The Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What's a book that you think should be turned into a movie?  I think about this every time I read a book.  When I read The Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz, I realized I would love to see this book as a movie or a series.

Juliet Catesby lives in the State of Virginia in 1774 on the Royal Vale plantation with her father and sister, Loveday.  The plantation is a mix of slaves and indentured servants, and Juliet and Loveday work secretly to help slaves escape to their aunt in Philadelphia.  Juliet also is a great help to her father keeping their plantation running, but they find themselves weighed down by debt that is mostly from the tobacco lords from Scotland.  One of those lords, Leigh Buchanon is coming to Virginia for a visit, and Juliet is not pleased.  Even more so when she discovers that her father has promised Leigh one of his daughters to cancel his debts.  Will Leigh chose Juliet or Loveday?  Can true love bloom from an arranged marriage?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I greatly enjoyed this novel.  I literally couldn’t put it down and kept reading too long into the night.

·       I loved the unique story.  The book was partially set in colonial Virginia right before the start of the Revolutionary War and partially set in 18^th century Glasgow Scotland.  I found both settings to be fascinating.

·       I loved the characters.  Juliet was a strong woman making her way in a man’s world with grace.  She was willing to make changes in her life and trust that God would lead her through.  I also loved Leigh Buchanon.  He has not had the easiest of lives although he is from a wealthy family.  I love how considerate he is to Juliet in their arranged marriage.

·       Love bloomed between Juliet and Leigh over time, and I enjoyed the romance.

·       There was a great mystery about the death of Leigh’s first wife and a lot of suspense in the last part of the novel.

·       Loveday had an orange cat named Hobbes that traveled with them to Scotland.  I loved the cat.

·       The story is told in alternating chapters between Juliet and Leigh.

·       This was a clean romance.

·       I knew nothing about the tobacco lords and found that piece of history to be fascinating.  There is a great author’s note at the end on the topic as well.

Overall, The Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz is a well written captivating historical fiction novel with great characters in a fascinating setting. It’s a story you won’t soon forget.  I highly recommend it!

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

BOOK DESCRIPTION

In 1774, Juliet Catesby lives with her father and sister at Royal Vale, the James River plantation founded by her Virginia family over a century before. Indigo cultivation is her foremost concern, though its export tethers her family to the powerful Buchanan clan of Glasgow, Scotland. When the heir of the Buchanan firm arrives on their shores, Juliet discovers that her father has secretly arranged for one of his daughters to marry the Scot as a means of canceling the family's debt. Confident it will be her younger, lovelier sister, Juliet is appalled when Leith Buchanan selects her instead.

Despite her initial refusal of him, an ensuing altercation forces Juliet to flee Virginia. Agreeing to marry, she sails with Leith to Scotland, hopeful of a better match for her sister, who accompanies her. But once in Glasgow and faced with the contentious, powerful Buchanan clan, she realizes that the man who saved her from financial ruin and scandal is the very one she must now save in return.

AUTHOR BIO

Laura Frantz is a two-time Christy Award winner and the ECPA bestselling author of 15 novels, including The Seamstress of Acadie, The Rose and the Thistle, The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, The Lacemaker,and A Heart Adrift. She is the proud mom of an American soldier and a career firefighter. Though she will always call Kentucky home, Laura lives with her husband in Washington State. Learn more at LauraFrantz.net.

The Radio Hour by Victoria Purman (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Title: The Radio Hour

Author:  Victoria Purman

Narrated by:  Jennifer Vuletic

Publisher: Harper Muse

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 59 minutes

Source: Audiobook Review Copy from NetGalley.  Physical book review copy from Harper Muse as part of the Austenprose Book Tour.  Thank-you!

What is your favorite TV show?  I have a lot of favorites, but one of them is Only Murders in the Building.  I love a good mystery that also has humor.

