The Good Samaritan by Toni Halleen (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for the review copy of The Good Samaritan by Toni Halleen.

Have you ever been helped by a good Samaritan, or have you been one yourself?  I spun my mom’s car and slide off the highway while driving through a snow storm when I was in college.  A good Samaritan stopped and made sure I was okay, which I greatly appreciated.

Matthew Larkin is a sociology professor at St. Gustaf in Minnesota in 1992.  While driving home one night, he comes across a young passed out boy underneath a tarp in the rain.  Trying to be a good Samaritan, he decides to take the boy to the hospital himself.  The boy wakes up and runs off before Matthew gets him to the hospital.  Who is this boy and why was he passed out in the rain?  Why does he remind Matthew of the poor choices he has made in his own life that led up to his own son’s death?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was an interesting domestic suspense thriller.  I would call this a family drama or slow burn domestic thriller as didn’t have a lot of stunning twists and turns.  It did have a lot of character and family development.

·       I liked the 1992 and Minnesota setting. 

·       The story was told through many people including Matthew, his daughter Claire, the missing boy, Seaver, and Kira a social worker that is looking for Seaver.

·       The stories were all separate, but intwined.  I liked the resolution at the end.  I thought that the mystery was solved and that the characters also had great growth towards a positive solution to the problems in their lives.

·       I didn’t always think Matthew made the right choices, but I felt for him.  He tried to do what was the right thing at the time.  He kept harkening back to the worst moment of his life, his son’s death, and the aftermath which included the destruction of his marriage. 

·       Claire is trying to navigate life as a teenager from a broken family.  She has a crush, but when her crush takes things too far, what will she do?

·       Seaver had to leave his foster home suddenly, but what he wants most is to get back his mother.

·       Kira wants to find Seaver, but she also has ties to Claire and gets to know Matthew.

·       There are some trigger warnings and heavy themes for this book including sexual assault, the death of a child, alcoholism, drug addiction, divorce, grief, foster care, and runaways.

·       The book does make you think, what would you do in such a situation?  Now with cell phones, I would just call the police immediately.  It’s interesting how technology has change our society so much since the 1990s.

·       I enjoyed these characters and would love another novel to catch up with them a few years down the road.

Overall, The Good Samaritan by Toni Halleen was a good domestic suspense thriller with interesting characters and premise.

Kate Landry Has a Plan by Rebekah Millet (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Title: Kate Landry Has a Plan

Author:  Rebekah Millet

Narrated by:  Susan Bennett

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 24 minutes

Source: Audiobook Purchased from Audible and physical book from Bethany House Books as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.  Thank-you!

Are you a planner?  I’m an engineer so I definitely like plans and lists.  I am a day behind on posting this review as I wasn’t feeling so well yesterday.

Kate Landry is the forty-year-old owner of a café in New Orleans. She is raising her niece Hayley after her beloved sister’s death.  Kate and her sister had a plan for growing their café business and Kate is determined to stick to the plan.  Carefully laid plans don’t always go as imagined.  Kate’s first kiss, Micah, is back in town and is working at her local library.  Hayley spends a lot of her time at the library.  Her ex-fiancé and nemesis, Ryan, is also back in town.  Will Kate be able to realize her and her sister’s plan for a second café location while also keeping the rest of her life on track?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I love the New Orleans setting - it was so fun.

·       Kate Landry being forty made me love all her flashback references such as Sarah McLachlan’s song “Angel” on the sad animal commercials, Uncle Jesse from Full House, Paula Abdul, and more.

·       I love her clean epithets such as Sarah McLachlan!!

·       This novel had excellent well-developed three-dimensional characters with great growth through the novel.

·       The characters seemed very real, and the story was unique.  A woman who is raising her sister’s daughter, difficult relationships with parents, grief, trust issues, caring for elderly parents/grandparents, and bad ex-boyfriends were all themes.

·       Faith was important for Kate and was discussed throughout the novel.

·       I didn’t realize this was a series until I finished the book and looked to add my review to Goodreads.  It was great as a standalone, but I need to read the first book which is the story of Kate’s best friend Julia and her romance. This series is called Beignets for Two.

·       I love the great love story between two mature forty-year-old adults.  Micah is an understanding and caring male librarian.  AKA – every woman’s dream man.

·       The novel had many real world difficult and emotional conversations.

