Kids Book Reviews ~ Library Haul #24

Yay!  We’re finally back from our no-library induced library haul hiatus!  Our local library just reopened at their new location–conveniently located within walking distance of my house (!!!) and I am extra excited to discover all the new little goodies in store for us there.  But, that’s a post for another day.  Without further ado, welcome back to our Kid’s Library Haul series.  This is a usually-weekly series where I give you quick and snappy reviews of our favorites from our weekly library haul. We read a LOT of children’s books from the library and I like to keep things positive too, so books that I thought were terrible don’t usually make it into the list… unless I just really want to rant about it for a while. That has happened too! Let us know in the comments which books were winners in YOUR library haul!

#1. The Sugar Child by Monique De Varennes

Matine is a magical child, created by her brilliant baker father out of marzipan and his desire for a child.  The problem with being made out of marzipan, of course, is that it is very fragile.  She must avoid heat and rain and tears… anything that might make her marzipan melt and run away.  When she finds that her friend is sick, only love can save him, and Matine from the bitter effects of her own tears.

This is a beautifully written story.  It’s very classical in tone.  Also a little classically morbid.  I mean, a child who melts if she cries?  That’s a little depressing, not going to lie.  But it’s beautiful writing, and the story ends well, so I’m going to call this one a win for children’s literary fiction, and just rank it along the classic fairytales that are pretty morbid in their original, un-Disney-ified states.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

#2. D is for Dancing Dragon: A China Alphabet

Another one for the seemingly endless list of alphabet books.  Someday when I have time I’m going to make up a list of ALL the alphabet books for your preschool entertainment.  That day is not today.  ‘D is for Dancing Dragon’ had the additional bonus of including quite a significant amount of information regarding different aspects of Chinese culture.  Honestly, it was too much for us to read in one session, but we charged on through the alphabet, stopping here or there to read more about whatever caught the fancy of my Sophiapea.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

#3. Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel

This was one of two real gems this Library Haul.   Brave Girl is the true story of Clara Lemlich, an immigrant to New York, who fought to improve the working conditions of factory workers in the earliest part of the 20th century.  The garment making industry was marked in its early days for using young girls and women at impossibly low wages, high standards, and back breaking conditions.  Clara Lemlich helped establish the first labor unions.  Nowadays labor unions do more harm than good, but in the early 1900s, they had a role to play in creating safe work environments, and they definitely succeeded.

I loved that this book took an aspect of history and introduced it as a story that young children can enjoy and learn from.  If you know me or have been reading this blog long, you’ll know that I adore history.  The only thing I love more than a good history book, is a great history book that might inspire some kid somewhere to love history and learn from it too.

Bonus: This is a great girl-power book.  I was going to put a quote in here, but not sure whether that violates any copyright laws, so I’ll abstain until I’m more sure on the subject.  Just take my word for it 😉  Get this book and read it to your children for an inspirational, educational foray into history.

We loved it: 5 out of 5 stars

#4. Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic by Robert Burleigh

Another great win for historical, educational books that fit with the younger crowd.  Night Flight tells the story of Amelia Earhart’s historic crossing of the Atlantic.  Also, again with the girl-power theme.

Basically, I love this book for all of the same reasons I loved Brave Girl, probably more.  Amelia Earhart is just a much more inspirational character to me than Clara Lemlich, but they both accomplished impressive things in their fields.

Airplanes are still an object of immense fascination to my little Peas, so they really enjoyed this one too.

We loved it: 5 out of 5 stars

#5. Arctic Animals by Tad Carpenter

Arctic Animals is a board book, so definitely more for the youngest crowd, but both of mine loved it.  Primarily because each page is a ‘lift-the-flap’.  Kids love lifting flaps in books.

I liked it because it had some variety beyond the animals one finds in most animal-related books for the youngest set.  Walrus, seal, reindeer, and owls all get a great little introduction in this quick, baby-friendly read.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

The Edge of Nowhere Blog Tour: Book Review

Today I’m participating in Cathie Armstrong’s blog tour for her new book, The Edge of Nowhere, just released on the 19th of this month! You can stop by her website and check out the other blog tour stops here.  Without further ado, let’s get to it!  Book review…

Victoria Hastings Harrison Greene has lived a very long life, ais about to die. Her family has grown to despise her, and she can’t blame them, but she wants one last chance to help them understand how she became the seemingly bitter, harsh old woman they know.  Before she dies, she will leave them her story–the story of a woman who will do anything, at any cost, for the family she holds dear.  Oklahoma in the 1930’s is a cruel, dusty place, and the fight for survival will take more from Victoria than she ever dreamed possible.