Martha Berry has worked in broadcasting as a secretary for twenty-four years.  It’s now 1956 in Australia and television is being talked about on the horizon. While she has vast experience, she has never been promoted or seen a pay raise.  She has been reassigned to a new show that will be produced by new employee, Quentin Quinn.  Quentin is fresh out of school and is more interested in very long lunches that involve alcohol rather than actually working on scripts and starting the new show.  Martha takes it upon herself to save the show and starts to write the scripts herself.  Will Martha’s secret remain hidden?

My thoughts on this book:

·       I loved this story.  Martha was a great character.  I loved how she is an independent woman of a certain age who has decided to take her future into her own hands.

·       I also enjoyed the radio show itself.  It was fun reading the different scenes of the show.

·       There are also many Jane Austen references throughout the novel that I enjoyed.  Martha is a fan of Austen and her works and references them often.  She also references other favorite authors such as George Eliot and Charlotte Bronte.

·       I loved how Martha brought daring real life scenarios into the radio screen plays such as menopause and having an Italian immigrant family as one of the main families.

·       The radio broadcast has an archaic rule that if you are married, you can no longer work there.  This had changed in England, but not in 1950s Australia.

·       It was interesting as the book discussed how television was taking over at the time in England and the United States, but it has not yet gotten to Australia.  I had not thought about how this would have changed an entire radio industry and potentially put people out of work.

·       I related so much to Martha.  Early in my career I had my own Quentin Quinn at work.  While he enjoyed pay raises and promotions, I was doing the majority of his work while had long lunches, late starts, and would leave early.  I was told, well he’s a married man.  Then after I was married, well, he has a baby.  It didn’t seem quite right.

·       The ending was great and a real pick me up when all news seems so negative these days.

·       I enjoyed the author’s note about real history in which this fictional story was set.

·       There are a lot of great book club questions.  This would be a great book club read!

·       I loved listening to the audiobook version of this book.  The narrator was wonderful, and she especially did a great job with the voices in the radio broadcasts.

Favorite Quote:

“But Martha was done with being polite.  She was done with being overlooked and underestimated by men like Quentin Quinn, those young enough to be her son yet who acted as if she was the child.”

Overall, The Radio Hour by Victoria Purman is an excellent, inspirational, and intriguing historical fiction novel.  Martha Berry is one of the best new characters in fiction.  This was my first read of author Victoria Purman, but it won’t be my last.  If you enjoyed, Lessons in Chemistry, I think you will enjoy The Radio Hour.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

A charming and funny look at the golden years of radio broadcasting in post-war Australia that celebrates the extraordinary but unseen women who captivated a nation with their authentic stories of ordinary lives.

Martha Berry is fifty years old, a spinster, and one of an army of polite and invisible women in 1956 Sydney who go to work each day and get things done without fuss, fanfare, or reward.

Working at the country's national broadcaster, she's seen highly praised talent come and go over the years. But when she is sent to work as the secretary on a brand-new radio serial, created to follow in the footsteps of Australia's longest running show, Blue Hills, she finds herself at the mercy of an egotistical and erratic young producer without a clue, a conservative broadcaster frightened by the word pregnant, and a motley cast of actors with ideas of their own about their roles in the show.

When Martha is forced to step in to rescue the serial from impending cancellation, she ends up secretly ghost-writing scripts for As the Sun Sets, creating mayhem with management, and coming up with storylines that resonate with the serial's growing and loyal audience of women listeners.

But she can't keep her secret forever and when she's threatened with exposure, Martha has to decide if she wants to remain in the shadows or finally step into the spotlight.

AUTHOR BIO

Victoria Purman is an Australian top ten and USA TODAY bestselling fiction author. Her most recent book, A Woman's Work, was an Australian bestseller, as were her novels The Nurses' War, The Women's Pages, The Land Girls, and The Last of the Bonegilla Girls. Her earlier novel The Three Miss Allens was a USA TODAY bestseller. She is a regular guest at writers festivals, a mentor and workshop presenter, and was a judge in the fiction category for the 2018 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature and the 2022 ASA/HQ Commercial Fiction Prize for an unpublished manuscript. Connect with her online at victoriapurman.com.