·       This book had the theme of family is what you make of it and not what you are born into.

·       The audiobook narrator was excellent and I enjoyed listening to this on audiobook.

Overall, Kate Landry Has a Plan by Rebekah Millet is a delightful rom com with wonderful three-dimensional characters and a wonderful overall story.  I want to read more of this story!

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Forty-year-old Kate Landry's carefully planned life has become as messy as the powdered sugar on her famous beignets. Juggling the responsibilities of running her café, raising her teenage niece, and the emotional baggage from her breakup, Kate finds her world once again turned upside down when her first-ever crush, Micah Guidry, returns to town as the hunky local librarian.

As Kate struggles to implement her plans to expand her café amid the New Orleans Mardi Gras madness and the meddling of her conniving ex-fiancé, Micah becomes the unwitting hero of her misadventures, stirring up feelings she thought she'd long buried. How can falling in love in the Big Easy be this hard?

Rebekah Millet spins a delightful tale, set against the vibrant backdrop of New Orleans, proving that sometimes the messiest of situations can lead to the sweetest outcomes.

AUTHOR BIO

Rebekah Millet is a Selah Award, Cascade Award, and ACFW First Impressions Award–winning author of southern inspirational romance novels. A New Orleans native, she grew up on beignets and café au lait, and loves infusing her colorful culture into her stories. Her husband is an answer to prayer, who puts up with her rearranging furniture and being a serial plant killer. Her two sons keep her laughing and share in her love of desserts. Visit her at http://www.rebekahmillet.com/.

Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Three Act Tragedy

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 6 hours

Source: Checked out with Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

Do you have a favorite play?  I enjoy plays and really like mysteries.  I don’t really have one favorite play, although seeing A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare with my best friend Jenn at American Player’s Theatre twenty plus years ago was one of my favorites.

I am participating in the #ReadChristie2025 Challenge.  The challenge this year is exploring Agatha Christie’s works through her characters and their careers.  The theme for March is performers and I read Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie for the first time.  One of the main characters is a famous actor, Sir Charles Cartwright.  He has other folks that are associated with the theatre over to his home.

Sir Charles Cartwright holds a dinner party at his home.  One of his guests is Hercule Poirot.  When the local vicar, Babbington, suddenly dies, Sir Charles is sure that he was poisoned.  Later, many of the same guests are together for a party when yet another guest dies after drinking port.  He was discovered to have been poisoned by nicotine.  Who is poisoning people in their drinks and why?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel was published in 1935.

·       I enjoyed the way this book was set up.  The First Act or part of the book was suspicion, the second act was certainty, and the third act was discovery. 

·       This mystery has a love story in with as Hermoine Lytton Gore (nickname Egg) loves Sir Charles who is thirty years her senior.  She tries to make him jealous by flirting with a younger man, and Sir Charles leaves the country much to her dismay. Sir Charles and Egg help Poirot with his investigation.

·       Hercule Poirot can’t help himself again.  He is retired and as a young child observes, you can only look at the sea so much.  He gives a history of losing the woman he love, coming out of retirement to work, growing rich and famous, and then retiring again.

·       At the end of the novel, Poirot discusses that he often uses a thick accent even though he speaks perfect English so that people will overlook him and be at ease.  I enjoyed these types of snippets that rounded out the character of Poirot.

·       I was totally caught off guard by the killer in this one.

·       Once again, Hugh Fraser was a wonderful narrator for this novel.

Overall, Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie was a solid and entertaining mystery.  I like how Christie tried out new formats and different ways to write her mysteries through time.

A Jane Austen Year curated by Jane Austen’s House (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What was the last book you purchased just because of Instagram?  Frozen River for me!

A Jane Austen Year celebrates Jane Austen’s 250^th birthday year by exploring her life through her letters, objects, and manuscripts.  This is put together by the curators of Jane Austen’s house in Chawton – a place that is on my bucket list to visit.

The introduction talks about how this book was written from Jane Austen’s house in Chawton and how it has “an unparalleled collection of Austen treasures including items of furniture, paintings, and household objects.  Visitors can discover Jane’s personal letters and first editions of her novels, items of jewelry, portraits of her friends and family, and the tiny writing table at which she wrote.”

This book shows us fragments of Jane Austen’s life.  It is split up into twelve months.  Each month details events from her books and life that happened in that month.  For example, in January:

·       The Dashwood sisters take a trip to London the first week of January.  Artwork is shown of this trip and an excerpt from the novel.

