn’t know much of the history of Korea either before or after WWII, so this was interesting to me. And I was fascinated with the details of the haenyeo women, the Korean women who dive the ocean to provide food and income for their families. I also did not realize that there was a movement for the plight former comfort women to be recognized and apologies made, and that this movement still is going on today.

I think this would make a good book club selection for groups who are not overly squeamish. There are scenes of sexual violence as well as physical violence that some readers may not want to read. For those that are not opposed, there is plenty to discuss, from the obvious sex slave trade to war in general and the consequences of war to even those who are not direct participants. There is a book club kit available on the publisher website that includes discussion questions and background information.

I read an ebook copy borrowed from my local library.

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The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve read several books by Sally Hepworth and enjoyed them all, so when I saw this one on the ‘coming soon’ list, I added it to my holds list on Overdrive. This one did not disappoint!

The story is about a set of twin sisters, Rose and Fern. Fern is probably autistic and depends on Rose to help her out of difficult situations. The story is told from alternate points of view; Rose through her diary and Fern in 1st person. From the diary we learn that the girls grew up with a mother who could be cruel, especially to Rose. Fern did not necessarily see her mother that way, but with Rose there to interpret the situation and tell her how to think and react, she accepted that her mother was cruel, even though she didn’t ‘feel’ it. And we know that Fern has done ‘a very bad thing’.

Rose is having fertility problems and marriage issues, and Fern gets the idea that she can help by becoming pregnant and having a baby for Rosy and Owen. Enter Wally, the ‘sperm donor’. Some of the story is predictable, and some is surprising, but I enjoyed the journey, even when I was pretty sure I knew what would happen next. I really bonded to Fern and to her ‘boyfriend’ Wally, who is also a little ‘neurodiverse’. I was pulling for them the whole time. I was not a fan of Rose’s mother as I read Rose’s diary entries about her mother’s treatment of her. And while at first I was not a fan of Carmel, the library ‘boss’, I came to like her very much!

The only thing I didn’t like about the story is the very end—no spoilers here! So I will only say that it was too open-ended and left me wondering what happens next. It wasn’t the neat ending that I would prefer.

I think bookclubs would enjoy this one. It is a really quick read (I finished in 2 days!), but has plenty to discuss—sister relationship, neurodiversity, infertility, how point of view influences what we see, and so much more!

I read a digital copy of the book borrowed through my library.

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Review: A Reason To Be

A Reason to Be by Norman McCombs


I started this one, and it started pretty good. I enjoyed the scenes from the Scottish ancestors to start the book, and the premise seemed interesting, as I also am a family historian. However, it lost steam pretty quickly for me, and other books came along that I really wanted to read. I never made it back to this one. I may pick it up again someday, but that is probably optimistic. For now, I'm calling it done.

I won a Kindle edition of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

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Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book very much, but it got off to a slow start. The book is told from three points of view in alternating timelines—Augusta Longstreet and her niece Lilly Forsyth in 1838 when the disaster took place, and Everly Winthrop in current day, when the story of the disaster is being uncovered. While alternating timelines is a common technique that I normally enjoy, I found it to be a little distracting in this book. I was really engrossed in the 1838 timeline and wanted to get to the story! However, it didn’t take long before I was enjoying both stories.

One thing I really enjoyed was following Everly, the museum curator hired to put the Pulaski exhibit together, on her journey to uncover the family history of the Longstreet family. As a family historian, I could really relate to her hunt, and her excitement when she uncovered details that let her, not to a conclusion, but to more searching. I think family historians in particular would enjoy reading this book.

I enjoyed the characters in the book, particularly Augusta. She was a strong, yet vunerable, woman and I enjoyed watching her grow and survive the shipwreck. I’ve always been fascinated with the story of the Titanic, and reading about the actions and fates of the passengers of this ship was just as engrossing. [confession; when I chose this book, I knew it was a bout a shipwreck, but I confused ‘Savannah’ with ‘Sultana’ so did not get the shipwreck I thought I was going to be reading about.] I thought some of the ‘romance’ of the story was a little predictable, but I did really enjoy the interaction of Everly and Maddox, the leader of the diving expedition. He was a character that I really enjoyed.