When Stars Light the Sky by Elizabeth Camden (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Are you a morning or night person?  I am definitely not a morning person, although I don’t stay up as late as used to when I was younger.

Inga Klein immigrated to the United States from Germany as a child.  James and Mary Gerard help the Klein family after they were scammed out of their money right off the boat.  After Inga has grown up, James Gerard offers her a job as a secretary to him as he serves as America’s newest Ambassador to Germany.  Inga immediately clashes with Benedict Kincaid, the diplomatic chief of staff.  He is a rule follower and doesn’t think having a German born secretary is good for America.  As America hurtles towards WWI, will Inga and Benedict be able to do what is best for the country and their own hearts?

My thoughts on the novel:

·       Elizabeth Camden has become one of my favorite authors.  The novel she published las year, While the City Sleeps, was one of my top ten books of the year.  This novel, When Stars Light up the Sky is destined to be one of my favorite books of this year.

·       This is the second book in the Women of Midtown series, but it is a complete standalone novel.  Characters from the first novel make a brief appearance.  Inga lives in the Martha Washington building at the start and end of the novel.  This historic building that housed professional women in the early twentieth century was interesting.

·       I found the timeline to be fascinating.  I didn’t know anything about real life diplomat James Gerard or the diplomacy with Germany leading up to WWI.  I was intrigued by the story and also enjoyed the author’s note at the end of the novel.

·       Inga and Benedict’s relationship was intriguing.  It reminded me of Elizabeth and Darcy in Pride and Prejudice with Inga’s cheerfulness and wit, and Benedict’s grumpy wet blanket personality.  It also was perfect for the times they lived in with extra considerations due to the fact that Inga was a German born woman who had grown up in America but had not applied for citizenship.

·       One of my favorite scenes was when Claude Debussy played Clair de lune at an embassy party and was interrupted by the rain.  It would have been thrilling to be at such a party.

·       Another favorite moment was when Inga talked with another resident of the Martha Washington that was nurse in the Civil War.  Talking about both of their experiences was cathodic for them both, and fascinating to me.

·       This novel had opposite attract, grumpy vs sunshine, enemies to lovers, and marriage of convenience tropes.

·       It was a clean read.

Overall, When Stars Light the Sky by Elizabeth Camden was a richly layered historical fiction novel set at the brink of WWI with an unforgettable romance between two very opposite personalities.  I couldn’t put this book down and I highly recommend it!

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

BOOK DESCRIPTION

In a world on the brink of war, two hearts must navigate shadows of uncertainty.

Inga Klein's carefree life in New York takes a dramatic turn when she sails for Berlin, Germany, to serve as the secretary for America's ambassador. Amid the glamour of life at the embassy, she continually finds herself at odds with the straitlaced and imposing Benedict Kincaid, the diplomatic chief of staff who harbors deep misgivings toward the German-born Inga.

As Europe hurtles toward World War I, Benedict's determination to keep America out of the conflict adds to the already tense atmosphere. Despite their relentless sparring, Inga and Benedict succeed in keeping the embassy afloat through one crisis after another. But when they run out of diplomatic options, a marriage of convenience may be Inga's only hope of escape from the impending war.

AUTHOR BIO

Elizabeth Camden is best known for her historical novels set in Gilded Age America, featuring clever heroines and richly layered story lines. Before she was a writer, she was an academic librarian at some of the largest and smallest libraries in America, but her favorite is the continually growing library in her own home. Her novels have won Christy, Carol, and RITA Awards and have appeared on the ECPA Bestsellers list. She lives in Citrus County, Florida, with her husband, who graciously tolerates her intimidating stockpile of books. Learn more at ElizabethCamden.com.

The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer

 

Title: The Nonesuch

Author:  Georgette Heyer

Narrated by:  James Lailey

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 53 minutes

Source: Audiobook Purchased from Audible

If you could live in any book world, which would it be?  The Regency world of Georgette Heyer would be one book world where I would want to live.