·       A picture of the miniature of Tom Lefroy and a written description of Jane dancing with Tom in January.

·       Pride and Prejudice was published on January 28, 1813.

·       On January 14, 1817, Jane wrote a friend asking for her orange wine recipe.  The recipe is shown as well as a beautiful picture.

·       A letter is written out that was sent from Jane to Cassandra on January 29, 1813.

·       A picture of Jane’s piano and a description of the two books of sheet music that were copied by Jane.

·       A picture and description of the French Revolution including snippets of a letter Jane wrote to her cousin Phila Walter about her poor cousin Eliza’s husband, the Comte de Feuille, who was executed in France during the revolution.

I loved all the Christmas information that was listed in the month of December.  The book is both informative and beautiful.  There is also a great index at the end of the book and more detailed information about Jane Austen’s house.

Overall, A Jane Austen Year is a fantastic book for any Jane Austen lover in your life (including yourself).  It would be fun to read throughout a year but was also great to read all at once.  It’s a nice conservation book for like minded Jane Austen loving friends.

Book Source:  Review copy from @janeaustenshouse @batsfordbooks as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

This beautifully illustrated book charts the life of one of the world’s most beloved authors through the letters, objects, and manuscripts that shaped her life.

Published in partnership with the curators of Jane Austen’s House, the enchanting Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen’s genius flourished that now attracts thousands of visitors every year.

Arranged over the course of a calendar year, from snowy scenes in January to festive recipes in December, specially commissioned photography of Austen’s home and possessions are brought together with extracts from her books, reproductions of her letters, and stories of her life throughout the seasons. Highlights include the first time Austen read a published copy of Pride and Prejudice to an enraptured audience in her drawing room, affectionate letters to her sister Cassandra reproduced in full and an exquisite miniature portrait of Tom Lefroy, the man she nearly married.

Read this book for a unique and intimate insight into Austen’s world. Dip into it as you will, or visit each month, and enjoy a full year of Austen—her life, works and letters, people and objects she knew, and of course her idyllic, inspiring home.

CURATOR BIO

Jane Austen’s House is the inspiring Hampshire cottage where the beloved author lived for the last eight years of her life. It houses an unparalleled collection of Austen treasures. Highlights include Jane’s jewelry, letters, first editions of her novels, and the table at which she wrote her much loved novels. Visitors can step back in time to 1816 and follow in Austen’s footsteps as they explore the rooms where she lived and wrote. It has been open to the public as a museum since 1949 and is an international center for Jane Austen studies.

Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff

 

Title: Last Twilight in Paris

Author:  Pam Jenoff

Narrated by:  Thérèse Plummer, Saskia Maarleveld

Publisher: Harlequin Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 31 minutes

Source: Review Copy from NetGalley.  Thank you!

What is the genre of the book you are currently reading?  I am currently reading a historical fiction novel.

In 1953, Louise discovers a necklace in a secondhand shop that brings back memories from her time in France working for the Red Cross during WWII.  Her friend had the necklace from a musician, and she was killed immediately after Louise last saw her holding the necklace.  Will Louise be able to solve the mystery of the necklace?

Helaine is estranged from her Jewish parents for marrying a non-Jew, cellist Gabriel. Gabriel goes missing when he is forced to play in concerts by the Nazi around Germany. Helaine is arrested and forced to work in Levitan.  Will Helaine and Joe be reunited?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a dual timeline novel.  I enjoyed the characters and both storylines equally.

·       This was a good strong story and very engaging.

·       This book was also a story of marriage for both couples.  Joe and Helaine have been estranged due to war experiences and not wanting to talk about them.  I like how they work on their marriage and come to an understanding.

·       The intriguing mystery of what happened to Louise’s friend Fanny during the war had a satisfying conclusion.

·       There was a great authors note on Levitan, a real store in Parish where Jews are forced to sort plunder from Jewish homes and get it ready to sell.  Also, it was disturbing about how the Red Cross had a checkered past in WWII.  They knew what was going on in the concentration camps but did nothing about it.

·       I read this book mostly on my Kindle, but I did finish it on audiobook.  It was engaging in both formats.

·       This was the February pick for the Brenda Novak Book Group.  There was a great virtual book club with the author on Brenda Novak’s Facebook page.  This book group meetings are always enjoyable.