Poor Victoria.  That’s really the refrain that went through my mind throughout the book.  I couldn’t help getting pulled into her story and sympathizing with her–first a grieving little girl, then a woman in love, and then a grieving woman… Usually you expect a character’s life to improve over the course of the book, but Victoria’s seemed to be a steady downhill spiral to the end, where it leveled off and became manageable.  Not going to lie, it’s depressing.  But I think it is true to life, in that it examines the incredible hardships we can and will endure for the sake of our children.  Everybody hopes and prays they don’t end up going through a life like Victoria’s, but I think we all secretly hope that if by some horrible twist of fate it DID happen to us, we would keep it together and just plow through.

The Edge of Nowhere is historical fiction, but not lovey-dovey historical fiction or a feel-good-ending. It has more of a ring of true life to it– like The Boy in the Striped Pajamas or The Nightingale.  It was well-written and had good flow to it–I was drawn into the story really quickly and just had to keep reading.

If realism is your thing, and melancholy stories make you happy (That sounds very ironic), then you should make sure you get a copy of The Edge of Nowhere and read it asap.  Even if happy-ending books are more your style (not going to lie, they are mine…) this is still a good book to read.  It should make you feel very grateful for your life, if you’ve been blessed enough to have fewer trials than poor Victoria Hastings Harrison Green.

Overall, I really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

Book Review: The Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley

Review of: The Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

When Emily goes on vacation to the Chateau Chinon, she expects the rich atmosphere, steeped in the intertwined histories of France and England.  Her cousin Harry has been researching a long-lost treasure, supposed to have been left by Queen Isabelle when she left the Chateau as it was under siege.  When Harry fails to meet her for their mini treasure-hunt, she assumes that he has been distracted by some new scheme and sets out to enjoy her vacation on her own.  The group of tourists at the hotel have their own secrets, and Emily is led into another mystery–this one from the Second World War–about a young woman named Isabelle.  As Emily becomes increasingly embroiled in the mysteries and their relationship to the other tourists she’s staying with, she begins to wonder whether Harry’s absence is just a delay or something more sinister.  When murder strikes, Emily knows it’s only a matter of time before her own life is on the line.

I am definitely a big fan of Kearsley’s writing.  I’ve read most of her books (that I know of) and have generally enjoyed them.  Though The Splendour Falls was good enough, however, it really didn’t seem like her best work.  It just lacked the magnetism I’ve felt in her writing before.  Where I have often found myself riveted by the historical aspects/storylines in her books, and how they end up playing into the plot, The Splendour Falls was just mediocre.  The plot wasn’t pointed enough for me.  It felt fragmented–several different unrelated stories within a story–and there wasn’t a unifying conclusion.  All the different story-lines concluded, but not together.  It felt like the book went on too long and then resolved a bit randomly.

Emily was on vacation, but she didn’t feel like she had any real purpose beyond that.  She wasn’t particularly bringing anything to the historical aspect of the mystery–it seemed like everything she knew about history was a result of her good-naturedly tolerating her cousin’s passion for it.  As far as main characters go, especially in Kearsley’s novels, Emily was one of my least favorite to date.

Upon further research, I realized that The Splendour Falls was one of Kearsley’s first published novels.  That both explains the incongruity of the writing style, and honestly makes me admire Kearsley as a writer a bit more.  She has definitely developed her voice and strengthened her writing skills overall in the past decade or so.

Overall, this was a win for Kearsley in my book, just because it illustrates how much her writing has improved.  As far as the book itself goes though, I was not overwhelmed.  It was okay.  If you like historical fiction, you can give it a go, but I think it’s best purpose is as an illustration for how much Kearsley’s writing style has improved.

It’s okay: 3 out of 5 stars

Book Review: The Munich Girl by Phyllis E. Ring

Review of: The Munich Girl by Phyllis Edgerly Ring

Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Description (Cover Blurb): Anna Dahlberg grew up eating dinner under her father’s war-trophy portrait of Eva Braun.  Fifty years after the war, she discovers what he never did–that her mother and Hitler’s mistress were friends.  The secret surfaces with a mysterious monogrammed handkerchief, and a man, Hannes Ritter, whose Third Reich family history is entwined with Anna’s.  Plunged into the world of the Munich girl who became her mother’s confidante–and a tyrant’s lover–Anna retraces the friendship forged by two lonely women in Nazi Germany, even though the men they loved had opposing ambitions.  Anna’s journey will uncover long-buried secrets and unknown reaches of her heart to reveal the enduring power of love in the legacies that outlast war. 

