The Book Whisperer Discovers Yet Another Gem!

At my December book club, we held a book exchange. Everyone brought a wrapped book with a note on the front telling why the reader enjoyed the book without giving away the author or title. We had fun choosing and stealing from one another; we put a limit of three steals on a book. The book I stole from another member was The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis. Fortunately, I managed to hold on to it! And am I glad!

We readers are familiar with the alternating story format wherein a story is told in two periods of time or by two or three narrators. Davis has employed yet another technique. Davis gives readers Belle’s story in her own hand along with Hemi’s story in his words. The two were lovers in the 1940s, but a terrible misunderstanding tore them apart. Along with Belle’s and Hemi’s stories, readers also discover Ashlyn’s story which takes place in 1984 and 1985. What connects these three stories? That’s what readers will discover, much to their delight.

Ashlyn, owner of a rare bookstore, discovers companion books, a woman’s story and a man’s story, in a thrift shop. The books obviously belong together, but they have no authors’ names, no publisher’s name, and no imprint date. Ashlyn feels compelled to read the two stories, and she does so by reading part of Hemi’s story followed by part of Belle’s story.

I must also mention that Ashlyn has a rare gift regarding books. When she touches certain books, Ashlyn gets a strong feeling of joy, sorrow, or revulsion. She soon learns the gift has a name: psychometry. Merriam-Webster defines psychometry this way: “divination of facts concerning an object or its owner through contact with or proximity to the object.” Ashlyn’s mother tells her to keep that secret to herself. Eventually, Ashlyn reveals her special gift to Frank who owns the bookstore where Ashlyn finds solace and later owns. Frank tells her, “Books are like people, Ashlyn. They absorb what’s in the air around them. Smoke. Grease. Mold spores. Why not feelings? There’s nothing more personal than a book, especially one that’s become an important part of someone’s life?”

Frank’s next response is even more telling: “Books are feelings. They exist to make us feel. To connect us to what’s inside, sometimes to things we don’t even know are there.”

Determined to ferret out the real names of the people who wrote the stories, Ashlyn begins sleuthing. Through the thrift shop owner, Ashlyn finds out the name of the person who brought the books into the store: Ethan Manning. She contacts Ethan to see what he knows about the books; their first meetings are fraught with frustration on her part because Ethan appears to have no interest in the books or his own family history.

Through her persistence, Ashlyn makes a little headway with Ethan regarding the books, enough that he starts reading them too. He realizes Belle’s story is that of his great-aunt Marian whom he met only a few times when he was a boy. With this knowledge, Ashlyn and Ethan embark on further investigations into the two stories.

Readers will have to read The Echo of Old Books to discover what happens. Some readers may guess the ending (or I might say endings plural!), but there will be surprises, nonetheless. Book club members will enjoy discussing the backstory of the two lovers in the 1940s as well as the mystery of the two books. The way Ashlyn and Ethan discover the truth about Belle and Hemi will also be a topic of discussion. Happy reading!

The Book Whisperer Discovers a Gem!

Readers, if you seek a book that will break your heart several times and then mend it, look no further than All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle. A few months ago, I read The Museum of Ordinary People by Gayle on the recommendation of a friend and fellow book clubber. Then I remembered I had a copy of All the Lonely People on my bookshelf, so I pulled it out to read. As soon as I began reading, I knew I had found THE book for a special project I am planning with my book club in 2024. I cannot reveal it here, so watch for a new blog in 2024 about the adventure with All the Lonely People!

Hubert Bird leaves Jamaica as a young adult to find work in England. He doesn’t want to leave his loving family behind, especially his mother, but she encourages him to pursue his dream. Jobs are hard to come by in Jamaica, so Hubert is looking for opportunities in a new country.

When the story opens, Hubert is widowed and living alone, but readers discover the backstory about his getting a job, meeting Joyce, the love of his life, the births of their children, and more because the story alternates between now and then.

Hubert is alone; when he talks with his daughter Rose, a professor in Australia, each week, Hubert makes up elaborate stories about activities he does with his friends Dotty, Dennis, and Harvey. They are also made-up friends. Hubert tells Rose these stories so that she won’t worry about him; since Joyce’s death, however, Hubert has cloistered himself in the house with his memories and his cat Puss.

A chance knock on Hubert’s door one day starts Hubert on a journey he never expected. Ashleigh, a young mom, has moved into Hubert’s neighborhood with her toddler daughter. She decides to meet folks in the neighborhood, and Hubert is the first person who opens the door. While this friendship does not begin right away, Ashleigh soon gains Hubert’s trust and friendship because of her exuberance and charm. Ashleigh also needs Hubert’s help, and he finds he can’t refuse.

Readers will find joy and sadness in All the Lonely People.  They will also find friendship, love, and triumph. All the Lonely People is a book to be cherished and enjoyed even as readers shed a few tears over the tragedies that occur. Book club members will find much to discuss including loneliness, fulfillment, friendship, and love. In a world in which many people are lonely, the characters in All the Lonely People decide to do something about that loneliness, and they do, providing a good message for all.