Overall, Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff was an engaging dual timeline WWII historical fiction novel.  I liked the unique storyline.

Counting Backwards by Jacqueline Friedland (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Title: Counting Backwards

Author:  Jacqueline Friedland

Narrated by:  Amanda Stribling, Carolyn Jania

Publisher: Harper Muse

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 45 minutes

Source: Audiobook review Copy from NetGalley and physical book review copy from @jackiefriedland @harpermusebooks @austenprose.  Thank you!

What's a book that you think has a stunning cover design?  I love the pomegranate on the cover of this novel, and it works so well with the theme of the novel.

Jessa Gidney is a Manhattan lawyer and has recently been passed over for partner.  She miscarried a year before and has been having problems getting pregnant again which has been causing friction with her husband, Vance.  When she meets Isobel Perez as part of her firm’s pro bono work, she realizes that there is much more to the case than just a deportation order.  Why are the women at the deportation center being sterilized?

In 1920s Virginia, Carrie Buch has lived a hard life. She was separated from her mother and raised by a foster family who just wanted free labor.  After she is raped, the system continues to let her down. What is her connection to Jessa?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel had a rough start with a couple arguing about fertility as they try to get pregnant, Luckily, the story picked up after that and became a compelling story that I couldn’t put down.

·       The look into our countries history with eugenics was both horrifying and thought provoking.  It’s important and timely now as unfortunately these types of cases persist.  Who gets to decide whether a woman is allowed to bear children?

·       This is a dual timeline novel which spends equal time with Jessa and Carrie.  They are both interesting characters.

·       The author is a lawyer which gives the novel an authentic feel.

·       I couldn’t stop listening to the audiobook.  It was a fascinating story with great narrators.

·       There is a great list of additional reading at the end of the novel.

·       There is also a fascinating author’s note on how the author first read about the real-life Carrie Buck and her case while she was a high school senior.  I am horrified on how Carrie Buck was treated.

Overall, Counting Backwards by Jacqueline Friedland is a compelling dual narrative novel that examines a dark time in our country’s history that also is seeping into current events surrounding women’s rights and immigration.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

A routine immigration case, a shocking legacy. Jessa Gidney's quest for justice draws her into the heart of an abhorrent conspiracy. As she uncovers her personal ties to a heartbreaking past, her life takes a dramatic turn, in this emotionally riveting novel inspired by true events.

New York, 2022. Jessa Gidney is trying to have it all--a high-powered legal career, a meaningful marriage, and hopefully, one day, a child. But when her professional ambitions come up short and Jessa finds herself at a turning point, she leans into her family's history of activism by taking on pro bono work at a nearby ICE detention center. There she meets Isobel Pérez--a young mother fighting to stay with her daughter--but as she gets to know Isobel, an unsettling revelation about Isobel's health leads Jessa to uncover a horrifying pattern of medical malpractice within the detention facility. One that shockingly has ties to her own family.

Virginia, 1927. Carrie Buck is an ordinary young woman in the center of an extraordinary legal battle at the forefront of the American eugenics conversation. From a poor family, she was only six years old when she first became a ward of the state. Uneducated and without any support, she spends her youth dreaming about a different future--one separate from her exploitative foster family--unknowing of the ripples her small, country life will have on an entire nation.

As Jessa works to assemble a case against the prison and the crimes she believes are being committed there, she discovers the landmark Supreme Court case involving Carrie Buck. Her connection to the case, however, is deeper and much more personal than she ever knew--sending her down new paths that will leave her forever changed and determined to fight for these women, no matter the cost.

Alternating between the past and present, and deftly tackling timely-yet-timeless issues such as reproductive rights, incarceration, and society's expectations of women and mothers, Counting Backwards is a compelling reminder that progress is rarely a straight line and always hard-won. A moving story of two remarkable women that you'll remember for years to come.