Like all good historical fiction does, this book inspired me to ‘read more about it’! Book clubs will enjoy this book and particularly enjoy discussing ‘survival’ and the different levels of meaning illustrated in this book.

I won a Kindle copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

My rating: ★★★★½

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The Children's Blizzard: A Novel by Melanie Benjamin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been excited about this one ever since last fall when I learned it was on the way, so I was happy when my turn came up on the holds list. I really enjoyed this book, though I almost gave up on it. The book got off to a very slow start for me, and I really didn’t like either sister, at least at the beginning of the story. Both were self-centered which led to bad, and even unforgivable choices. I also didn’t like ‘Mother Pedersen’. She was embittered about being dragged out to the prairie and took it out on a child! And the child’s mother was even worse! That said, I did feel that as the story picked up, it was hard to put down, and many of the characters redeemed themselves. I knew that there would be a lot of death in this story, and while it made me sad when some of the characters I liked did not survive the storm, I was prepared for it. It is hard to imagine being lost just yards from your home, but this book really let me feel what that was like—how cold it felt, how hopeless it seemed. This book did what good historical fiction must do for me—it caused me to read more! One character was a reported for the Omaha Daily Bee, so when I got done with the book, I spent a couple of hours perusing stories from the Omaha Daily Bee from January 1888. (You can find this online as NewspaperArchive.com, which may be available through your local library’s website).

Overall, I was satisfied with the end. I would have liked a little more detail about the lives of those who survived the storm, though. We know vaguely where the reporter went, and some general ideas about Raina and her parents, and even Gerda. But I wanted more! And I had questions, particularly about the Pedersen family! This would make for a great book club discussion! There are discussion questions on the author’s website.

My rating: ✭✭✭✭

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Review: The Paris Children

The Paris Children: A Novel of World War 2 by Gloria Goldreich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I won this book through a Fall Preview giveaway at bookreporter.com. 

I enjoy WWII fiction so it was a good bet that I would enjoy this one. A plus is that it is based on the stories of real people. I felt like a got a good look into the lives of the French people, and especially the French Jews, during the Nazi occupation. I also felt like a got a better appreciation for what those that joined the Resistance went through — the planning, the dedication, the risks of daily life as a member of the Resistance. This book met one of my key wants in historical fiction; it inspired me to read and learn more. I spent time on Wikipedia reading about Madeleine Levy’s grandfather, Alfred Dreyfus, and his trials. Sadly, there is at this time no entry for Madeleine Levy.

While I enjoyed this story and found it very readable, I also found it repetitive at times. The fact that they were living in dangerous times and that Madeleine and Claude might not survive the war to have a future was mentioned every time they got together. There were similar repetitive lines. I wish some of this could have been cut. The book would have been shorter and the story flowed a little more quickly without the repetition.

I also felt that the story didn’t have the emotional impact it might have, had the author not included a spoiler in her author notes on the very first page—before the story even started!. Once she did, I read between the lines and knew what was going to happen. The only questions were when and how. But the time it did happen, I was resigned to it. My suggestion is that you save the author notes for the end!

I did enjoy the book and learned some history from it. I think readers of WWII historical fiction, and particularly fans of Kristin Hannah’s ‘The Nightingale’ will enjoy this one!

My rating: ✭✭✭½

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What Could Be Saved by Liese O'Halloran Schwarz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I won this book from Simon & Schuster on the Book Club Favorites Facebook page. 