The Munich Girl was an unexpected blend of mystery and the more personal jaunt literary stories tend to take.  There were so many things I liked about this book, I’m a little bit at a loss for where to begin… I guess, to start off right at the beginning, there’s the fact that it’s a clever blend of historical fiction and modern-day sleuthing/research.  If you’ve read many of my reviews, you’ll know that I have a very tender place in my heart for that story-telling blend of past and present.  The Munich Girl definitely fulfilled that niche.  Anna’s steady discovery of Eva Braun and her mother’s secret past kept the focus of the book cleverly balanced between past and present.  One remarkable thing about this book was that even though it (obviously) had a significant focus on the historical side of the story, I never felt like the story lost it’s connection with Anna.  Anna was such a strong main character throughout, that she drove the book, rather than just being the key to a story about the past.  Now, I’m not one to mind particularly if the historical aspects of the story are more alluring–I’m enough of a history geek that I relish that a bit too–but it is never a bad thing to have such a strong main character.

Talking about characters brings me to the second aspect of The Munich Girl that I really loved–the character development.  Anna was on such a deep personal journey throughout the book.  I couldn’t help rooting for her as she slowly takes control of her life.  Beyond Anna, though, and amongst all the characters, the recurring theme was friendship.  Long-enduring friendship that never faded even when life circumstances changed.

As to the more literary aspects of the book, I have no complaints there either.  It read very easily and believably, without confusion even when it switched between viewpoints for the different sections of the book.  The only part I’m still not particularly certain of is how Peggy came to have such detailed chapters about certain aspects of Eva’s life.  I get that they were friends and they met occasionally to chat, but nothing ever gave me a really clear picture of when Eva would have so openly discussed certain events in her life.  I more got the feeling that they talked a lot in generalities about the aspects of their lives that were so similar.  That’s not really even a complaint, just a lingering sense that it wasn’t completely divulged.

Overall, I loved this book.  I used every free moment I had to read it, once I started, and finished it in about a day (a day filled with chasing and cleaning up after small children at that).  If you like historical fiction at all, or if you’ve enjoyed literary mysteries you should absolutely give this one a read.

Loved it: 5 out of 5 stars

Book Review: The Quantum Door by Jonathan Ballagh

Review of: The Quantum Door by Jonathan Ballagh

Genre: YA, Sci-fi

Brady and Felix have lived outside of a forbidden forest for as long as they can remember, but when a mysterious new neighbor moves in and fences spring up around the forest overnight, their curiosity knows no bounds.  When the strange lights start appearing in the forest too, they feel it is their duty to investigate.  There is no turning back–especially when they find themselves called upon to help save the life of their mysterious new neighbor. Entering the forest plunges them into a world of technology and revelations that challenge everything they thought they knew.

Brady and Felix were young for a YA book, but believable as main characters. There was enough of that sibling rivalry and angst to keep the story moving in the beginning, but you really get a good sense of the depth of a sibling relationship once the main action in the story took over.  There was plenty of interest aspects as far as the sci-fi goes, but I think the relationships were really one of the strongest aspects of the book.  It’s unusual and pretty refreshing to read a book where there are sibling protagonists who work together as equals throughout the story.  Siblings aren’t especially uncommon in YA fiction, but it is uncommon for them to share the responsibility as main characters and work together throughout the story.  I think it’s great to find books that can inspire kids to imagine adventures with their own siblings rather than always treading the path to adventure alone.  It’s the sort of relationship all parents want for their kids.

I know that’s not particularly something that will appeal to kids looking to read this book, but there is plenty of action, technology, and other-worldly sci-fi stuff to sell this book to the younger set.  It’s one that I’m going to recommend to my little brother Sam.  He’s only 9 but a pretty advanced reader and this will be just up his alley.