ADVANCE PRAISE

"Jacqueline Friedland's ripped-from-the-headlines story is an Erin Brockovich for our times."— Jill Santopolo, New York Times bestselling author of The Light We Lost

". . . a riveting, compelling story--but it's also an important one, reminding us that history's darkest aspects can echo forward into our present day and that there is so much work left to do in the fight for freedom and equality."— Kelly Rimmer, New York Times bestselling author of The German Wife

AUTHOR BIO

Jacqueline Friedland is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of historical and contemporary women's fiction. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, she earned a law degree from NYU and a Master of Fine Arts from Sarah Lawrence College. Jackie regularly reviews fiction for trade publications and appears at schools and other locations as a guest lecturer. She lives just outside New York City with her husband, four children, and two dogs. Connect with her online at JacquelineFriedland.com

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

 

Title:  First Lie Wins

Author:  Ashley Elston

Narrated by:  Saskia Maarleveld

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 16 minutes

Source: Checked out with Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

If you had to move somewhere to start a new life with a new identity, where would you move?  I’m not sure myself, I’d prefer somewhere that has four seasons.

Evie Porter has a new relationship with a great new boyfriend, Ryan Sumner.  She moves in with him and life is going well . . . until it isn’t.  Evie Porter is a fake identity and Ryan is the mark.  Evie must keep on her toes to follow her boss, Mr. Smith’s, instructions as her last job didn’t end well.  As this job goes sideways, will Evie survive?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The novel flashes between contemporary times and Evie’s past identities to show how she gotten where she is now.

·       I loved this book . . . but I especially loved not knowing what was going to happen next . . . . so I don’t want to spoil anything with a lengthy review.  It had a lot of twists and turns.

·       This story was riveting.  I couldn’t stop listening to the audiobook!  It made me want to keep listening even as I arrived at my destination.

·       I would love to see this as a movie.

·       I enjoyed how Evie was a morally grey con artist that I was rooting for. 

Overall, First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston was a fascinating suspense thriller that I couldn’t put down.  I highly recommend it to all the thriller lovers out there.

The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall by Syrie James (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What genre is your comfort read?  One of my favorite types of comfort reads is Gothic romantic suspense.

Governess Diana Taylor has been sent by her Godmother to Pendowar Hall in Cornwall to teach her Godmother’s niece, Emma Fallbrook, and to investigate the mystery of her Godmother’s brother’s (the former Baronet’s) death.  The new owner of the estate is the former baronet’s nephew, Captain William Fallbrook.  The Captain is home recovering from a wound.  He is handsome and charismatic, but it’s rumored he has a woman in every port.  Is he all that he seems?  What is the mermaid’s curse, and did it cause the previous baronet’s death?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I liked how Diana was a caring governess and helped her ward Emma build her confidence by trying to figure out the facts behind the death of her father as well as help her with her learning disability.  Diana was a strong woman and kept on working on solving the mystery, while helping others and finding romance for herself.  I always enjoy stories that involve governesses.

·       The Captain was an intriguing and mysterious romantic figure.

·       I loved all the references to Jane Eyre.  The entire novel had a Jane Eyre vibe to it, but I especially loved the meeting of Diana and the Captain.  It reminded me so much of the meeting between Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester.

·       The cover of this novel is beautiful.  Blue is my favorite color.

·       This is the first novel in the new series – The Audacious Sisterhood of the Smoke and Fire.  I like the series title.  I can’t wait for the next book. I also hope that Diana and her sisters will be able to start their own school as they planned.

·       I loved the mysteries and the gothic romance.  It was a great escapism read and reminded me of some of my favorite authors in this genre including Daphne Du Maurier, Victoria, Holt, and Mary Stewart. 

·       This was a clean read.  The book had a good romance, but mostly focused on the mystery.

·       This novel had a great setting.  I always love mysterious manors on the coast of Cornwall.

Overall, The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall by Syrie James was a riveting start to a great new series with a captivating Gothic romantic suspense mystery.

Book Source:  Review copy from Dragonblade Publishing as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

She vowed to solve a murder.

Now she’s in danger of losing her heart … and her very life.

Diana Taylor, a bright and spirited governess who has sworn off love, is sent to Pendowar Hall in Cornwall to honor a pledge. She vows to teach her godmother’s niece and to find out who was behind the suspicious death of the former baronet. But her new charge is also a mystery, as is the man who inherited the ancient coastal estate—the charismatic but brooding Royal Navy Captain William Fallbrook, who is home on leave to recover from an injury.

As Diana investigates, her feelings for the enigmatic Captain Fallbrook blossom, and her guard goes up. Pendowar Hall is brimming with secrets as well as a frightening legend about a Mermaid’s Curse. What is behind the mysterious footsteps in the night? Is there more to the story of the tragic deaths of the former baronet’s wife and son? What secrets is Captain Fallbrook hiding? Can she trust the man who has stolen her heart?

