Book # 37 The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. The story is based around three women trying to find their identity and dealing with grief. The setting switches back and forth between Australia and England. The author creates many twists and turns, leaves the reader hanging like in a weekly episode of a soap on tv, and even includes a red-herring. The three women are bound to a cottage, a maze, and a secret garden. This story seems to be part Jane Eyre, part Wurthering Heights, part The Secret Garden, and part fairy tales for children.

Even though I enjoyed the book, the book structure became too contrived (each chapter explained what had happened in the previous chapter), and I thought it went on a bit too long. Boy, am I the critic.

Book #36- Into the Beautiful North by Luis Urrea. All the men have left for the North. Narcos and banditos have taken over a small Mexican town. The mayor, Tia Irma, has sent four teenage girls and Tacho, a gay restaurant owner, on a quest to the United States to bring back seven policemen or soldiers to protect the town. This story includes the journey to the Tijuana border, the horrific attempts to cross the border, the trials and tribulations of being an illegal alien, and the eye-opening realities of kids who know about the US from watching TV and the movies. They are on an honorable mission, but they have no idea what it will entail. The final journey is to Kankakee to find one of the girl's father.

This was a really interesting story with modern details sort of based on "The Magnificient Seven". Most of the stories I have read about Mexico are historical fiction. I had some trouble with the Spanish and lingo ( I took French in college). I really enjoyed the book since it is very different from what I am use to reading. Reviews say his, The Hummingbird's Daughter, was much better. I'll have to find out.

Book # 35 Brooklyn by Colim Toibin. A young, indecisive, Irish girl is overshadowed by a beautiful older sister and has no prospects for marriage. A visiting priest finds her a job with future advancement in the US. She braves the Atlantic crossing and homesickness in Brooklyn and has her worldview changed. Her life is pretty much work and nondescript. Finally, her future is on an upward swing until she must return to Ireland. Back home, she has to make some important decisions. She can almost forget about her life in Brooklyn, but it isn't quite the same in her hometown since she has been away. Will she return?

This book got great reviews on NPR, but I thought it was a little slow.

Book # 35 Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. Very GOOD! May and Pearl are beautiful girls living in Shanghai, 1937, the Paris of Asia, modeling for artists. They are from a wealthy, privileged family. They dress up, cruise the nightlife, defy their parents and basically look down their gorgeous nose at everyone as beneath them. This all changes when their father, a wealthy rickshaw businessman, has to pay off his debts to the Green Gang. The girls are given arranged marriages to young men from the US. The sisters endure the Japanese attack, the horrors of Angel Island, the prejudice and fear of being deported back to China, the Communist hunts, and mega sisterly rivalry, all while trying to assimilate into American culture in Hollywood and Chinatown. The story is brutal and tender. Lisa See is good at spinning a tale and at explaining relationships. The book brings to light the clash of Chinese culture and American history. This is definitely a "woman's story". It reminded me of The Joy Luck Club. I think it will make a great movie

Book # 34 The Tricking of Freya by Christina Sunley. OMG, everything you would ever want to know, in vivid detail, about Iceland- language, mythology, geography, glaciers, Icelandic food and culture. All of this is tied up in Freya writing to her (maybe) cousin. Freya Morris lives in the US with her mother, but every summer goes to a little town in Canada to visit her relatives, ex-Icelanders. She is immersed into a world of Old Country ways. Birdie, her manic depressive aunt, tricks her into going to Iceland looking for her famous poet grandfather's correspondence. This is not the only trick in the book, as Freya tries to find her cousin and herself. The story is dark and cold. You will probably know the ending before the end, but will keep on reading just to make sure. I haven't read much on Iceland, so it was a welcome change.

Book #33 A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. This is a book about deception and love. Just when I thought I had figured out Catherine, the mail-order wife, coming on the train to cold, gloomy Wisconsin, I was totally wrong. The only person who seemed honest was Ralph Truitt, the rich husband. The story takes place in northern Wisconsin and Chicago. The characters are locked in their tragic roles and past with seemingly no way out. She wants love and money and plans to kill to get it when she answers the mail-order bride ad. He wants his son and forgiveness and wants her to bring him back. Add in Antonio, the long lost son, Alice the lost sister, and the world around with desperation and despair. The story is dark with emotional and physical pain, passion, and sexual obsessions.

