I Am Rome by Santiago Posteguillo

I like good historical fiction novels. I like the way they can make people and times come alive, and even though I may be familiar with the person and era, I always find I learn something. "I Am Rome" is an example of an excellent historical fiction novel. Even though I am familiar with Julius Caesar and his later life, I didn't know who or what influenced him when he was younger. This book fills in the blanks.

A somewhat naive twenty-three-year-old Julius Caesar is selected to prosecute a corrupt politician, and even though he knows the tribunal has been bought, he still thinks he can get justice for some of the people the politician has wronged. In a period when individuals are routinely assassinated for their political beliefs or actions, Caesar is putting his life in jeopardy by taking this case and going against the ruling faction of the Roman Empire. The story then uses a series of flashbacks to various periods in Caesar's life to illustrate how he came to believe he could take on the corruption running rampant at the time.

Author Santiago Posteguillo does an incredible job of depicting life in ancient Rome. This book has it all: villainous characters, epic battles, courtroom drama, and a gripping love story. All elements are woven together to reveal how Julius Caesar became, well, Julius Caesar. 

5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is March 5, 2024.

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The Painter's Daughters by Emily Howes

In this excellent debut historical fiction novel, Emily Howes hits a home run with her depiction of the lives of Molly and Peggy Gainsborough, daughters of the portrait artist. It is an intriguing look into their lives and the secret the family tried to hide.

Children Mary (Molly) and Margaret (Peggy) Gainsborough lead a carefree life in the English countryside while their father Thomas tries to earn a living as a landscape artist. Realizing there is more money to be had as a portrait artist and bowing to his wife's wishes for a more societal life for their daughters, the family moves to Bath in the early 1700s. Success finds Thomas, but at what cost to his daughters? Molly's mental health declines, and Peggy, trying to keep the severity of it from her parents, vows to protect her from commitment to Bedlam. Little did Peggy know the implications of keeping this vow would have on her life.

This carefully crafted novel is beautifully written and transported me to 1700s English life. It is well-researched, resulting in an intimate look into the lives of the Gainsborough family and the society in which they moved. It is a fast-paced and engaging story that captured me from page one. Ms. Howes's next book is about the life of Mrs. Charles Dickens, and I can't wait. If you enjoy historical fiction or good storytelling, you should pick up this book. It's excellent.

5/5 stars.

The publication date is February 27, 2024.

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The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

At almost 800 pages, I hesitated to start this book even though it came highly recommended. Having waited for a long time for it at my library, I decided to try it. Oh my! What a wonderfully written, engaging, and unforgettable book.

In 1900, a twelve-year-old girl in India was married off to a 40-year-old man. This could be a more traumatic experience than it already was, but her husband is kind and waits until she is older to consummate the marriage. The girl, later known as Big Ammachi, becomes the matriarch of a family cursed with a condition where members drown in every generation.

Meanwhile, in Glasgow, a young doctor signs on to the Indian health service and is sent to work under the guidance of an incompetent, racist hospital administrator. What follows is his life as he comes into his own in the medical community in India.

I knew these two storylines would eventually meet, but it took a while as I followed the life of Big Ammachi through three generations. It is a story of love, loss, and exploring the political structure in turn-of-the-century India. Big Ammachi is a larger-than-life character, and her life, like most of ours, is filled with happiness and tragedy. How the characters and situations develop is a beautiful trip through a pivotal time in Indian history. Even after nearly 800 pages, I was reluctant to let the characters go. The story never lags, and I often neglected my to-do list to read just a few more pages in this epic family saga. Don't let the size of the book distract you. It's an adventure you shouldn't miss.

 5/stars

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Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls

 I didn't read Jeannette Walls' best-selling memoir "The Glass Castle," but I'm rethinking that decision after reading this book. Walls is a fantastic storyteller, and I'd like to know more about her background.

Sallie Kincaid, the daughter of Duke Kincaid, the ruler of a small county in rural Virginia, is the apple of her father's eye. Her mother, Duke's second wife, is killed when Sallie is young, and Duke quickly remarries and has a son, Eddie. When eight-year-old Sallie puts her brother Eddie's life in danger, she is sent to live with her poor maiden aunt, and there she remains for nine hard-scrabble years until the death of Eddie's mother. Duke recalls Sallie and tasks her with teaching Eddie how to be more like his hard-charging father, but Sallie, truly her father's daughter, has bigger goals in mind: she wants to help run the family's bootlegging business. Only the Kincaid lines of succession and the view of a woman's place in society hold her back.

This moving family saga set in prohibition-era Virginia captured my imagination and had me rooting for feisty Sallie Kincaid from page one. It is a fast-paced novel filled with plot twists and family secrets. Walls' writing is exceptional, and the characters are true to life. I highly recommend this book.

5 stars.

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Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

I am always pleasantly surprised when a heavily hyped book lives up to my expectations. When I'm disappointed, I often wonder what's wrong with me--what am I not seeing? With this book, there was never any doubt about missing something; I don't like it when an author puts so many obstacles in the protagonist's path that it is downright depressing, which this was.