The Book Whisperer Enjoys a Trip to Italy

I read Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch for a book club. Who would turn down an opportunity to spend a summer, and perhaps longer, in Italy? Reading Love & Gelato is a bit like taking that trip to Italy.

Lina’s mom has pancreatic cancer. Lina tries hard to think her mom will survive the cancer, but it is too advanced. Sadly, the cancer moves quickly to rob Lina’s mom of her life and Lina of the only parent she has ever known. Before her death, Hadley, Lina’s mom tells Lina about her time in Italy studying photography. Hadley particularly tells wonderful stories about Howard, a fellow classmate and friend.

After Hadley’s death, Lina lives with her friend Ashley and her family until school is out. Then she does take a trip to Italy to stay with Howard, a request her mother had made before her death. Lina’s grandmother tells Lina Howard is her father.

Upon arriving in Italy, still out of sorts at making the trip, Lina receives a journal her mother had sent to Sonia, a friend from long ago. Sonia and Howard work together at a WWII Memorial Cemetery. In fact, Howard’s home is on the cemetery grounds which Lina at first finds very hard to bear.

The story moves quickly even as Lina plots with Ashley, her long-time friend, to return to the States. Slowly, Lina is drawn into the sights and scenes of the area. She makes friends, especially with a boy named Ren, who is half-Italian and half-American.

As Lina reads her mother’s journal, she learns much about her mother’s time in Italy and a mysterious boyfriend her mother calls X. Is X Howard? If so, why does her mother use Howard’s name in other places? And what does “I made the wrong choice” mean in the journal?

Readers will enjoy learning about the statues and places in Florence as they also learn about Hadley’s experience when she spent time there. The journal will reveal the truth about Lina’s parentage, but that truth is not straightforward. Lina and Ren must make a trip to Rome to discover that truth.

The Book Whisperer Discovers a YA Christmas Novel By 3 Authors

Top Left: John Green followed by Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

I stepped out of my reading comfort zone to read Let It Snow, three holiday romances in one volume by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle. I am fascinated by the collaboration between two authors, and this book melds three authors who created individual stories with connections to the other stories.

Each story takes place on Christmas Eve with a snowstorm creating tension, happiness, and more. Each story features a romance: one in crisis, one just beginning to bloom, or one between old friends.

As a reader, I am intrigued by the way the authors intertwined the stories. Each story is unique, but certain characters or situations occur in all three. The stories are funny, a little heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting.

The Book Whisperer Recommends Helen Simonson’s Newest Book!

A few years ago, I read and fell in love with the characters in Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson. Simonson is back with another charming comedy of manners set soon after Armistice Day in the English countryside. The new book will be published May 2024; it is The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club.

Readers first meet Constance Haverhill, a young lady, trying to find her place in the world. Of course, the time period limits her options. She has no desire to marry just to have a place for herself. During the war, she worked as bookkeeper for a wealthy estate. However, as soon as the war ended, Constance lost her job. Like so many other women who worked during the war, once the war ended, women were expected to return to hearth and home regardless of their circumstances.

On holiday as a companion to elderly, wealthy family friend, Constance meets Poppy Wirrall, a thoroughly modern female! Poppy wears trousers and rides a motorcycle! She can even repair motors. Poppy has created the Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club. She wants her team to compete with men in races. She also uses the motorcycles as transportation for women.

Poppy’s brother, Harris, was badly wounded in the war and lost his leg from the knee down. He has been a pilot, part of England’s elite flying service. Now, he is relegated to desk jobs when he desperately wants to fly again and sees no reason he cannot.

Readers will be angry at the restrictions women face despite their hard work during the war. Often, their work was as dangerous as that the men faced; however, once the war ended, the women rarely even receive recognition for their work. They are supposed to move quietly back into the home and be wives, mothers, and housekeepers! I took umbrage as Constance was refused service for dinner in the hotel because she was ALONE! Without a companion, she would have to eat in her room. Poppy also encountered difficulties at the hotel dining room because she was wearing trousers!

Simonson has addressed some hot issues of the day, but she has also created a warm story of friendship even though the friendship is tested in the story. Book club members will have fun with this story. The discussion will range from the restrictions the women faced to challenges of the status quo to female friendships. There is also a bit of romance. The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club is a treat to read!

The Book Whisperer Says Read Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade!

I am the lucky recipient of an advance copy of Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles. It will be published May 7, 2024. I had read The Paris Library, so I was familiar with Charles’s work. Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is based on the true story of Jessie, Kit, Carson, an American librarian “who changed the literary landscape of France.”

Anne Morgan, millionaire daughter of John Pierpont Morgan, recruits Carson to come to France to help rebuild French communities totally destroyed by WWI. Jessie’s job is to develop a children’s library and story hours for children traumatized by war.

The story also takes place in NYC in 1987 when Wendy Peterson, New York public librarian, discovers information about Jessie Carson in the archives at the New York Public Library, Wendy makes it her mission to find out what happened to Jessie. It seems that Jessie did tremendous work in France, and then she disappeared.

