Good Reads & Views

The Ludwig Conspiracy by Oliver Pötzsch
Fiction

What it's about: A rare books dealer and an art detective are forced to go on the run when they start investigating a diary, written in code, about Ludwig, the fairytale king of Bavaria, who was declared insane, disposed, and found dead the next day.

Reviewers say: "While readers will find broad parallels with Dan Brown's thrillers, Pötzsch's sophisticated plotting and good use of a real-life historical puzzle place this far ahead of most Da Vinci Code wannabes" (Publishers Weekly).

Good to know: This is very enjoyable on audio, read by the excellent Simon Vance, British accent included. Available from hoopla.

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Switchboard Soldiers by Jennifer Chiaverini 
Fiction

What it’s about:  To help the Allies fight World War One, General Pershing calls for telephone switchboard operators to enlist in the Army Signal Corps. We follow Grace, Marie and Valerie, each with their own motivations for joining the Signal Corps, from training in the US, overseas to war-torn France. The male soldiers they replaced had needed one minute to connect each call. The switchboard soldiers could do it in ten seconds. The danger they face is real and leaves little time for private life, but each young woman has a brush with romance along the way. 

Reviewers say: “So much new information is packed into this story that becomes the best kind of history lesson" (Library Journal); “Chiaverini's story will strike a chord with history buffs . . . An eye-opening and detailed novel about remarkable female soldiers” (Kirkus). 

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Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
Fiction

Read this if you like: Reuniting estranged siblings, family secrets, murder mysteries, and expert storytelling. 

What it’s about: Ocean scientist Byron and his sister Benny, a creative but lost soul, reluctantly reunite after their mother Eleanor’s death. She has left them an audio recording and a Caribbean black cake in the freezer, with instructions to listen to the recording together, and to “share the cake when the time is right. You’ll know when.”  Puzzled, confused, and grieving, they listen to their mother’s story—where she almost immediately reveals a deep secret, and then begins a tale of a young island woman, accused of murder, who escapes into the sea. This delectable family saga is told in tasty bites that change perspective and timelines. It is a rich and flavorful read, made with ingredients carefully chosen and mixed with care, like the black cake made by Eleanor. 

Book buzz: A Hulu TV series of Black Cake is in development by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. 

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The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
Fiction 

What it’s about: A debut novel that will leave you charmed by its characters, plot, and idyllic town of Chawton, located in the United Kingdom. This historical novel is centered around Chawton House, which is where Jane Austen spent the last eight years of her life. The world is recovering from WWII and the distant relatives of Jane Austen are unable to keep up with the maintenance of Chawton House. A group of Austen lovers join forces to save Chawton House and restore it to its full grandeur. Chapters are told by alternating characters and readers discover the past of the characters and why they are so invested in Jane Austen and saving Chawton House.  

Why you might like it: Fans of Jane Austen will enjoy reading about her life and how this real-life society helped to preserve Chawton House; if you are interested in reading about the aftereffects of WWII and how it shaped people in the small town; those who enjoy reading romance stories that include “will they/won’t they” get together plots.

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The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan
Fiction

What it’s about: Three very different women, in England during World War II, forge a friendship while repairing a wedding dress. Grace is a clergyman’s daughter who tries to find meaning for herself in serving others. Cressida is a designer of clothes who uses her work to fill the loneliness in her life. Violet is a spoiled upper class young woman who thinks her role in life is to marry a man with a title. As they come together to repair Grace’s mother’s gown for Grace’s wedding, each learns more about herself and what her life could really be.

Reviewers say: “Comforting but still rich with interesting history, this will please fans of cozy WWII fiction” (Booklist); “The pleasurable plot focuses on overcoming adversity through friendship, with plenty of romance” (LibraryReads).

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A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott
Fiction

What it’s about:  In 1871, photographer Meg Pero insists on fulfilling the contract her father signed to serve on an Army survey of the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, the expedition’s leader is the man she once refused to marry. Ben has his own ulterior motives for leading the survey. As dangers from the natural and human worlds crop up, Meg and Ben must find a way to work together to stay alive and maybe fall in love again.