For my part, I’m not sure whether I would classify this as a YA fiction or more of a middle-grade fiction, but I’m going with YA.  The main characters were younger than I would expect from a YA novel, but it had the reading level and plot intricacy that indicated the next reading level to me. Makes for a perfect book for that advanced younger reader in your life.  There’s still a lot of Christmas break left… just saying!  It’s the most wonderful time of the year for reading 😉

Overall, I really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Captive

Review of: Captive by Aimee Carter (#2 in the Blackcoat Rebellion series)

Genre: YA, Dystopian

Ever since Kitty Doe was kidnapped and forced to take over the life of the Prime Minister’s niece, her frustration and irritability has been growing.  She hates everything about her new life–her fiancee, her diet, the clothes she is forced to wear and the mannerisms she is compelled to adopt.  More than the superficial though, she hates the substance of who she is forced to be and the corrupt game of politics she must play, just to stay alive. Nothing is getting easier.  She begins to suspect that there is more to the Prime Minister’s decision to use her as the replacement for Lila Hart than meets the eye, but when she is accused of treason and sent to Elsewhere it seems like she won’t even have the chance to find out the truth about her past.  She believes in the rebellion, but there is nobody she can trust, and it seems like she may be forced to pay for it with her life.

Captive is the second book in the Blackcoat Rebellion series by Aimee Carter.  You can read my review of the first book, Pawn, here.

I really liked Pawn.  The story kept moving and kept me guessing.  I was really excited when I started to read Captive.  The action definitely kept right on going, but I felt like the plausibility took a decided turn for the worse, like everything was done solely for shock factor.  I read the whole book, but towards the end I was pretty over it.  The middle book in a trilogy is the hardest one to get right, in my opinion.  You can have a stellar first book, and even a great conclusion, but that middle book is a doozy.  I get it.  The middle is hard. You have to go ahead and use the momentum you built up in the first book to get somewhere productive, and still leave enough room to ramp up for the grand finale.  It’s like a midflight refueling.  It feels kind of sketchy but necessary to make it back home.  So, even though I wasn’t a huge fan of this book, I’ll still be reading the next book in the series.  It’s basically impossible not to.

Things I liked in Captive: I really liked the unfolding drama over where Kitty actually came from.  That felt like the main story in Captive to me.  Secondary, of course, was the development of the actual rebellion, and that was good too.  The main plot points progressed reasonably.  Thinking back on it, it was really just little, unrealistic twists that peeved me so much throughout this book.  Which brings me to…

Things I disliked: I’m sorry, but I still don’t like her boyfriend.  Especially after the 3rd or 4th time somebody “killed” him but he didn’t really die, just came back into the story a little later so that somebody could threaten to kill him again and get a little more leverage over Kitty.  Okay, so maybe that didn’t happen 3 or 4 times, but it felt like it.  It was just so completely unbelievable.  And I still don’t like him. Kitty’s a pretty good character when he isn’t around–fairly strong and decisive–but whenever he shows up, she turns into a whiny, dependent child.  It’s not a good look for her, and it’s no wonder she can’t find anybody she trusts.  Nobody can trust her, because her moods are completely dependent on the existence or nonexistence of her boyfriend.  I really was happy when he died the first time.  I thought it would be the turning point in her attitude, but it really just  made things worse, and then when he reappeared (without any good explanation for his so-called death, I might add) she was worse again… you get the idea.  I won’t keep on with the spoilers, but that particular vibe really irked me through the book.  I hope, for your sake, you don’t find it so aggravating.

Overall, Captive was not as good as Pawn, in my opinion, but it is a stepping stone towards (I imagine) a third and final installment in the series.  If you enjoyed Pawn, you kind of have to read Captive, and if you read Captive, you’re pretty committed to reading that 3rd book, so hang in there with me.  Have you read both books?  What did you think of Captive?  Let me know!

Book Review: Stoker’s Manuscript

Review of: Stoker’s Manuscript by Royce Prouty

Genres: Fantasy, Literary, Mystery

Joseph Barkley is a renowned inspector of rare and valuable manuscripts.  With such valuable items, he is used to their wealthy owners having quirks or downright odd demands, so when he is given the task of authenticating and delivering the original manuscript of Bram Stoker’s Dracula by a mysterious, wealthy person who refuses to even meet with him until the bulk of the work has been done, he accepts it all in stride.  In spite of a growing sense of malevolence, it is not until he delivers the original Dracula to the Bran Castle in Romania that he realizes that he is not free to leave and is in fact being held prisoner by the son of Vlad Dracul himself. Thrust into a world where vampires are a real and terrifying reality, Joseph works furiously to stay alive.  Once held captive by a vampire though, there are only two true ways out: he must kill or be killed.