Sir Waldo Hawkridge has inherited an estate from his cousin.  He is known at the “Nonesuch” in London for being a man of impeccable taste.  He is also a man of charity and wants to make the estate into a home for orphans.  He and his relations descend on the estate to check it out.  While there he meets the impetuous Tiffany Wield and her governess, Ancilla Trent.  While Tiffany seems to have the eye of every man in the neighborhood, Sir Waldo can’t help but notice that her governess is a woman of rare quality.  Will love finds its way?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a January pick for the JASNA Northwoods Book club.  I was unfortunately unable to make the meeting last weekend as I really wanted to discuss the books!

·       I loved Ancilla Trent as a heroine and that she was an “older” heroine at the grand old age of 28.  She knows her own mind but didn’t want to look like she was setting her cap at anyone.  I always like a good story that features a governess, and this really captured my imagination.

·       Tiffany is probably one of the brattiest characters in literature.  I don’t know that I would have the patience to be her guardian or her governess.

·       Sir Waldo was a fun character and I liked that he wasn’t chasing after teenage girls. 

·       The misunderstanding over Waldo and his home for “his children” was quite hilarious.

·       This was a very entertaining story to listen to on audiobook and James Lailey was a good narrator.

·       Georgette Heyer is a master of the Regency Romance novel.  She did considerable research to make sure she used the correct terminology of the time and she writes very entertaining stories with well-developed characters.

·       I would love to see this story made into a movie.

Overall, The Nonesuch is another wonderful entertaining Regency Romance by the master, Georgette Heyer.  I highly recommend it!

The Christmas Inn by Pamela Kelley

 

Title: The Christmas Inn

Author:  Pamela Kelley

Narrated by:  Stephanie Németh-Parker

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 41 minutes

Source: Audiobook Review Copy from NetGalley.

What type of books are your cozy reads?  Christmas books are some of my coziest reads.

Riley Sanders loses her job right before Christmas when her job is made redundant by AI.  Her mother has recently broken her leg and needs help at the Inn she owns, so Riley returns to the Inn to help.  She meets and gets to know a variety of guests that are all going through issues of their own.  Will there be a merry Christmas for everyone?  Her ex-boyfriend Aiden and his son are also staying at the Inn.  Seeing Aiden makes her think about her relationship with her current boyfriend Jack.  He is a workaholic and does not have much time for her or their relationship.  Will Aiden and Riley find romance?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a very enjoyable Christmas audiobook and enjoyable read.  Stephanie Németh-Parker was a great narrator.  There are multiple point of views and narrators in the story.  It did take me a bit at times to remember where I was in the story and with who when I would start it up again.

·       Riley and Aiden were the main characters, but the other characters were also well developed and had interesting storylines.

·       I liked that there were people all different age groups involved in the story.

·       I also liked the sub story of how Riley helped her mother with marketing to try to save the Inn.

·       Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes and I loved it in this novel.

·       This is a clean and cozy read.

Overall, The Christmas Inn by Pamela Kelley is a sweet contemporary romance that is perfect for lover of Christmas Hallmark movies.

With This Ring by Amy Clipston (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Title: With This Ring

Author:  Amy Clipston

Narrated by:  Brittany Goodwin

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 45 minutes

Source: Audiobook Review Copy from NetGalley, physical book copy from Thomas Nelson as a part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank you!

Do you like to wear rings?  Do you have a favorite ring or one that is the most meaningful?

Dakota and Huson broke off their engagement seven years before when Hudson left their small town for New York City with dreams of making it big in business.  Dakota stayed behind and pursued her dream of starting a bridal boutique.  Hudson has returned to town after selling his company as his sister is engaged and planning her wedding.  Will Dakota and Hudson reconnect?  Will they be able to work through their problems from the past?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       As February nears, I was in a mood to read a romance novel.  This had one of my favorite tropes – second chance romance.

·       This novel was a lot of fun.  My favorite part was that there was roller-skating rink that one of Dakota’s friends had bought, restored, and runs.  Dakota teaches skating lessons there on the weekend.  There are fun activities, and it is the core of the social scene in town.