Reviewers say:  “… the grandeur of the canyon contrasts sharply with Ben and Meg's laser-focused awareness on the threats they face and their reawakened desire, resulting in both a saucy tone and suspenseful thrills” (Booklist).

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Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory
Fiction

What it’s about: This is an entertaining work of historical fiction. The story is conveyed from the view of Margaret Tudor, the older sister of King Henry VIII. It includes Katherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII, and Mary Tudor, his younger sister, but Margaret Tudor is at the heart of this story.

Why you might like it: I love books written by this author, especially the ones that have to do with the Tudor family and that time period. I’ve investigated Gregory’s method of research which affords me to trust that when she needs to fill in the gaps, it’s safe to assume accuracy which allows me to feel as if I’m there experiencing it.

You might also like: The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory

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The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Fiction

What it’s about: Belle da Costa Greene has a secret. She’s passing for white in the rarified world of museums and libraries in 1906. A lover of the printed word, Belle is encouraged by a friend to apply for a job as personal librarian to J. P. Morgan, who needs someone to help him acquire and curate antique books and manuscripts for his personal collection. This determined young woman navigates the delicate handling of her imperious employer and high-stakes art auctions with growing skill. As we follow Belle through the next twenty years, she shines as a woman in a male-dominated society, all the while keeping the secret of her birth, knowing that exposure would cost her her job and her ability to support her family. Based on the real-life Belle da Costa Greene, this story is a look back at a time both strangely different and uncomfortably similar to our own.

Reviewers say: “An excellent piece of historical fiction that many readers will find hard to put down” (Library Journal); “Benedict and Murray do a great job capturing Belle's passion and tenacity as she carves a place for herself in a racist male-dominated society” (Publisher’s Weekly).

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The Heiress by Molly Greeley
Fiction

What it's about: If you’ve ever wished to spend more time in the Pride and Prejudice universe, Molly Greeley gives a good tour. She makes a lush and evocative novel around the elusive character Anne de Bourgh, Darcy’s cousin the family expects him to marry. When Anne was a fussy baby, she was prescribed laudanum, and now as a young woman, she is addicted to it. Her controlling mother, Lady Catherine, insists she is too delicate to do without it, and Anne spends her days drifting through a haze. But finally, when her mother is away, Anne takes advantage of her absence to escape to a cousin’s home in London and quit laudanum. Once off laudanum she starts to get the experiences other young women have as a matter of course: going to dances, reading novels, and shopping. Anne forms a romantic attachment to another young lady, Eliza Amhurst, and must learn to hide her discovered queer sexuality. Greeley finds a way to be true to the period while making a way for Anne to find happiness.

Reviewers say:  “Greeley  is faithful to the original story, while creating an imaginative and vivid inner life for the beleaguered Anne” (Booklist); “Greeley ’s expert imaginings of the life of Anne de Bourgh reveal the hidden depths of her character and highlight the societal restrictions of 19th-century women as Anne seeks to overcome her mother’s domineering persona and find happiness” (Kirkus Reviews).

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The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
Fiction

What it’s about: In a small Georgia town during the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, residents grieve their losses. George and Isabelle Walker are mourning the death of their soldier son Caleb. Recently emancipated brothers Prentis and Landry, after struggling to survive in the wilderness, find refuge working for the Walkers. But the growing friendship between the brothers and the Walkers disturbs the local white residents, and the resentful feelings come to a head when yet another broken soldier returns from the War.

Critics say: “Harris' first novel is an aching chronicle of loss, cruelty, and love in the wake of community devastation” (Booklist); “Harris writes in intelligent, down-to-earth prose and shows a keen understanding of his characters, and while the plot leads to several tragic events, there’s a tinge of hope at the end. This character study is credible and deeply moving” (Publishers Weekly).

You might also like: For more lyrical, haunting historical fiction, try Ta-Nehisi Coates' The Water Dancer or The Prophets by Robert Jones.

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