Stoker’s Manuscript is an actual vampire story–and the vampires are no relation to the sparkly things in Twilight.  Stoker’s Manuscript depicts the vampires as Bram Stoker himself created them: monstrous and terrifying.  This was not light fantasy, but it was gripping and very well written.  It was definitely a step outside the norm for me as far as genre goes.  With the exception of Harry Potter and A Discovery of Witches, I really haven’t been interested in the idea of vampire fiction.  Mainly, I think, because I have this idea that the genre is permeated by Twilight and other teeny-bopper, romance-driven books, and those really aren’t my cup of tea.

Stoker’s Manuscript had that element of fantasy, but it felt like more of a literary mystery to me.  It seemed very classic and old-school.  It wasn’t a particularly quick read even though the book itself isn’t very long, but the style of writing doesn’t lend itself to very speedy reading.  If you like a meaty, kind of gothic, literary mystery this is the book for you.  It’s not nearly as long as Elizabeth Kostova’s ‘The Historian’ but it really reminded me of that in the writing style and genre.

Overall, I really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Letters to the Lost

Review of: Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey

Genre: Historical Fiction, Literary

Jess is running away from her abusive boyfriend on an icy night in February in downtown London. When she comes to an abandoned flat, she has no choice but to break in or freeze to death.  Never intending to stay more than one night, but with few other options available, Jess is there in the morning when a curious letter arrives, and she finds herself swept up into a mystery and love story half a century old.  It’s the love story of Stella and Dan, an American airman, in 1942.  As the Second World War takes over their lives, they find each other to be pillars of stability.  Against all odds, they are determined to be together–and with Dan being a B-17 bomber pilot, with a survival rate of 1 in 5, those odds aren’t particularly good.  All they have are their letters, and when Jess stumbles into the unused flat and finds the letters, she sets out on a mission to set right their pasts and maybe, just maybe, bring them together at last.

Letters to the Lost was a great blend of historical story and current day, that definitely deserves the added title of literary fiction.  Usually when books do the flashback/flashforward, I find myself much more involved in the historical part of the story and completely UNinvolved by the present day part of the story.  In Letters to the Lost, the different components of the story really worked together to make one cohesive plot, instead of two completely different stories that just ended up tied together by chance.

That said, I do adore this style of book.  Old letters, abandoned houses, love story… it was speaking my language, almost before I even started reading.

And then after I started reading, I was so involved in it that I was actually upset when it ended.  It was definitely not the happy lovey-dovey ending I wanted, but I guess it was realistic, based on the rest of the book.  The ending wasn’t bad, it was just one of those melancholy types. I wanted more happiness for Stella and Dan, not just an ending.  Oh well. I know people like different things in a story.  My husband loves that melancholy type ending, and I’m more of a happily-ever-after style… to each his own.

If you like the historical/literary fiction genres generally, this one should be on your to-read list.  If you loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato-Peel Pie Society or Letters From Skye, pull up Amazon in between basting the turkey and making rolls and get this one NOW.  You know you wanted something to read over the holiday weekend 😉

I really, really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars.

 

Happy Thanksgiving Day, y’all! I’m thankful for good books and happy reading time, among other things.  I hope you are too!

Kids Book Reviews ~ Library Haul #23

Welcome to our Kids Book Review Library Haul post! This is my mostly-weekly series where I give you quick and snappy reviews of our favorites from our weekly library haul. We read a LOT of children’s books from the library and I like to keep things positive too, so books that I thought were terrible don’t usually make it into the list… unless I just really want to rant about it for a while. That has happened too! Let us know in the comments which books were winners in YOUR library haul!

 

 

 

#1. Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin

Giggle, Giggle, Quack is a story about some farm animals that get up to mischief when the farmer goes on vacation and leaves somebody else in charge. He warns his brother to ‘Watch out for the duck’, but the duck gets the better of him anyways.
Giggle, Giggle Quack is a board book with lots of funny-ridiculous quirks that most kids find hilarious. What kind of farm animals write notes and eat pizza? Farmer Brown’s animals, that’s who. It was cute enough, as farm books go, and an easy read.

We liked it: 3 out of 5 stars

 

#2. Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy

When Mabel blows a bubble that scoops up her baby brother, the entire town rushes into a panic, following his journey through the sky and brainstorming ideas to get him back safely.

