Queen By Right by Anne Easter Smith
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Widower Major Ernest Pettigrew, a veteran of Her Majesty’s Service and a staunch upholder of all things British, is attracted to Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani matron who runs the village shop. No reader will be surprised that the members of the Major’s golf club aren’t impressed by his choice, nor is Jasmina’s family pleased that she has a British suitor. Ernest is expected to marry the local spinster (after a little not too genteel nudging by the ladies' circle) and Jasmina’s in-laws are expecting her to relinquish her shop to her nephew and ‘retire’ to the safety and servitude of family obligation. However, this is less a story of the plot than a character. And Simonson does an excellent job of rendering each of her characters - from the upright and moral major and his sometimes greedy and consistently unsure son Roger with his flip yet sympathetic American girlfriend to the lovely and wise Jasmina and her serious, scholarly, and equally greedy and unsure nephew Abdul - with great depth and flair.
The story of Major Pettigrew is one of the overcoming strict cultural norms to assert one’s humanity. Simonson treads carefully over cultural stereotypes, sometimes stepping over them, as she traces the unlikely friendship between a Pakistani shopkeeper and a crusty aging Englishman. The latter’s grief opens up a door unexpectedly, while the former’s generosity and wit lead her through it. To the horror of those around them, it threatens to develop into romance.
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May Book Wrap Up
Clementine is a strong historical figure I knew nothing about. I appreciate the author’s insight and research that gives a powerful woman her right and shows the hoops that some people have to jump through for the higher good.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (✷✷✷✷)
This was a well-written novel regarding the challenging life of a young black woman in the early part of the 19th century. It portrayed the main character as a very strong-willed, hardworking woman who met the demands thrown upon her regarding her status in life.
Winter's Fire by Giles Kristian (✷✷✷✷)
It was a sad, yet fulfilling, true and honest, yet fictional story. A truly moving story about the hardships of being a woman in nineteenth-century China.
The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama (✷✷✷✷)
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Once and Always by Judith McNaught
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Night Road by Kristin Hannah
The title, Night Road, has so many layers of meaning. The road that Lexie took growing up with a drug-addicted mother, the road Jude takes as a mother, the literal road taken by the three friends… Hannah infuses her characters with so much real-life that I feel as though they’re real people whom I just haven’t met yet.
A mother who loves her children. She has twins, a boy, and a girl. The girl is shy, and the boy is popular, but they’re connected and extremely close. The mother is a little over-protective, but you understand why later and it’s never over-the-top. A new girl moves to town with her troubled past, be-friends the girl as her sister and falls in love with the boy. Their mom treats her like another daughter. Like all Kristin Hannah novels, the story spans over years and there are more than a few life issues which spring up for the characters to deal with.
Night Roads is the layered novel whose characters stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page. The book that engages your emotions and intellect with characters that arouses your empathy if you’re a mother, leaving you breathless about the circumstances that the Faraday family must go through.
Hannah writes unique stories about strong women in unique environments, times, and situations. But in all of them, you can identify and understand them. This book will break your heart and then heal it again.
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April Book Wrap Up
There were some pleasant surprises when the 3 stories connected, but, mostly, the book went on and on, was boring and I couldn’t wait until it was over. The ending was also a disappointment.
The Man with No Borders by Richard C. Morais (✬✬✬)
This book was filled with life lessons, but the delivery was fragmented and often slow. It left me hoping for more throughout the novel.
The Queen’s Man is an intriguing mystery with interesting plot lines and characters. It is an enjoyable read.
The Last Secret of the Temple by Paul Sussman (✬✬✬)
The book was hard to follow sometimes because several main characters were looking for answers to the same puzzle. I enjoyed the story itself but got lost in the interactions of the characters.
Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa (✬✬✬✬)
Very interesting fiction, yet allowed an understanding of historical events in the middle east since the end of WWII. Initially, a little hard to get started, but once into it, I wanted to see what happens next!
The medieval history lessons were very illuminating as well as entertaining, in a time when honor was all. I look forward to the last installment.
Secrets of a Lady by Tracy Grant (✬✬✬✬)
One of the best series I have read. As usual, there are many plot twists and turns. Thoroughly enjoyable.
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