My problems with the book began with the writing. I don't usually mind first-person narratives, but this was so disjointed I could never get in a reading flow--I often had to go back and reread sentences/paragraphs to make sense of them u. I also tire of the characters continually exploiting the boy, Demon Copperhead.

What I liked about the main character was how he rolled with the punches. Despite his abuse in the social services system, he always seemed to make the best of it. I admit I stopped reading at about 80% when it was apparent that, once again, he was going to be led down a dark path; I couldn't take any more.

I don't usually review books I have not finished, but I had invested so much time in this book and had such strong feelings that I decided to put my thoughts down anyway. 2 stars.

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Weyward by Emilia Hart

This book seemed to be everywhere I looked. It was hyped so much, that I knew I had to read it to see why everyone was so enthralled. Well, I think I figured it out but I can't say I agree with most of the opinions about this book.

This is a family saga of strong women whose connection with nature lends them the name witches. In 1619, Altha is on trial accused of using her powers as a witch to cause the death of a local farmer. Fast forward to 1942: Violet is being virtually held hostage by her father and the strict society that governs her life. She yearns for a scientific education and the freedom her brother has but her father, saying he doesn't want her to be like her long-dead mother, shuts her away at their estate. In 2019, Kate is trapped in an abusive marriage in London when she receives word that her great-aunt Violet has died and left a rural cottage to her--just what she needs to start a new life.

That is how we meet the three women whose lives are alternately laid out in this story; they are connected by blood and the secrets they possess. I usually like stories that follow a family through generations, and this is no exception. I think the way the characters evolved as they realized their powers is good; the writing is excellent; the pacing and plotting are good. What I don't like is the portrayal of almost every male in the book: domineering and abusive--few kind men supported these women. I know there are women trapped in abusive relationships but this verged on the ridiculous. 3.5 stars.

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Lost Colony: The Hennepin Island Murders by Steve Berg

I love it when I try a new author and am rewarded with an excellent read. Such is the case with this book and its author.

In 1986, Sweden's Prime Minister Olaf Palme was assassinated; his killer was never found. Flash forward to 2016 on a small island in the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and St. Paul and the shocking murders of a Lutheran minister and the church custodian. Island residents, Reverend Maggie Lindberg and journalist Span Lokken are caught up in the investigation and quickly become allies, pooling their information and investigative skills to try and determine who would want to kill these men and why. Early indicators point to another island resident, wealthy and eccentric businessman, Jonas Kron, who has been very public in his feud with the late Reverend Hammar. It is apparent professionals carried out the killings and Kron is just the man with the money to orchestrate such a killing. But would he go that far?

Told from the points of view of Maggie and Span as well as the killers, this is an engaging story that captured my interest from the beginning. It is fast-paced, excellently plotted, and ties into the assassination of Palme with a surprising twist. This is Berg's first venture into writing fiction and he does an outstanding job. 5/5 stars.

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Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke

 This book brought back all of the reasons why I don't like to read books set during wars--mostly because of the violence and man's inhumanity to man. That said, I did enjoy this book because of the characters and its evocative prose.

The Civil War is winding down. It's 1863, the Union army is winning and wreaking destruction along the way. Much of Louisiana has already fallen and opened the door for Red Legs, irregulars from the fleeing Confederate army, to step in and fight for what is left.

When slave Hannah Laveau is accused of murdering a neighboring plantation owner, abolitionist Florence Milton goes on the run with her trying to escape constable Pierre Cauchon and a vile Union army commander out to capture them. They end up being apprehended by Red Legs Colonel Charleton Hayes and wonder if they have gone from the frying pan into the fire. Cauchon ends up befriending another enslaved woman, Darla Babineaux, and tries to help her get free from the clutches of a Union army colonel who has taken over the plantation she lives on. The three women must fight for their freedom and try to distinguish friend from foe.

This is an atmospheric novel that captures the horror of war by focusing on characters caught up in the turmoil. The voices of the characters are wonderfully rendered as is their plight. It's good versus evil when even the good do despicable acts to survive. Overall, I enjoyed this book but didn't care for the violence that is war.

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The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

I wasn't a fan of the fortune-telling part in the book The Cloisters so I was hesitant when I saw the main character in this book was also a fortune-teller. It turned out that the use of cards in The Square of Sevens was so deftly woven into the story that I looked forward to seeing what the cards would reveal.

Red was orphaned at an early age when her father, a Cornish "cunning man", died and left her in the care of a wealthy gentleman scholar, Robert Antrobus. Her legacy is her knowledge of fortune-telling using the Square of Sevens technique. Although she no longer casts fortunes for money, she is still in demand even in the sophisticated society of Bath. Secure in the Antrobus household, Red delves into her past, trying to find out who her mother was and what happened to her. What Red finds not only disrupts her life but those of the wealthy De Lacy and Seabrooke families. Could she be related to them and, if so, could she be a long-lost heir? Finding out could put her life in peril as well as those closest to her. 

This is a beautifully written book that is intricately plotted and whose characters come alive in eighteenth-century England. It is a complex mystery with twists that kept me engaged throughout. Red is a wonderful heroine and her life, though often trying, is one such that the reader hopes she comes out on the winning side. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is September 5, 2023.

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