It is a long book, over 400 pages, but the writing flowed well, and after the first couple of chapters the book was hard to put down. While I sped right through the book, I am sitting here not sure what I thought of it. I liked it, of course, but I didn’t like everything about it. Most of the characters were not very likable, for one thing. There was also subject matter that was not easy to read; drug use, sex trafficking, poverty.

The story is told in 2 time lines. The first is in the early 1970s in Bangkok, where Robert Preston works undercover, and has brought his family along—a wife and 3 children. After being there almost 4 years, the son disappears without a trace. The 2nd timeline takes place nearly 50 years later, in 2019, when a man claiming to be Philip, the missing son, makes contact with the younger sister. While there are some current day family issues—the mother has Alzheimers, the younger sister has commitment issues, and the older sister is ‘bossy’—much of the story revolves around Philip. Is this man really Philip? What happened to Philip?

While I didn’t really bond to any character, I did want to know what happened to Philip. I also enjoyed reading about 1970s Bangkok, and the arrangement of household servants. The one character I really did like was Noi, the ‘number 3’ servant. I would have liked to have known more about her after the family left Bangkok. I also felt that the final chapter did not need to be there. It didn’t really add anything that I (or Laura) needed to know, and I’m not sure what the point was.

Overall, I liked this book a lot. It will make a great selection for book clubs and for readers who enjoy historical fiction and want to learn a little about the living conditions in Southeast Asia in the early 1970s. 

My rating: ✭✭✭✭

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Review: Something In The Water

Something In The Water by Catherine Steadman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book—It took me only 2 days to read it! I’m not sure why it took me so long to pick it up. It’s been sitting on my shelf for a long time. (Long enough that I don’t remember where I won it!). The synopsis is intriguing, and I know it hooked me when I requested the book (from wherever I got it!). But then when I got it, it didn’t sound so intriguing after all, and I put the book aside for a long time. Luckily, it was a good read and I sailed through it.

I enjoyed the writing—the author was descriptive without being wordy—and the story moved right along. We know from the first chapter that the wife, Erin, is burying the body of her husband, Mark, and doesn’t want to get caught, but how and why he died is a mystery. The synopsis is a little misleading when it talks about ‘something in the water’ found on their honeymoon, because it led me to believe this discovery happened early on in the story, when in truth I was almost halfway through the book before they were married. But that is a minor quibble, because the first half of the book was an interesting and important build-up to the discovery. The events after the discovery were suspenseful and kept me reading! There were some pretty bad characters in the book, but I found myself drawn even to some of them!

I think this would make a great book club discussion. The book is an easy read and the story keeps you engaged. More importantly for book clubs, the book lends itself to discussion! All of the main characters are flawed, and there is plenty of ‘woulda shoulda coulda’ to discuss—how would you react in the same circumstance; what could a character have done differently; how did the character’s actions lead to the result. Whether you are looking for engaging read for yourself, or a book with discussion potential for your bookclub, this one is a great choice! 

My rating: ✭✭✭✭

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Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished it! It took me three months, but I did it. I was slowed down by all the songs bursting out in my head, and all the times I watch Hamilton on Disney Plus. There's no point to reviewing this, because there is nothing I can add to what has already been said. If you enjoyed the musical, or just enjoy biographies—read it. Don't be intimidated by the length. Plan on it taking awhile. Even it is only 15 pages a day, read them and savor them. It is worth it! 

My rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

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When We Were Young & Brave: A Novel by Hazel Gaynor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always like Hazel Gaynor books and I particularly enjoyed this one. Like many of her books, this one goes back in time. Nancy Plummer, now a grown woman, was a young girl at the time of WWII, when she was in a boarding school in China for children of missionaries. Elspeth Kent was one of her teachers and the leader of her Girl Guides group. Japan is at war with China, and takes over the school. The children and staff are sent to another school, and eventually, to an internment camp. I've read of the concentration camps in Germany, and of the Japanese interment camps here in the U.S., and I'd even read of the POW camps in which Japan held military prisoners. But I had not read of the interment of civilians by the Japanese, so I learned something new, a mark of good historical fiction!