·       The fictional setting was Flowering Grove, North Carolina.  I loved the name of this town!

·       There is just something I love about bridal boutiques.  I enjoy reading about them and Dakota’s struggles as she tries to keep her business afloat.  She needs to learn how to ask for help, but Hudson needs to learn to stop controlling everyone.

·       Hudson drove me insane when he would just throw money at everything and boss everyone around.  He was so rude to his sister and her fiancé.

·       Hudson’s pursuit of money alienated both his family and Dakota.  He reminded me of Ebenezer Scrooge at times.  I like that by the end of the novel, the reader understands why he behaved the way he did.

·       I liked that Hudson and Dakota both had redemptive arcs, and both had to learn how to be their best selves and the best to those they love in their lives.

·       This is a clean romance.

·       I listened to the audiobook.  The narrator was great, and it was a fun book.  There were some odd pauses in the audiobook, but that may be because it was a review copy.

Overall, With this Ring by Amy Clipston is a sweet, clean second chance romance with a redemptive arc.  If this novel doesn’t make you want to roller-skate, I don’t know what will.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Dakota Jamison spends her days making brides’ dreams come true. But when will the time finally come for her own storybook ending?

Dakota thought she had left her dreams of happily-ever-after behind, along with the pain of a broken engagement to her high school sweetheart, Hudson. Now, as the proud owner of Fairytale Bridal Shop in the picturesque town of Flowering Grove, she's built a life and a business on helping brides find their perfect dress for their own fairytale weddings. But running a small business is not for the faint of heart, and when her ex-fiancé unexpectedly returns to town with a mission—to put a stop to his sister's wedding—Dakota’s problems go from bad to worse.

Hudson Garrity should be living his dream. After selling his software company, he’s single, handsome, and rich, but an unexpected call from his baby sister has him flying down to his hometown, determined to protect Layla from yet another big mistake. Though he’s single-minded in his effort to derail the nuptials, he instead finds himself thrown into family chaos and roped into helping his sister with her plans . . . bringing him once more into contact with Dakota Jamison, the one who got away.

For Hudson, coming home means revisiting his painful childhood, repairing a strained relationship with his sister, and coming face-to-face with the woman he never stopped loving. For Dakota, it means confronting the tender memories she buried deep within her heart. As Layla’s wedding date draws close, the two reunited lovers begin to question if what went wrong between them really happened the way they remembered it at all. Will they continue believing the lies they’ve told themselves, or will they remain forever entangled in the threads of what could have been?

With This Ring by bestselling novelist Amy Clipston is a touching tale of rekindled romance, rediscovery, and the transformative power of forgiveness.

AUTHOR BIO

Amy Clipston is an award-winning bestselling author and has been writing for as long as she can remember. She's sold more than one million books, and her fiction writing "career" began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan University and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. Amy works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and four spoiled rotten cats. Visit her online at AmyClipston.com.

Heart of the Glen by Jennifer Deibel (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Do you have a favorite book, movie, or TV Show that is set in Ireland?  I’ve read so many good ones.  One that has stuck with me is The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue.

Saoirse Fagan arrives at Drumboe Castle to start a new job as a housemaid and finds it abandoned.  A tragedy has taken her family and home, and she is not sure what to do or where to go.  She wanders on the road until a young woman, Aileen, finds her and invites her to stay in her barn.  Will Saoirse find out what path life wants her to take?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I loved the Irish setting for this novel.

·       I loved the romance between Saoirse and Aileen’s brother, Owen.

·       This novel had a slow build and forced proximity romance tropes.  These are both tropes I enjoy.

·       I thought the details on weaving were fascinating.

·       I also loved Stout – Owen’s dog in the novel.  He’s a very faithful dog and also loved Saoirse.  They know she’s a good person as the dog loves her.

·       There is a landslide in the novel, and it made for a harrowing read.