This book was definitely the star of our library haul. The entire thing is written in the most lilting, perfect rhymes a la Dr. Suess, but with a VERY impressive vocabulary. There are a few made up words, but a very impressive collection of actual words that fit into the story and the rhymes. Cavil, nefarious, groveling… you get the idea. You guys, I had to look up one of the words. That NEVER happens with little kids books, but it thrills my soul. My kids loved it too, lest you think my adoration is tainted by my love of vocabulary. It was Sophia’s second choice to the (TERRIBLE) Barbie book that she chose, loved, and wanted to read at least once every. single. day.

We all loved it: 5 out of 5 stars

#3. Cold Snap by Eileen Spinelli

The town of Toby Mills is experiencing the coldest snap anybody has seen in a very long town. The icicle on the statue of General Toby is growing daily, and there’s no end in sight. The inhabitants of Toby Mills are having to get more and more creative just to stay warm, and everybody is wondering… When will the cold snap break?

Cold Snap was a particularly fun book to read since it hasn’t gotten cold here yet. The idea of snow and cold snaps is still firmly lodged in that nostalgic part of my brain, and the wondrous, magical part of my kids’ brains. I know… give us until January, y’all.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

#4. Hilda Must Be Dancing by Karma Wilson

Hilda is a hippo who loves to dance, but when she dances the ground shakes, trees lose their leaves, and the other animals clutch their heads and groan. They try to convince her to take up different hobbies, but nothing makes Hilda feel quite as good as dancing. They’re at an impasse until one day Hilda discovers something new…

This was a cute picture book story about doing what you love and solving problems. Hilda’s perseverance and creativity go a long way towards helping her find the perfect solution. Plus, it rhymes. Have I mentioned that my kids are really into rhyming books lately? To be fair, I enjoy them a great deal myself, but they really do love them.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars.

BOOK REVIEW: The Midwife of St. Petersburg

Book Review of: The Midwife of St. Petersburg by Linda Lee Chaikin

Genre: Historical Fiction

Karena Peshkev wants to be a midwife and attend the medical school in St. Petersburg, like her mother always dreamed of doing.  As the daughter of a farmer though, she can feel that dream slipping farther away with every year that passes.  Already considered an old maid, she despairs of ever scraping together the money for tuition, even as her father urges her to consider an arranged marriage.  When Karena travels to visit her wealthy cousin in St. Petersburg, she hopes to make some connections that might open the door to medical school for her, but she doesn’t count on meeting Colonel Alexandr Kronstadt.  They forge an instant, though tremulous connection but are unable to pursue it.  As the Bolshevik rebellion gains momentum, Karena finds herself caught in the crosshairs and wanted by the police for a murder she didn’t commit.  Alex is able to protect her from a distance, but she will have to make the choice for her own safety even if it means leaving St. Petersburg forever.

The most important thing you need to know about this book is that even though it is called ‘The Midwife of St. Petersburg’ there is an absolute minimum amount of midwifing involved.  It’s more about how Karena wants to be a midwife, rather than actually involving her medical training and career.  Though you perhaps, might not be disappointed by the book if you go into it with muted expectations of the midwifery aspects, I had a really hard time getting over the fact that the title had very little to do with what went on in the book.

It’s not that it wasn’t a good story.  Certain aspects of the story were good, and I think as a light historical fiction romance it was above the masses so far as quality goes.  I just kept expecting the midwifing to play an actual role in the story and it never did.  It was much more about the romance between Karena and Alex, and about the beginning of the Bolshevik rebellion.

So, if the fact that the title and the story don’t have that much in common doesn’t dissuade you, then you’ll probably get to the end of the book and we can do a collective head-smack and have a wonderful little “Holy crap, what just happened? Did the publisher forget the last chapter?” moment together. I really don’t know what was going on with the ending.  It felt like the story was taking too long, and the editor or the author was crunched for time so they just went with the first random conclusion that presented itself.

This book was really a bit of a disappointment.  It had been in my to-read list on goodreads forever, so to finally read it and be completely underwhelmed was a little annoying.  Nonetheless, if you’re a big fan of the slightly romance-y historical fiction types, go ahead and give it a try.  It’s a fairly quick read, so you can be sure and let me know what you think of it 😉

It was okay: 3 out of 5 stars.