He looks to be entranced by Diana, even though her determination to dig up the past seems to get on his last nerve. Soon, Diana’s bold quest to unmask his uncle’s killer leads her into terrifying danger, for someone is determined to end her life before she can discover the truth.

ADVANCE PRAISE

"Syrie James launches her 'Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire' series with The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall, a page-turning Victorian Gothic that invokes all the romance, mystery, and atmosphere of a Brontë novel. I couldn't put it down!" —Mimi Matthews, USA Today bestselling author of The Belles of London series

"James kicks off her new series ‘The Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire’ with The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall, a wonderfully atmospheric and suspenseful tale brimming with everything that fans of Victorian historical romance and mystery love: a bright and feisty heroine, a perfectly Gothic coastal estate full of secrets, and the brooding and mysterious navy captain in charge of it all." —Natalie Jenner, international bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society, Bloomsbury Girls, and Every Time We Say Goodbye

"A pitch perfect homage to the classic Gothic novel — I loved it! The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall is packed with intrigue, mystery, treachery, and tension — and brimming with romance! I couldn't put it down and eagerly await the next installment of James' new series!" —Katherine Reay, author of The London House and The Berlin Letters

AUTHOR BIO

SYRIE JAMES is the author of 14 critically acclaimed novels of historical fiction, romance, mystery and suspense, and young adult including The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, Nocturne, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë, and Dracula My Love that have been international, USA Today, and Amazon bestsellers, and are published in more than 20 languages. Her books have been Library Journal Editor's Picks of the Year, received starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus, and won numerous awards including the Audiobook Audie, the Women's National Book Association Great Group Read, Romantic Read of the Week (Barnes and Noble), Best Novel of the Year (Romance Reviews), and Best Snowbound Romance (BookBub).

A member of the Writers Guild of America, Sisters in Crime, Dramatist's Guild, Historical Novel Society, and Jane Austen Society of North America, Syrie has sold many scripts to film and TV, addressed organizations and literary conferences across the U.S. and in Canada, England, and Australia, and her stage plays been produced across North America.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

 

Title: The Secret Garden

Author:  Frances Hodgson Burnett

Narrated by:  Alison Larkin

Publisher: Alison Larkin Presents

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 10 minutes

Source: Audiobook review copy from Alison Larkin Presents. Physical copy was purchased from one of my kid’s scholastic book orders a few years ago.

What book from childhood have you reread and enjoyed as an adult?  The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett was a favorite of mine when I was young, but I had not reread it as an adult until now.

Mary Lennox is a spoiled brat.  She was raised basically by a nanny in India.  After a sickness kills off her parents, she is shipped back to England to live with her uncle as Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire.  Unfortunately, he is also absent, and Mary is once again alone.  Luckily, she gets to know the people of the estate and learns to love the outdoors.  Will Mary be able to find happiness?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I read The Secret Garden as the February selection for the What the Dickens Book Club on Facebook.  It prompted a good discussion.

·       I loved the theme of the healing power of nature and how it is able to bring both Mary and Colin “back to life” as happy children. I loved the descriptions of the plants, flowers, and birds – especially the robin.  It was especially wonderful with the winter weather we had in February to be reading this book full of spring.

·       The parents were very frustrating in this novel and neglected their children.  Poor Mary and Colin are both basically orphans.  Mary’s parents basically ignore her existence as they are having too much fun with their friends.  Colin’s mother has died, and his father keeps him hidden away.

·       Luckily, Mrs. Sowerby, Dickon and Martha’s mother, provides a mother figure to both Mary and Colin.

·       It was discussed in the book club that fiction written during this time period did often feature orphans or kids trying to make it on their own.  I know as a child I enjoyed stories of children being independent.

·       I enjoyed both Mary and Colin’s transformations throughout the novel through the power of nature and love.

·       I loved listening to the audiobook version of this book.  Alison Larkin is one of my favorite audiobook narrators.  She has a lovely voice that is very enjoyable to listen to.

·       I love the 1993 movie adaptation of this novel

Favorite Quote:

“Where you tend a rose my lad, a thistle cannot grow.”

Overall, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a very enjoyable novel that brings the reader into the love and joy of nature and family.