·       Saoirse carries a lot of guilt about the death of her family. She struggles and work through it by talking to her new friend Bridie as well as listening to Father Cunningham’s sermons.

·       I was disturbed on how Owen was attacked repeatedly, and his sheep almost taken.  Desperate times lead to desperate men.

·       This novel is a sweet and clean romance.

·       There is a great author’s note at the end of the novel about the inspirations for the story.

·       There is also a preview of last year’s book by the author, The Irish Matchmaker.  I want to read this book.

Overall, Heart of the Glen by Jennifer Deibel was a sweet historical romance with a great Irish setting and theme of forgiveness.

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

BOOK DESCRIPTION

When Saoirse Fagan arrives to start her new job as housemaid at Drumboe Castle, she is dismayed to learn that the lord of the house passed away a week prior. Already running away from the tragedy that claimed the lives of her family members, Saoirse wanders the road with nowhere to go until Aileen McCready offers her a lift and possibly a place to stay for the night.

Sheep farmer and weaver Owen McCready is known for his intricate and impeccably woven tweed. But when he's injured in an attack by bandits, his entire livelihood is endangered. A new—and distracting—mouth to feed adds fuel to the fire, and Owen struggles to keep his family afloat. Though Saoirse is eager to help, even offering to learn the weaving craft, Owen is hesitant to accept aid from this strange young woman, no matter how inexplicably magnetic he finds her.

But Saoirse is not one to give up easily. It may take extra effort on her part, but she's determined to convince the McCreadys that they need her--perhaps as much as she needs them.

AUTHOR BIO

Jennifer Deibel is the author of A Dance in Donegal (winner of the Kipp Award for Historical Romance), The Lady of Galway Manor, The Maid of Ballymacool, and The Irish Matchmaker. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children. You can find her online at JenniferDeibel.com.

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

 

Title: This Tender Land

Author:  William Kent Krueger

Narrated by:  Scott Brick

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 14 hours and 9 minutes

Source: Audiobook Purchased from Audible

Do you like to read books that include a journey?  I have always loved a good road trip or maritime voyage novel.

In the summer of 1932 at the Lincoln Indian Training School in Minnesota, Odie and his brother Albert, are the only two white kids as the orphanage was full.  The children are beaten and mistreated at this school.  After Odie kills a man in self-defense, he, Albert, a mute Sioux boy names Mose, and an orphan named Emmy set out on a journey down the fictional Gilead River to try to find Odie and Albert’s aunt in St. Louis.  They have many adventures and meet a lot of interesting people.  Will they find out where they belong?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was the January selection for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library, and we had a great discussion about it.

·       This novel had it all, great writing, dialogue, and well-developed characters.

·       I kept thinking the story was like Huckleberry Finn, but I realized that it was like the Odyssey well into the novel.

·       There were many perils of the 1930s featured in the novel including shanty towns, revival meetings, illegal alcohol running, extreme poverty, riding the rails, etc.

·       They discover that the leaders of the school had been keeping letters and money that had been sent for the kids.  It made me sad thinking about all the Native American parents and children that were separated, sometimes forever through these types of schools.

·       An overriding them of the novel was, what is home?

·       Mose doesn’t speak and the Native American Children didn’t tell the story.  I thought about it, and I think that Krueger left them silent rather than telling a story that was not his to tell.

·       The Foreword states that the author hopes readers are familiar with his novel, Ordinary Grace.  I have not read it, but I have read books in the Cork O’Conner series.

·       More than one time, Odie read a situation completely wrong, and it had large implications.  Another theme was to make sure you know what is going on before you make a judgement.  It’s part of growing up.

·       The author’s note at the end was interesting. The Sinclair Lewis novel, Elmer Gantry, helped to inspire the author’s writing about tent revivals.  He also lists a lot of other inspirations including Charles Dickens.

My favorite quote, “Things were different then.  Not simpler or better, just different.”

Overall, This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger is a story that I will not forget soon.  It was a masterfully written novel of an epic journey during the Great Depression.  It’s a great book for a book club discussion.