One thing I really liked about the book is that while conditions were bleak and the Japanese soldiers were often cruel, the author also showed us that there is another side. Sometimes the guards could be quite humane! I also enjoyed how the prisoners pulled together to keep everyone's spirits up. I also appreciated that there was an epilogue to bring up up to date on some of the characters. I would like to have known the fate of some of the guards, but then that probably would have been unrealistic since the prisoners most likely didn't befriend the guards afterwards.

If you are looking for a quick read that may teach yo a little history, this is the book for you!

I received an advance copy of this book through the Library Think Early Reviewers program.

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Review: Alternate Sides

Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked this book up at a Little Free Library in Wentzville because the cover caught my eye and I'd heard good things about Anna Quindlen but had not read her before. This book was a disappointment after the build-up, and I'm not sure I will pick her up again.

I feel that the synopsis was completely misleading. It made it seem that the main characters were in a happy marriage that went bad after 'terrible incident' in the neighborhood. But truthfully, the marriage was already in trouble when the story started, and the 'incident' didn't take place until about a third of the way through the book. The story was slow moving and never really caught my attention. It felt more like reading someone's diary than a story with a point. It kind of felt like a 'coming-of-age' story, with the main character trying to figure out who she wanted to be, but she was in her 40s.

I'm giving this one 2½ Stars - ok, but just barely, and certainly forgettable! If you enjoy Anna Quindlen, maybe give it a try, but otherwise, put it near the bottom of you pile and read something else!

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Review: Two Truths and a Lie

Two Truths and a Lie by Meg Mitchell Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a good summer read. It moved quickly and kept my interest. The comparison to Lianne Moriarty is a good one.
The story is told from different points of view, one of which is 'The Squad'—the group of moms of middle school girls—that act as a 'greek chorus' by filling in details from there perspective. They aren't a likeable group of women. They are catty and cliquish—think 'Mean Girls' all grown up.
We know from the beginning that this is a book that does not end happily—somebody dies. We just don't know who or how. I enjoyed the journey. Though I wouldn't classify this book as a mystery or a suspense, there is some suspense along the way. One character is 'in hiding', on the run from a bad marriage. For the most part, the characters were likable and well-developed, though they often made questionable decisions.
The book is a great beach read, but will also appeal to book clubs. It would make a great selection for the summer when clubs are looking for a quick, fun read, but also something with discussion potential. Topics of discussion could include parent-teen relationship, grief recovery, abusive relationship, cliques, and more.

I won this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway!

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Review: The Vanishing Half

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! I chose it as my June Book of the Month selection because it got high ratings and because it was a 'sisters' story—a category I usually enjoy. I did enjoy this book, but I wouldn't really call it a 'sister' story because there was very little interaction between the sisters.
These were twins, with one growing up and choosing to pass as white, and the other retaining her identity as black. Though this book was set a generation and more back, the story very timely, showing the inherent 'privilege' enjoyed by white people. I found it interesting that in the community the sisters grew up in, light-skinned blacks were valued and dark-skinned blacks were not.
I was a little bit disappointed in the ending because I am a fan of 'happily-ever-after' and didn't quite get that. I also felt like the ending was a little incomplete—I wanted to know more about what happened to the characters. But that was a minor thing, and it was still a good book with a realistic ending.
One thing I really enjoyed about the book is the writing. The author had a way of expressing ideas that made me happy to read. Here are just a couple of quotes to illustrate...

When talking about ignoring the past...
"How she felt that you could flick away history like shrugging a hand off your shoulder."

And when describing that although the twin were identical and difficult to tell apart when young, they matured into different people...
"As they grew, they no longer seemed like one body split in two, but two bodies poured into one, each pulling it her own way."

This would make a great book club selection. The book is a quick, easy read, but has lots of 'meat'; topics to discuss. Pick this one up and enjoy!

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