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is a book that will take hold of your heart and mind. Reading about the villages in France that are completely bombed to smithereens by the Germans will break readers’ hearts. Whole families are killed, or those who survive are scarred by the horrors they have endured. The women in Miss Morgan’s brigade are incredibly brave and walk right into the horrors to help the survivors.

Readers may think that the focus should be on food, water, and shelter, not books for those in a war-torn area. However, as Jessie remarks, “Books are bridges. They show how we’re connected.” In fact, not only do the women take books to families, but they also take food and other necessary supplies.

I found many lines that spoke to me. When Jessie is walking with Sidonie who has lost her husband and only child to the war, Sidonie says, “Mourning is a winding path. Sometimes the walk is invigorating, and I feel fine. Then one word, one memory, and I trip and tumble to the ground. Pebbles of memory break through the skin of my palms. It hurts so much I can barely breathe.”

I also appreciated the short biographies of the women involved in Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade which Charles has included at the end of the story.

For book clubs, Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade will provide a wealth of discussion topics. The bravery of the women in the book brigade will be at the top of the list. Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is a must read book for historical fiction fans.

The Book Whisperer Finds The Bookbinder Spellbinding!

After reading The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams, I could hardly wait for another book by Williams. I was rewarded with The Bookbinder. Both books take place in the same location and time, during WWI in Oxford. The Bookbinder focuses on Peggy and Maude, twin sisters who live on a narrow boat on a canal. They both work at the bindery of the university press.

The story centers on the lack of women’s rights and their lack of recognition for the work they do. Peggy has always wanted to attend college, but her station in life prevents her. She left school at 12 to begin working at the bindery. She does read all she can, and she often deliberately makes a mistake on the pages she is folding and sewing so she can take them home to read more closely.

Peggy’s life is complicated by the fact that her sister Maude is developmentally slow, so Peggy feels extremely protective of her. Over the course of the story, Peggy learns that Maude has more strength than Peggy realizes, and Peggy finally feels free to pursue her own dreams.

The Bookbinder is a story of triumph and of hard work. Readers don’t have to read The Dictionary of Lost Words first, but I highly recommend they do. The stories overlap a bit because of the location and the time, but some of the characters also appear in both books. Pip Williams is an author to watch. She has created two sets of intelligent, warm, hardworking characters who are worth readers’ time.

The Book Whisperer Continues to Enjoy Richard Osman’s Series

I devoured The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, the first in his series starring Elizabeth, Ron, Joyce, and Ibrahim, who live in a gated retirement community on the south coast of England. I waited impatiently for the next book in the series, The Man Who Died Twice. It was equally as good as the first. The third book is The Bullet That Missed. The latest installment is The Last Devil To Die. While the books can be read as standalone mysteries, I highly recommend reading them in order. By doing so, readers learn about the characters and the relationships formed. I enjoy reading a series because the author has the opportunity to explore the characters’ nuances, giving readers a fully rounded perspective.

Since The Last Devil to Die is a mystery, readers will find no spoilers here. Suffice it to say that our quartet becomes involved in solving the murder of their friend, an antique dealer. That the friend had gotten himself involved in some dodgy trading lends gravitas to the story. Our four friends find themselves in danger as they delve deeply into the criminal underworld. They are fearless, however; they are also clever, so they use their talents to outwit the bad guys.

The Last Devil to Die will keep readers turning pages to discover the truth behind too many deaths. The story also involves Elizabeth’s beloved Stephen and the fact that his dementia is becoming more pronounced. As always with Osman, the story involves humor, danger, and friendship.

The Book Whisperer is Enthralled!

What can I write about Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout that hasn’t already been said? Named one of the best books of the year by Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s Fresh Air, the New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, Vulture, and She Reads, Oh William! has had a great deal of praise. It is all well-deserved.

For readers unfamiliar with the story, start with I am Lucy Barton followed by Oh William! and then Lucy by the Sea. Admittedly, I read the last two books out of order; it doesn’t matter much, but I recommend reading them in order.

Maureen Corrigan sums up the story found in Oh William! this way: “Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout explores the mysteries of marriage and the secrets we keep, as a former couple reckons with where they’ve come from – and what they’ve left behind.”

For me, Strout’s writing strikes straight to the heart. When I read her stories, I feel as if she has imprinted the words directly into my being. That is particularly true of the trilogy.  My last words about the book are to read it!

The Book Whisperer Discovers a Rare Story

Palm Beach Daily News calls The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura “the perfect voyeuristic story.” World Literature Today describes the story as “off-kilter and suspenseful.” No two ways about it, The Woman in the Purple Skirt is an enigmatic story.

Gondo, the woman in the yellow cardigan, becomes obsessed with watching Mayuko Hino, the woman in the purple skirt. Gondo follows Mayuko and observes her. Gondo tries to get close enough to speak to Mayuko, but that does not work out. Then Gondo starts leaving job ads for Mayuko. Gondo wants to become friends with Mayuko, but she does not quite know how to go about it.

The Woman in the Purple Skirt is not for everyone, but it is a remarkable story.