I read and read wondering how it would end. Could the people break from their lies and find the love they so craved? Would all of the lives be wasted? Daphine Merkin, back cover reviewer, said, " Begin reading this novel at your peril, for it will keep you staining to know what happens next until you come to the last, redemptive sentence." I agree. It was a very compelling story.

Book #32 My Enemey's Cradle by Sara Young. Geez, do I read anything besides stories about death, destruction, and war? It sure seems to be my trend. This story was very good. The background is Nazi Germany's Lebensborn maternity homes which encouraged all "racially valuable" women and girls to have as many children as possible. Himmler's goal was to increase the population of the "Master Race". Maternity homes, in occupied countries, were set up where "suitable Aryan" girls pregnant by occupying forces could have their babies. These babies were considered German citizens and were taken to be raised in Nazi homes or institutions. This info is from the author's notes. I had never heard of such a thing.

Anyway, the main character, Cyrla, Jewish, sent to live with her aunt and uncle in Holland, tries to save herself by taking on the identity of her cousin who is pregnant- father, German soldier. Problem: cousin, Anneke was being sent to the Lebensborn. Cyrla has to deal with the pregnancy problem, keeping her identity secret,and her captivity at the Lebensborn. This story has many twists and turns with dispair, lonliness, fear, and tragedy. Luckily, there is a happy ending.

Bring on the foofoo and lighthearted. I'm ready for a little humor.

Book #31: The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee. The setting is Hong Kong just before Japan attacks and takes over the island and after Japan surrenders and the island's social circle's history. Claire, quite nondescript has arrived from England with her new husband and becomes the piano teacher for the daughter of a high society Chinese couple. She becomes involved with Will who has a long history on the island. The story includes Trudy, the Eurasian heiress, her connections with the Japanese leader, her involvement with Will, and her place in Hong Kong's elite society. The story is filled with intrigue, romance, questionable love, separation of East and West, loyalty, cultural differences and social classes, and survival in war. The story details aren't fully uncovered until the final chapters. It took a while for me to get really interested in this book- long descriptions of society parties. But, toward the end, I had to just read and read until I finished.

#30 Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg. I'll get it over with and complain (again) about the widow that ends up having a lot of money as is in every other book I've read by Berg. This time, it isn't money, but the surprise is worth a bit and basically the widow doesn't have to worry about money. She does have to worry about her relationship with her daughter and her own inability to fend for herself. As I got into the story, I found that it had some interesting ideas and I liked it more. I will give away the plot if I say too much. It was a fast read and I enjoyed it.

#29 Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith. I love the series #1 Detective Agency and have read each book, but I was a bit disappointed. Precious has problems with her little white van and learning about soccer, Grace evolves in her role as an assistant detective and has Violet from typing school bringing doubt to her life, there is new information about the mechanic apprentices, and a lady has to chose between two boyfriends. Much of the book is flashbacks and keeping the reader up-to-date. I guess an author would have to do that to inform a new reader, but for me, it was a drag. I still liked the way the problems were solved and the humanness of the stories.

#28 In The Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith is# 6 in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Something light, something funny, something fast, something perfect to read after reading all of the depressing stuff I have read lately. Precious Ramotswe is busy solving the mysteries brought to her agency including the thief of her favorite white van. Grace finds love at dancing class, Charlie finds a rich older woman, and Precious has to confront her ex-husband.

I really enjoy these cheerful books about life in Africa. I wonder how the new TV series is doing.

#27 Still Alice by Liza Genova. This is a serious, sad, and thoughtful story of Alzheimers. Alice, 50 years old, a highly successful professor in linguistics, begins a journey into dementia. This story has many facts and insights. It is from Alices's viewpoint and includes the conflict in her family. Nothing is sugar-coated. It was fast and full of emotion. It shows how quickly life can change and how little anyone can do about it.

#26 The Snake, The Crocodile, and The Dog by Elizabeth Peters. This was a really fun book about a real woman's liber, way back, who is helping her husband ( on equal terms) discover tombs in Egypt. The story is a witty mystery with a villain or a group of villains who are trying to get the both of them since they are very eminent explorers. It has romance, precocious kids, an extreme code of ethics and chivalry, and a great main character, Amelia Peabody.

The book refers back to other adventures the characters have had and I plan to read another book in the series. The biggest problem is that they are really long with very small print. ARGG!

Is it really Spring? Well, at the first of the month, we had a big snowstorm. Now, the lilac bushes are leafing out, I heard frogs down in the swamp, the goldfinches have turned a bright yellow, the allium plants are about a foot tall out by the pole barn, the grass is greening up, the snowplow is parked outback, and the picnic table is out of the barn and sitting on the patio. These surely are a sign of Spring. Temperature has reached above 60 and we should be getting rain in the next few days. But, there are still a few weeks in April, way too early for Spring. We are not putting away the long underwear. That would certainly provoke a snowstorm. We are so SICK of winter!

#25 A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler. This is the first book I have read by Tyler. I got this book from the chain letter book exchange. It didn't take too long to read and I'm happy for that since I am falling farther and farther behind. Did I like the book? Not really. I was on my way to understanding the characters and their relationships and then when I finished I felt like I had skipped a few chapters and something was missing. Usually, I don't have that problem. I thought the descriptions of the old people and their daily struggles was very realistic, but somehow I didn't find all of the truths that were supposedly so apparent. I must have been sleeping. Yes, the 30 year old main character was plagued by his frivolous youth and at times I saw the more responsible guy emerge. I just don't know. Nothing grabbed me about this book.

#24 The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker. This story was a godsend in that it didn't seem to follow a formula. Baker is great at descriptions and yes, Truly, the main character, is a giantess. But, the story isn't a total freak show.

It is the story of how the ugly, large, sweet, giantess Cinderella survives all kinds of abuse and ends up with the Prince, while the beautiful sister leads the privileged life but ends up the loser. It definitely is the story of "what goes around, comes around". Truly gets her revenge. The story is filled with memorable, distinct, and unusual characters. I don't want to say too much, because I will give the good parts away.

#23 Circle of Friends by Maeve Bincy. Well, another tale with tons of characters, in fact, everyone mentioned plays a role in this book. This book is mostly about romance and the usual and unusual ways men and women are attracted to each other. The drama takes place between a small town called Knockglen and the city, Dublin. The characters are a group of friends at the university, their parents, and intertwined friends. Binchy's stories are always intertwined. Unusual characters are Eve raised by Sister Francis in the convent and Benny who is a large, but lovable friend from the small town. The usual are Nan, the beautiful controlled girl, and handsome Jack. Add in the rich cousin, the drunken father, the plotting store clerk, a few deaths, and the flamboyant Clodaugh and Fonsie, and you have the making of a good tale. This is the second book I got from my chain letter book exchange. Funny, it came the day after I finished reading Heart and Soul. I think I'll take a break from Maeve. Besides the books are really long and I'm getting behind on my 100 book goal.

#22 Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy. Boy, I would pick a long book which puts me farther behind in my goal to read 100 books this year. But, it was well worth the effort. Binchy is quite the storyteller with each person somehow becoming an important part of the story. The story takes place in Dublin at a new Heart clinic. The new clinic director, her daughters, her ex-husband, and her boss, the new doctor and all of his relatives, the secretary, the nurses, the dietitian and exercise instructor, and of course, all of the heart patients and their relatives and friends. Whew, add romance, add misfortune, add Father Brian and his stalker, and add a happy ending. Also, add humor and the daily struggles of ordinary people, and there's the story. Each life touches another's life.

And, yes, the song "Heart and Soul" could apply to this story.

Book # 21. The Widow's War by Sally Gunning. Women's rights in colonial America? Not many. "A married woman could not own property or sign contracts. A widow was legally entitled to life use of one-third her husband's real estate, actual title to the property customarily passing to the nearest living male heir"- so says the historical notes in the back of this book. And so, Lyddie Berry becomes a widow when her husband dies in a whaling accident. Her independent nature is sparked by her lawyer and friend, Mr. Freeman, her doings with an Indian neighbor, and the ideas put forth by James Otis who speaks of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all- not just men. But then, she has to live with her son-in-law's decisions that run her life going from bad to worse.

I received this book through a chain book exchange with the book coming from New York. It came just when I needed a new book to read. And I really enjoy historical fiction. I think I need to reread Ahab's Wife.

#20 A Garden In Paris by Stephanie Grace Whitson started out pretty strong with a widow who finds a motto in an antique store that gives her some hope for her life. She doesn't get along with her daughter and has been repressed in her marriage. She decides to go to Paris to meet her first love and perhaps recover some of her former self. More than one secret is revealed in this visit. The last part of the book revealed to me that this is considered Inspirational reading- not that I have anything against it. This just is not my cup of tea for reading.

Note: Why is it that in the last few books I have read, the widow is independently wealthy?